An eerie silence has settled over Pune. Far removed from the cacophony beaming out from television screens every hour, there is a stark and palpable stillness in the city. Deserted roads, deathly-quiet market places, downed shutters, the city of 35 lakh seems to have been virtually swallowed up by a tiny microscopic virus.

As recently as a week ago, the difference between reality and hype was still being vociferously debated. The role of the media in creating panic when none apparently existed, the skewed perspective of people terrified over a few deaths in a country of over one billion, the wisdom behind schools and colleges being shut down — these discussions seemed to dominate the air, not the virus. Given the odd glances directed at Pune’s cautious masked minority, one could take some comfort in knowing that the majority of the population was open to the idea of fighting it out.

Not anymore. Fifteen deaths in twelve days have snuffed out the city’s bravado. The long, empty roads are mute evidence to the fear psychosis that has taken over. Now,. the belief that the city is trapped in a situation fast spiraling out of control is worming its way into every consciousness — a sentiment wholly alien to the land of Pune.

This city has been hurtling along the highway of success for the past decade, propelled by the boom in education and information technology. It is inherently optimistic. In fact, if there was a factor that worked against Pune all these years it was the maddening tendency of its people to accept, absorb and absolve the city of all its ills, be it municipal malfunctions, crumbling infrastructure or a deplorable traffic situation. A staunch belief that things have a way of working out by themselves, bordering on a ‘chalta hai’ attitude was endemic to the city and its people. Strong reactions to any chance incident were rare.

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