So we have finally done it...moved back to
India...got onto a plane and just like that, left 9 years in the US behind us..well not quite
While the trip thus far has not been eventful, it has certainly brought me to thin of a few things....here's a summary
After carefully titrating our bags (and I say titrating, because that's exactly what we did...everything short of a pipette) to accomodate 50 lbs (or 23kgs as I now have to get used to saying), we arrived at the airport to find out that the luggage allowance was 72 lbs (32 kgs). Ah well, such is life. The flight itself was uneventful, Anya slept peacefully in her basinette and as usual, I struggled to get any semblace of sleep. Aman may have snatched a few winks.
Heathrow was messy as ever, but we managed to enjoy some nice British sandwiches (ploghmans--cheese, mayo, mango ginger chutney and a cheddar mayo sandwich...the Brits are good for something in the culinary world even if it only be thanks to the good Earl himself). Once we escaped the smoking area in Heathrow, the stop was a pleasant 3 hours...almost made it to our fligh when an obnoxious Indian woman with a thick Brit accent comes up to us and asks us to check in out hand baggage since it it too big (not too big from JFK to LHR, but somehow too big from LHR to BOM)...the bag did not fit into their rack by a micron...no mercy and more rudeness (I love Indians abroad who are put into these great positions of power...I wish much to befall them, but I would be in trouble for putting it in writing! In short, they are as wonderful as the guard at the US consulate in Mumbai)....All the same, no amount of reasoning and even the threat of a cranky child would not deter her (it did not help that Anya was laughing and cooing at her throughout this...this is the one time I wanted her to throw up and she let me down...is this a sign of things to come?) Finally, the old call for the manager helped, when more reasonable person appeared and agreed to let us take one of the bags on board.
The on flight experience was much better..an empty plane...to
India (again, is this some sort of omen??? have to start thinking in these terms since I am back in the land of omens and superstitions...should I have counted the number of people on the flight multiplied it by three and rounded it off to the nearest round number to see if it matched with the year of my paternal grandmothers birthday because that would make it auspicious for me to travel on the plane?). Our friends Zareen and Menyu had organized for us to be greeted by Hoshner (good old bawa purser who worked with Zareen) and Susanne to take utmost care of us...so, dutifully we were upgraded to economy plus (and the Brits say
India has a class system..they have economy, economy plus (where is takes about 3 seconds more before you smell your neighbours flatulence than it does on economy), club world (12-15 seconds) and first class (where flatulence is unknown). All the same, this part was also subsequently uneventful and comfortable. Anya dutifully slept, Aman snatched a few winks and dutifully, I stayed up guarding the empty section of the plane...(oh, did I mention I was afraid the toe jam from the person 6 rows away was about to become an "entity" and engulf the entire plane).
Arrival in
India was 10 minutes late, and the journey through immigration was a breeze (I knew Anya would be useful for something!)....they have a separate line for infants, wheelchaired people and elderly people...the only country I have seen this in. The immigration officer of course berated us for returning to
India with green cards, but smiled when I said we were coming back to spend more time with him. Next, the bags...also arrived in record time. A small feat of physics (or Mah Jong) managed to put all the bags on a single cart and roll it out..we were now ready for customs..x ray machine and out...aha, but another surprise...customs officer approached us...asked us how many of us were responsibe for the Mt Everest of bags we had carried (the mosquito on the highest bag was complaining of high altitude sickness)...We told him it was three of us and at this point I was expecting a wait...but surprise surprise, we were escorted out of customs to the exit...no x ray machine, nothing....great....and then the humidity and humanity hit me. People dutifully waiting for in the humidity and light drizzle. Through this mass of humanity, somehow after Aman called her parents, Aman's cousin Raju's driver Chandrakant approached us. A monumental task had been achieved...we had landed and exited within 45 mins!
Now the physics expirement was starting to run amok....as I pushed the cart over a small bump (which Aman had warned me not to...but such is the beauty of married life...first you stop listening and then you stop listening to the "I told you it would happen" and then eventually, somewhere you realize you are celebrating your 25th anniversary!). And so the bags went over tumbling onto the wet street....I re ran the experiment...it worked and in the next 6 feet between the airport exit and loading the car I managed to master the experiment by doing it 3 more times). More physics, math and spatial relations were to follow and somehow, between all of us we managed to squeeze the 4 large bags, 2 hand bags, diaper bag, pram, Chandrakant, Aman, Anya and myself into the Honda Accord (I found it quite incredible that we remembered Anya). Once squeezed in, we were out of the airport and on our way to Leela Apts to meet grandma (great grandma) briefly before going to Aman's parents place. During this time, one finally knows what the fruits in a smoothie feel like as the smoothie is being prepared. First you are jammed in, then hurtled around in a mixer...except in this case, you are hurtled around Mumbai streets. Eventually, the machine stopped and we were poured out into the Leela Apt lobby....Anya announces herself into the house with an inimmitable bawl, awakening the houseold...follows it up with a few more when she realizes there are so many new faces around her....waits a couple of seconds and starts cackling and laughing realizing she is the centre of attention! We are home in
India...I think its the right decision..Anya agrees...she likes all the attention for now. Over the next 24 hours Anya meets many of her cousins, aunts and uncles...she takes 3 seconds to figure out its "game time" and off she goes with everyone, enjoying herself; lapping up all the attention.
Now, for getting used to no running hot water (who needs it anyways), leaky faucets and life in the fast lane, but not at your pace...I think I'm going to have to get used to this. I'm looking forward to it.
