Sharad Malhotra had to step out of his house recently to get some essentials for his family. While his wife, Ripci Bhatia, was worried, they had no other option because the society where they live in has stopped allowing grocery delivery even at the main gate.
“As strictly instructed by the government, only one person per family is permitted to step out, I’ve been doing that and this time I got things that would last eight to nine days. Though I had also taken proper safety measures, Ripci was obviously worried. But we really don’t have a choice,” he says.
Malhotra shares “it’s unfortunate” that places such as Andheri and Juhu in Mumbai have being considered hotspots for Covid-19, and because of which “residential committees and the local cops” have strictly told everyone to avoid venturing out.
What the actor witnessed when he stepped out is something he had never seen before. “The situation was so grim around. Just one or two shops were open. The roads were clear. The few who were outside looked tense. The shopkeeper was worried about the future… There was a sense of emptiness, a sinking feeling... Never have we seen or heard of a crisis of this magnitude,” he adds.
Malhotra urges everyone to stay home and only move out only if it’s really important. “Together we can and we shall make a difference,” he asserts, adding that his family is ensuring to cut out any negative thoughts and is focussing on the good realisations that this time of crisis has brought about.
“We all are already going through this difficult situation. Adding more negativity to it will just make things worse. So let’s all try and fight it together,” he says.
The actor is equally concerned about his family in Kolkata and Ripci’s parents in Punjab. “I wish we could all have been together now, but nothing is in our hands. We’re constantly in touch with them and making sure that they’re well… Musky (pet dog) can also feel something is wrong, but is happy that his parents are home. I also need to take him out for a quick walk, which I’m doing only within the premises with proper precautions.”
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