A journey spanning over 5 airports, 4 flights, 3 countries, lots and lots of risk and courage.
When the first news about the virus was let out, little did we know what our new year had in store for us. The outbreak was thought to be contained in China and so we got back to our little schedules. In a few weeks, stories changed, breaking news changed, priorities changed and the face of our planet changed too. India with the least reported cases was the safest place we NRI kids could be in. We knew that this would mean not seeing our parents our loved ones for a long time still stood strong so that we wouldn’t end up being carriers. We advocated our stand against traveling when schools and colleges shut down sending students away. When the students saw it as homecoming, we saw them as potential carriers. We tried to make a stand. But everything is delayed in our country and so was the decision to not vacate students from hostels. Before the decision came, we took the riskiest decision, a journey that would last more than 26 hours or so, deciding the fate of many.
It was Friday morning when the vacating notice reached my hands. Positive cases were soaring and people around us had already left for their safe houses. One by one the hands we looked forward to getting a hold of were held back. I was filled with guilt for putting forth others' health when I had the option to travel. I felt stupid because many had warned about this happens. One by one all the mattresses that were meant for us to fall back disappeared and the big decision was made. Desperate times called for a desperate measure - Flying back home.
I sat down to book tickets, my eyes glaring at the screen to see more than 100 flights canceled, delayed and rescheduled. Our chances were low but were worth a shot. My sister stranded in Bengaluru, I in Vijayawada and our parents in Bahrain.
I don’t remember how many flights were booked, rebooked and canceled. Tears filled my hopeless eyes but there was no time to let it out. Had to man up, had to pull it together, had a little sister who was awaiting her strong and bold sister to look unto. We had to prepare to get stuck at any of the destinations we were traveling through and so I frantically packed emergency food, medicines, clothes, Dettol, hand wash pouches, sanitizer, and half a dozen masks. I had an early flight the next morning but could not catch even an hour’s sleep. Thoughts and theories filled my head breaking through my sanity. And then the announcement of Janata Curfew happened and our hopes crashed down.
It was 5 in the morning and I geared up for the most dangerous and longest journey I had ever undertaken. If you have read my earlier posts, you will know how airports and travel have sparked most of my content. Well, this journey was going to break all records.
Destination 1 - Vijayawada Airport 6:30 AM Saturday 21st March 2020
Everything seemed calm since the city was yet to know the storm that awaited the country. There were people but very few, all of them in masks and sanitizing all through the way. The boarding announcement was made and I thanked the Gods. Plan 1 was in action.
Destination 2 - Kempagowda Airport, Bengaluru 9:40 AM Saturday 21st March 2020
As I walked out, what we thought was our ticket to home was snatched away. Air India canceled their flights and no international flights would take off after 5 am on Sunday 22nd March 2020. As the proverb goes, when one door closes another one opens. Emirates came to our rescue with one last flight flying out of the country at 4:30 AM from Kochi. So that gave me 6 hours to rest for our journey ahead. I met my sister at her PG and sanitized and infected myself with whatever thing I could lay my hand on. Our visa papers had to be printed and we headed to the nearest print shop. Seeing us wearing masks, the local guys playing gully cricket vanished, the stalkers sitting by the road dispersed; this was the safest I ever felt in the country. The print shop guy, a very random guy asked us if flights were operating and asked us to stay safe. This concern from a random guy reassured us and got our hopes pumping high. Prayers and well wishes flowed in from the most unexpected. Our cab driver took the shortcut to the airport which was one and a half-hour away. Throughout the journey, he was on a call and he conversed in the local language. I pieced the words together and realized that he was expressing his concerns of two kids planning to fly home and how he wished we reach safely.
Destination 3 - Cochin International Airport 11:00 PM Saturday 21st March 2020
We boarded our flights from Bengaluru at around 9:00 at night and reached Cochin. This is the first airport where temperature screening was happening and that raised a lot of questions in our minds regarding the seriousness of the issue. We were screened and asked to go home and stay under quarantine for 14 days. Well, we had an international flight to catch at 4 in the morning so we waiting patiently. The airport staff, the medical team and the police force were all doing their duties remaining call and patient and that just showed how these warriors were ready to take down this virus.
3:00 AM Sunday 22nd March 2020
The boarding announcement came which meant our flight was on schedule and reaching home seemed realistic. We headed to check-in, screened our luggage and waiting for the boarding call. That’s when we set our eyes on the beauty that was flying us home. 777 Boeing majestically waiting for us to board. One of the best flights we had had in a long time. An amazing breakfast platter was laid out in front of us by a beautiful air hostess wearing a mask. We reeked of alcohol from all the sanitizer we were rubbing on since the commencement of the journey. We were headed to Dubai, the land of dreams and wonders. We slept for a good 2 hours. The drool told us how good the nap was.
Destination 4 - Dubai International Airport 7:30 AM (LOCAL TIME) Sunday 22nd March 2020
We landed and that’s when we realized we had exactly half an hour to board our next flight. And anybody who has been to Dubai airport should be aware of the maze of gates and passageways they have and people use it to meet their daily step target. We looked at each other and started running. We ran through a lot of people, people from different countries, people in hazmat suits and clueless people like us. This felt surreal. This was the first time I saw people in hazmat suits in real life. I didn't even know what a hazmat suit was. The panic hormones had started to work and I knew we were in the end game. We ran and boarded our flight. Our home was nearer, a few hours to go and we will be home.
