Where I Work: Indians & Their Workspaces Amid COVID-19 Lockdown

For the Himalayan travel guide, work-from-home routine pretty strange as his work depends on mostly being outdoors.

In the wake of nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, Indians have made their own work stations at home.

(Photo: Shruti Mathur/The Quint)

Nearly 1.3 billion people have been ordered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stay indoors in a bid to avoid the spread of coronavirus. With organisations resorting to Work From Home, most Indians have been compelled to find their preferred nook to work at home.

Spending vast amounts of time at your desk, writing, working and watching series, in between virtual meetings and quick trips to the kitchen, Indians are braving the quarantine period, one day at a time.

The Quint spoke to people across varied professions to get a glimpse of what their workspace looks like, because now is the time, when irrespective of your profession, we are all found latched to a desk.

What Aanchal Malhotra’s desk look like.

Oral Historian and author Aanchal Malhotra has noticed an eerie quiet around her, which has led her to change her working hours.

Now a day-time writer, Malhotra said, “I am usually quite particular about the arrangement of my workspace. At a given time, I am working with two or three notebooks together. Along with it, are reference books and these days, dictionaries, as I am writing about language. I am a very organised writer and can almost never work in clutter, so having a clean desk is ideal for my writing.”

Divya CS, a public health researcher, along with her husband, has been working together since the quarantine period started. This has changed their schedule upside down; however, both of them have their own spaces, quite different from each other’s.

What Divya’s desk look like.

“I was getting anxiety and panic attacks from the beginning of this work from home schedule. The panic over coronavirus and the daily news kept taking its toll on me. So I set up the desk in a way I feel crowded with all my favourite stuff and books. The desk is my comfort zone and it feels like a tiny safe home,” said Divya.

She continued, “My husband works as a project manager in an IT firm. He takes calls most of the time so he has set up a clean desk which is impossible for me.”

What her husband’s desk look like.

A freelance filmmaker and Himalayan travel guide, Sambit Dattachaudhuri has found this work-from-home routine pretty strange as his work depends on mostly being outdoors.

Sambit Dattachaudhuri’s desk. 

“I've always kind of had this workspace in my room. Sitting at a table is really the only way for me when it comes to working from home, which I can do very rarely. Even when I'm watching a film or having lunch, I'm sitting at this table. I like the fact that it's pretty small. It works best since I'm a small person,” said Dattachaudhari who co-runs The Doi Host.

For Janice Pariat, a Delhi-based writer, things haven’t changed much, except that she misses hopping out to her favourite cafe and working on edits with her friends over coffee.

Janice Pariat’s workspace.

“During my isolated quarantine I’ve only had kitty for company—so that means I’m at my work table a lot. But I do love my corner of the world, it’s a safe space, and I feel tremendously lucky for it,” stated Pariat.

For Anukriti Vasisht, who’s working in the Public Relations industry, work from home has been far more comfortable as she is now home with her family and dog in Jaipur.

Anukriti Vasisht’s desk.

“The workspace for each corporate employee becomes their sacred spot from where they conquer their specific industry. Setting up my workspace has been fun as it has become my dedicated corner in the house which doesn't seem like a punishment at all,” she said.

Sharing a glimpse into her workspace, copywriter and content creator, Abanti Chattopadhyay, said, “My home set-up is devoid of the distractions I usually have in my workplace. I get work done faster and I'm generally more productive. However, I also feel like this constant lockdown is making me feel cagey, so I'm a little irritable on the whole.”

Abanti Chattopadhyay’s desk.

Perfect or Imperfect — It’s Your Space

However, for some people, more than aesthetics, clean space, with or without accents, has also helped them. Tarun Gill, an Associate at Indus Insights, made himself a work station similar to that in his office

“On Day 3 of WFH, I decided to set up a workspace similar to one in my office. I get up everyday and complete a few household chores and then settle into my workspace which now gives me a somewhat similar feel of the office and ever since it has been a less turbulent ride,” he said.

Tarun Gill’s workspace.

Better yet, if there was an award for the most unique work space, it would go to Sabika Abbas Naqvi. Naqvi, social activist and poet, went back home when her house was under construction. With most of the rooms being occupied, she has now taken to the backyard.

Sabika Abbas Naqvi’s work station.

Naqvi said, “I love loneliness! I love working from home. I feel the kind of jokes I crack, I am a Facebook sensation in the making. I have started appreciating my sense of humour.”

Aditi Desai, a freelance artist and designer, said, “I designed my own working desk. And set it up right next to wall painting – done by my friend and me – of Frida Kahlo who is my biggest inspiration.”

Aditi Desai’s desk.

“My work schedule is no different from quarantine time. so now everyone is getting this experience. Before I didn’t get time to work on canvas, but now I am enjoying both, my personal and commercial work,” Desai pointed out.

Manuhita Gupta’s workspace.

“The park is so close, yet so far in these times,” said Manhuhita Gupta, a product designer working in Mumbai.

“The best part about my work station is the view I get to enjoy while I work. My mornings start with the birds chirping and spotting people who are trying to sneakily take a quick walk before anyone else comes in,” she said.

The Quint’s team also decided to share how our work stations look like, as we continue churning out stories in wake of the lockdown. Safe to say, at the end of the day, we are all in this together.