The Power of "TOGETHERNESS"

Long Back, During the COVID Days…

It feels like a lifetime ago now, those strange days of lockdown. A time that was difficult for most, yet oddly comforting for some. The world had slowed down, homes became offices, and “work from home” turned from a luxury into a necessity. Families were suddenly together under one roof for days on end. Many called it “quality time” — I, however, would choose a different word. It was not quite “quality,” but certainly the quantity was unmatched.

As an academician, the shift was baffling at first. I often wondered — how does a teacher work from home? The idea had seemed implausible once, but lockdown was a teacher in itself. It taught us to adapt, to embrace the digital, and to explore the potential of technology in ways we never imagined. Zoom calls replaced classroom chatter. Screens became blackboards. And our voices had to stretch across Wi-Fi signals instead of reaching young ears in person.

Yet, even in the whirlwind of change, there were moments when I would drift to the pre-lockdown world. This morning, in fact — as I sat by the window, cradling a warm cup of tea between my palms — I stumbled upon an old photograph tucked away in a folder.

It brought back a vivid memory from a bitterly cold winter afternoon, long before masks and sanitizers ruled our routines. It must have been around 4:30 PM. I had wrapped up work for the day and was heading home. The e-rickshaw dropped me off by the market, and I began walking past the familiar shops and stalls.

That’s when I noticed something — a small white form nestled quietly on the footpath. From a distance, it looked like a discarded pile of cloth. But then, it moved.

I paused. Watched.

One figure lifted its head and gently rested it on the other’s neck, curling into warmth. There it was — two little street pups, huddled together in silent affection. One of them seemed to smile — or perhaps I imagined it. But in that simple gesture of togetherness, there was something profoundly moving. I remember standing still, unwilling to interrupt the moment, and eventually, capturing it with my phone. That image stayed with me long after the cold had gone.

As I look back now, I realize — that moment wasn’t just a beautiful sight, it was a quiet lesson.

Being together — whether in times of joy or adversity — is such a powerful instinct. It binds not only humans but animals too. This deep-rooted need to belong, to feel warmth in the presence of another, is perhaps what helps us sail through life’s storms. With it, we survive. Without it, we merely exist. Our support systems are built on it — invisible but indispensable.

Sometimes I wonder — have you ever come across such a moment? One so ordinary, yet so quietly profound that it never quite left you?