For most of the Kolkatans, a terrace or ‘chhaad’ plays an important role that evokes a sense of plaintive nostalgia. Gossips being shared over depths, while picking up clothes hung out in the sun, pickles being dried with grandparents, and secret calls of young lovers are just a few of the common nostalgic events that make the terrace a much-loved place for most of us.

Although, due to our hustling bustling lives, these extents had decreased into an unusual environment. One advantage of the lockdown has been seen on the terraces of Kolkata once again. In the evening, just before the setting of the sun, peoples can be noticed on almost every visible terrace. Running kids, debating elders, some was seen taking out selfies and various snaps of the sky, to be featured on their Instagram stories. Some used to come up to the terrace to fly kites. It’s always like a battleground to fight with friends to cut each other’s kites.

It took a lockdown for the people of Kolkata to re-establish this glorious time in their own homes. It took compulsory commands to stay indoors for parents to discover hours to play with their children in the evenings. Spending our precious times inside four congested walls, to find comfort in the fresh air, heading upstairs once again rebuilding Kolkata’s glorious terrace culture.