Destination 5 - Bahrain International Airport 9:00 AM (LOCAL TIME) Sunday 22nd March 2020
We landed. A sense of relief, the death of uncertainty, finally we were home. At least we thought we were. I did notice a peculiar thing though. Our flight landed in the cargo zone which meant something wasn’t right. Three buses arrived to pick us up. They drove us past the arrival zone, drove past the airport, and drove even far far away. Now, we were entering a military zone, with tents and people moving in hazmat suits. Well, my mind figured out what was going on and I assured my little sister to cling on. It was nothing but a testing camp with an adjoining quarantine and isolation wards. The entire map was on Instagram on their official page a day before which I had scrolled past without glancing at it. The tents looked creepy and the stories of testing camps from around the world crowded my mind. Body temperature was scared and we were given some health forms to fill and wait in a zone for further testing. The wait was long. And by long I mean 5 hours or so. But all this while I noticed several things.
Doctors are amazingly patient people and they tried their best to control the crowd.
Social media influencers were having the best of their time clicking, posting and updating about all that was going down around them.
Police team members were pulling apart the chairs at 6 feet distance which the passengers were clubbing together again and again.
People irrespective of their ethnicities sat together, some even talked in sign language. This was the first time I saw people from different countries united together in the same feeling - a sense of fear of the unknown.
My sister and I waited away from the crowd. Since we didn’t have local sims, we had lost contact when we crossed Indian Territory. But we were in Bahrain, free Wifi is basic here and yes we weren’t wrong. We established communication with all the people who were genuinely concerned about us. Slowly and steadily after a series of musical chairs and fights over who goes in next, we went in. To the other part of the tent where 12 doctors and 5 staff per doctor were working to get every passenger tested. I remembered how casually I had scrolled across the nasal swab test for corona. Here we were waiting for that test to be done. The doctor intimated us about all the symptoms and how home quarantine has to be followed actually and not what most of us think it is.
The Test
If there was an emotion to convey how you would feel when one tickles your brain through your nose, well that could be perfect. You feel like coughing, throwing up and hitting the person in front of you and your vision go all blank at the same time. Trump was right when he said,” It is not something I would want to do again and again.”
Bahrain International Airport 2:00 PM (LOCAL TIME) Sunday 22nd March 2020
Finally, we were in the arrival lounge and we met our dad. He was wearing gloves and a mask. Well, we did a happy dance with our eyes. This man had not slept in a while trying to get his daughters to safety and he looked very happy. He was the most serious person I met. He had hand sanitizers, sanitizing sprays and gloves and masks all kept ready for use.
HOME 2:40 PM (LOCAL TIME) Sunday 22nd March 2020
Our mom waiting by the corridor saw us and her eyes gleamed. We were taken to our quarantine room, our vacation destination for the next 14 days. And I heard my mom say, “I can see them in front of my eyes and that’s all that matters now. I can sleep in peace.” I took a long hot shower, disinfected all our stuff and settled down to have lunch at 5 in the evening. And yes, we were HOME finally, a privilege many do not have access to.
There are several things I learned through this entire journey and some of them broke my heart while some of them healed some bits.
Acceptance and understanding come from the most unexpected people.
A pandemic shows you who your people are, the real ones. I was genuinely surprised to learn it the hard way that I don’t have a home or anyone I can call mine back in my so-called Homeland. Which is why we had to undertake the most dangerous and riskiest journey.
The test results came in negative and we are on Day 6 of quarantine and by quarantine, it is not what you think!
One room and bathroom - That’s all we have access to. Our flat doesn’t have a balcony and I have regretted moving into a balcony less flat ever since I'm under quarantine. I haven’t seen the sun in 6 days and it is taking a toll on me. Good that I’m an architect, my designs are going to be way better now with this perspective.
Very minimal talking - I know my mom and dad are on the other side of the wall. We share smiles when they come to hand us over our meals. Well, we are among the luckiest that we at least get to see them if not hug or sit with them.
No walking - I am a person who loves to walk and now my legs are deprived of any walk. You can walk in your rooms if you got a room big as Ambani’s not when you got a decent room with lots of furniture and another human being. But at least we have a roof over our heads.
Sanitiser and hand wash are the new perfume. Our room reeks of alcohol from these sanitizers. Access to them because we can afford it.
I think I have grown roots into this sofa and bed. Unlimited internet and humungous quantities of our favorite food are spoiling us.
While I keep whining about it all, this is not to complain about anything. But to show how many of us are privileged to have this and yet find it difficult to cope. Moreover, to show what actual quarantine looks like and what not many of us think it is. #quarantine
You might be wondering why quarantine even when the tests came in negative. Well, the tests are just 85% accurate and there are chances the virus may be dormant in our systems so 14 days it is.
See you soon.
Praying sincerely that this pandemic ends soon and we all get to see each other…
Until then read my blogs and give me some interesting comments. Quarantined souls got no excuse!