Asaalamalaikum,
Technically, it’s been a little more than 2 and a half months, since I’ve been here(the numbers matching up is coincidental), and maybe, because I was back after so long, it took me all this while to write this. Ah, just kidding.
Visiting India or even getting on a plane after 2.5 years was pretty exciting, but also slightly nerve wrecking.
It was mid 2022, life in most places had considerably resumed to normal, but it was my first time travelling post pandemic, well, is it post yet? I don’t know, haven’t read about any official announcement yet, officially or unofficially, life has gone back to it’s pace almost everywhere.
I know, people have travelled even in 2020, some have even had multiple trips in the past two years. But, it was my maiden trip since, and I was a little nervous.
There was also special cause for being excited, after much deliberation, we were finally travelling from the new International Airport in Jeddah, and also, maybe I did slightly miss being in the sky.
Before 2019, Alhamdulillah, I have travelled back and forth at least once a year, and this was absolutely routine, but it really was strange, just how nervous and exciting it all made me feel this time.
KAIA Terminal 1 is modern, new and savvy, and just like all new aiports, it is ridiculously huge. So, if you don’t fit the 15-30 age bracket travelling with no kids, all the best to you!
Overall, the flight was great, Alhamdulillah. We had an overnight flight, so didn’t really get a chance to see much on take off, and even then,the Bride of the Red Sea looked beautiful, all lit up.
I understand people want to sleep in a flight, and especially an overnight one, but one of the reasons why I love flying is getting to witness the world from such a different perspective, a literal bird’s eye view if you will. Personally, in my head, I feel like a portion of the ticket’s cost is towards the chance of being able to see the world from above.
And so, after hours of pitch darkness and absolutely nothing, I was pretty keen to see the sun rise, but since all the lights in the cabin are out and all window shutters shut, if I do raise my window screen up, it ushers in sharp, bright morning light, disgruntling every single sleeping person around, especially those behind me.
Nevertheless, when the first signs of dawn glowed far east, I took the opportunity to be pensieve, as I looked out the window, witnessing the colors change in the sky, and when it started to get too bright, I shut it.
We were cordially welcomed to India by the sweltering hot Summer. Since our house had been unoccupied for the period, due to lack of ventilation, our home was even hotter.
But on the bright side, it gave me a chance to finally relish deliciously sweet Mangoes.
In the past few years, having lived here for grad, we had pretty much learned and adapted the ways of the locals. But, after such a long gap, I felt a little bit like an outsider.
It took me back to a similar hot May day, when I had first arrived to India with mum to an empty flat with just our suitcase and a mattress. So, Alhamdulillah, compared to that, we had a house that we call home now, but just that it was a little dusty, like our understanding of living here.
Not that it’s bad, but I felt like a proper NRI. I was supposed to know the ways, the names of places, the where and what of everything outside and inside the house. The first time we went out, I felt the cars and bikes rode dangerously too close to us.
And the thing is, it’s hard to explain this. No one really understood how or why we felt everything to be so different. It was assumed, we’d be rested and settled in within a day, after all, it was only a few hours flight, but really, it was two years worth of cleaning and adjusting.
It took a little while, and Alhamdulillah, I can say now, we are fairly in swing.
Being able to reconnect and spend time with cousins and family has been very uplifting. It felt great to finally meet the new additions to family, and bond with everyone.
A lot has changed in Hyderabad. We were totally taken aback by the new constructions every where, especially the several new flyovers.
I realize that now, for real, if someone wanted to in Hyderabad, they could just live inside their house, without ever having to step outside.
Literally, everything is delivered at your doorstep. The breakthrough of 15-30 minutes grocery deliveries is absolutely insanse. And the charges aren’t that exorbitant, compared to the ease, it’s pretty good. There is an app for almost everything.
So, yeah ,that’s pretty much it I guess. I honestly don’t know how else to wrap this up. I do have more to say but I also don’t want to stretch this post too long.
Hopefully, InshaAllah, I will be back soon here and not a year later.
Misfit Narrator 