Lekhny post -09-Dec-2021

                                                  FIRST EXPERIENCES IN MY LIFE

Life comes with a lot of surprises. We can never expect what waits for us the next moment. Most of the episodes faced are so astonishing and relishing that they light up our faces as thousands of stars light up the sky. They brighten our lives and give us new energy to lead them. They are like a cool fountain in our dull and dynamic life.

 At a very tender age, I faced an incredibly unique and best experience of my life, and that was my marriage. I was just eighteen years old then. At that tender age, though, I did not understand the meaning of marriage, yet it was one of the best decisions I had taken in life. Undoubtedly, marriage brought many complexities, but it became comfortable with the loving ones' love and support. I was just in college when I got married, but my hubby had completed his degree and worked in Dubai, UAE. We got married when Dubai was considered a far-off dream by many. The world was not as small a place as it is today.

 A month after our marriage, my husband left me and went back to Dubai to resume his job. It was then I realized that I had started loving somebody other than me so profoundly. His love for me had changed my life. The first-ever experience of separation from my beloved was heart-breaking. I was lost in my world. I continued my studies so that I could complete my graduation. After a year of parting, I came across the most awaited news of traveling to Dubai to be with my beloved. As the story of my traveling to Dubai reached my ears, I danced with joy frantically. My visa was issued and was sent to me. I looked a thousand times at it, unable to believe my eyes. I did not understand whether it was the thought of meeting my sweetheart or traveling to Dubai, which thrilled me. I was nowhere on Earth. I was always in the clouds.

As the date of my journey approached, my appetite and sleep were both lost. My tickets were issued. At that time, Bengaluru had just a domestic airport. It had no international airport. I had to travel from Bengaluru to Bombay (then Mumbai), and from there, I had to travel to Dubai. The very thought of traveling by air brought goosebumps all over my body. Though initially, everything was fascinating when the day of travel came, I was too nervous. I thought that going away from my parents made me shake like a dried leaf on a thunderous night. I had never traveled anywhere near them, and suddenly flying off to a different country made me edgy.

Finally, the day I had to travel arrived. My mom packed all my clothes. It was tolerable. But she filled all ration of the house and utensil as if I were going to a banished land. Most surprising was she packed even salt and sugar. She had prepared a lot of snacks. She was equally worried as she knew that I did not know how to cook. She failed to comprehend that only a little weight was allowed on the flight. My luggage needed a truck to carry to the airport. I was nervous, seeing so many cartons. I prayed that I remembered them. My parents warned me repeatedly not to be friendly with any passenger and extend a helping hand. They warned me that people could fool me and pass illegal things in my purse. It made me wonder as if I was going on some unbelievable mission. All my excitement changed to horror and tension. Every person in the airport looked like a terrorist to me.

Finally, I was taken to Bengaluru airport. The whole family, my grandparents, cousins, my in-laws, friends, parents, and my sister came to drop me. We had to hire a minivan to go to the airport. When I reached Bengaluru airport, I embraced my parents and started crying like a baby. I was so panicky that I became as cold as ice. My feet froze, and I could not move. My dad saw my state and grew exceedingly worried. He filled in all the courage in me, but I was too anxious. All the relatives tried to pump energy in me, but all was in vain. My dad could not bear to see me broken like that, so he immediately booked a ticket for my cousin to accompany me to Mumbai. He asked him to be with me till I reached Chhatrapati Shivaji international airport. He was asked to stay in the airport till my plane was in the air. He agreed happily. He thanked me hundreds of times since it was his first experience in flight. He was enthralled. He carried my baggage inside happily and waved to everybody as though he was traveling to Dubai. With him, I felt a bit better. I went to the airport. My parents had given me some dirhams too to use when needed. But it was not in my purse; it was safely packed in clothes. They thought I would lose it if it were in my wallet. Hugging everybody and bidding farewell, I went in with a heavy heart. All my happiness had evaporated.

As we both went on the flight, my cousin started begging me to want the window seat. I was so sad that I agreed without argument. As the flight took off, he held my hand tight and started muttering, what if the flight fell off from the air. I was astounded at his words. I did not understand whether he was sent to assist me or I was sent to help him. When the plane was in the air, my eyes were as wide as the sky. I was amazed to see that I was floating in the clouds. White, spongy, and soft clouds were surrounding me. I wish I could open the window and catch them.  The cities below looked like miniature puppet towns with tiny houses and vehicles. I was lost in a strange world and had never experienced such an exclusive feeling in my life. I was in a dream world. I did not want to come out of this bizarre world. I thought that the flight's speed would shake me inside out, but the flight was stagnant. I wondered whether it moved even.

As I reached Mumbai, I had to go from the domestic airport to the international airport. My cousin helped me. Finally, I was asked to go inside to take the flight to Dubai. All my senses had stopped working. I went in and reached the counter. As I placed my baggage on the weighing scale, without a doubt, it was overweight. It had exceeded the allowed weight by 20kgs. I did not know what to do and became desperate for nobody to help me. I randomly opened all the cartons to remove things. I was sweating and was in tears. Then I remembered the money my parents had hidden in my luggage. I removed it. I gave it to the lady at the counter with tears in my eyes. She smiled and told me to wipe my tears. Her comforting words made me cry more. She took the money and passed my luggage. I went with red and burning eyes to sit on the flight. I cursed myself for praying day and night to go to Dubai. If it was so embarrassing, I thought it was not worth it at all. I started missing mom and dad. My love for my husband at that instant had precipitated.

I ultimately reached the Dubai airport. I felt like I got to Mars. It was an alien land: new faces, unknown language, new customs, and new rules. I wondered where I was? Everybody looked like an alien. I followed the crowd, which went towards the counter. A long queue was standing to show their passport and visa. I stood there, and a strange fear and nervousness had engulfed me.

At that moment, a stranger standing in front of me tapped me and told me that somebody was waving to me, standing in the visitors' lobby. I looked up and said to him that I did not know him. I slowly walked towards the counter. The immigration lady looked at me and asked me whether I had come for the first time. I nodded. She said that it was a beautiful country and I needed to chill. I smiled. As I went out, my hubby rushed to welcome me. He was excited, but I hardly looked at him. He held my hand and asked whether I did not recognize him. At that second, I stared at him and hugged him, and said that I was petrified. He smiled and consoled me. It was then I realized that the man waving in the lobby was my hubby. He took me with him to my new house. His love and compassion towards me made my life easy and worth living again.

                                         ………………NOOR TABASSUM……………….

IG ID - @noortabassumali123