…and I was home finally

March 8th – What to say about my preparations for India! In the excitement to be back home, I checked my passport too while I sat in the taxi on my way to Detroit airport… alas I forgot my I-20!!!

Shopping? Well the list wasn’t too long and all I did was to pick as many brands of chocolates as were available in the Wal-Mart. Finally as Nitesh and I traveled together to fit everything in a Lincoln, I started thinking of home. Since I wanted it to be a surprise back home, I didn’t tell it to anyone but to my dear cousin Gaurav. Theoretically too, I don’t think I could have told it to anymore people, given the way the plan was finalized in the last minutes and my own schedule. Met Anjani and Sidhura in the plane and I decided to see some movies to catch a breather finally. Saw Rocky Balboa and felt a relief that I didn’t spend my precious dollars to see this one in theaters.

As I caught some sleep on my way to Mumbai airport, I think I dreamt about home almost all the while. Getting out of Mumbai, I saw my friend Amit waiting for me and to me this was the first welcome from India!!!

The taxis from the Airport zoomed their way to Andheri and I was re-introduced to the chaos that I had so long not been used to. