Delhities have started looking out of the doorway and are stepping out gingerly to reclaim their lives as the city unlocks in phases. On Monday, when all shops could open and restaurants were allowed to function with 50% capacity, both hesitancy and a sense of relief were in the air. Footfalls at markets were low and many restaurant owners entertaining only a few customers were wondering whether it was financially viable for them to stay open, particularly when serving of alcohol was barred and they had to wrap up by 8pm. Many markets which are usually closed on Monday chose to stay open though at many places the crowd was quite thin. This was particularly evident at M-block GK-II, and South Extension. Connaught Place, Sarojini Nagar, Khan Market and Sadar Bazar, however, got an encouraging response. This time the crowds are a source of both joy and anxiety for the shopkeepers. Arrangements have been made to enforce social distancing and wearing of masks besides restricting the number of customers. Scarred by mounting losses, the shopowners are wary of leting their guard down. They want civil defence volunteers to crack down on violators many people are still shunning masks and vendors to be checked. Malls and five-star hotels, for those who can afford, were refuge for some. However, it's early days and fingers remain closed. A news channel reporter, who had recently exposed liquor mafia in Uttar Pradesh, was on Sunday night found dead under mysterious circumstances. Pratapgarh-based Sulabh Sirvastava was found dead a day after he had written to ADG Prayagraj Prem Prakesh that he was under threat. A murder case was registered after his wife said that her husband was murdered. A four-year-old boy who fell into a 180-foot-deep borewell in Agra on Monday was rescued.
