Back to Swades

As said earlier, here’s the second post for the month of July – made it just on the month end. It’s getting difficult to recall past memories now, especially when you face so many new experiences recently. But I will try my best and put down as much as I can recall in this post. This post will cover the last few days I spent in US and the return journey back to India.

The latter half of my life in US was spent in what we called GMAPS House. SK, SM and I started living in a 2 BHK apartment which became a “Home Away from Home” for the 3 of us. Later, AV joined us and we 4 spent many memorable days in there. Life was going on well with no tensions and we were living together with a smile on our faces. Sometimes, I did miss my family and friends who were there in India but I occasionally made it a point that I would talk to them.

VP came to Phoenix and finally after so many month of working together (though on phone), we finally came face-to-face with each other. I always had this impression on hearing her voice that she would be intelligent and wise. When I saw her, I was surprised to see her look much younger than what I expected her to be. She looked shorter and like a kid – maybe my imagination of her was totally opposite like I expected a much elder woman when I thought of VP.

After she came, there were lots of fun filled evenings going on with SK, her, AV and rest of us. We were a team and united – it showed by the gesture PK made by inviting all of us to his place for a get-together and dinner. It was a second family to me and I felt really lucky to have been working with such great people. I owe them a lot.

Time passes by and it never stops for any one. Same is the case with me – 6 months passed by at onshore and I never realized it. The time came when I was about to leave for offshore. This is a time when I had mixed emotions in my mind – sad to leave this new-found family out here in US and happy to go back to my motherland, to my parents and friends out there in India. I promised myself that tears would not roll down my eyes when I leave from here but it was bound to happen – I knew this already in my mind.

Shopping time came in and I started to buy stuff which I had discussed with my family and friends that I would bring them from US. Packing time was at leisure when I started the packing slowly but surely – few minutes each day in the last week.

The day arrived when I was to board the flight to London from Phoenix and then go to Mumbai. As was the case when I came here, it was a BA flight all the way till Mumbai – the flight leaving from Phoenix in the evening. I spent the last day in office working little, taking photos of clients and my team members with me – to capture the memories of the workplace that I learnt in. For the last 2-3 days, I had that intuition that VP was not feeling well. She had a tradition that any one of us who stayed at onsite was supposed to be coming at her place for dinner which she used to prepare all by herself. I could have done the dinner at her place, but I realized that her health wasn’t fully well and I got busy in my packing and other work routine. I just wanted her to get well and take care of herself. She had been a great influence in my life and I always wish well for her.

VD came to drop me in his car at the Sky Harbor International Airport, Phoenix – along with him came SK and AV. It was an emotional drive back to the airport for me as I quietly remembered all those memories and fun filled moments I spent with these people. At the terminal, I gave a rich, creamy STARBUCKS treat to all of them and we spent some time talking, joking and having a nice, last time together before I depart towards the gate.

I proceeded towards the departure gate after bidding farewell to my friends. The flight was going to be a long one and again I was alone travelling back to London. I gave one final phone call to SK and talked to him, AV before I went for the security check – as I spoke with them, tears did eventually roll down my eyes. They assured me that they will also miss me and that I should come back to them soon. I somehow knew in my mind that Phoenix would not in m future plans any sooner.

The flight was very nice and by now I had the experience of flying – having been around in US too on flights. I reached London in the afternoon around lunch time – again on Terminal 4. This time, I made sure I had proper food (even though it was not Indian food) so that I’m not hungry again during the afternoon and early evening. The flight from London to Mumbai was going to depart at night and I had to spend 9 hours at the terminal.

A thought crossed my mind if I should get a transit visa to roam around London since the wait time was more than 6 hours – but then I realized that Heathrow Airport may not be close to the city of London and let’s instead rest for the next flight.

In the evening, I had an early dinner/snack at the terminal itself before I proceeded to my flight’s gate with no hurry at all. I had enough time to reach to the gate and I was going through some photos that I took at the Terminal 4 during the day. The afternoon again was gloomy, dark as if London’s climate never changed from the last time when I was there at this terminal.

The flight from London to Mumbai started at night and was expected to reach Mumbai in the morning at around 11:30 IST – it was a Thursday, if I remember well. My parents were going to come at the airport to receive me – and my Aunt also came as she had done during my flight to Phoenix in November 2006. My flight reached Mumbai in time and once I landed in India (especially in Mumbai), I realized how humid it can get for a person who comes to Mumbai. I patiently walked through the baggage unloading process and other customs formalities. Once I came out of the terminal, I saw Dad somewhere in the crowd and waved to him. I walked out and reached a vacant place where Dad came and embraced me, welcoming me back. We proceeded towards a jeep that Dad had brought and there I met my Mom and Aunt.

Usually, my Mom does not show much emotion but that day, she had tears in her eyes when she saw me and she quickly hugged me – she was happy to see me back and proud that at such an age, I stayed away from her and everyone else and became independent. I had learnt how to live on my own and for my parents, they felt that I had grown up in life now that I can take care of myself.

I met Aunt and took her blessings. We then loaded the bags in the jeep and drove back home. All the roads, people and places looked so new to me even though I had come back to my own city. When I reached home, the place itself looked so small as I had been staying in a 2 BHK in US for all that time. My brother came home later as he had gone for his examination at that time.

I was going to join office back on Monday only and so I had the long weekend that I had hoped for. Much needed rest after coming back home and having lived an entire new chapter in your own life.

I end the post now having recalled as much as I could. The next post will not cover much detail about my Syntel work back at offshore and I would wrap it at the point when I resign in order to go for my MBA at Nirma University, Ahmedabad. If you feel that I’ve missed out on anything in this post, kindly provide your feedback and I’ll make sure I’ll write it in my next post.

Signing off now. See ya, friends!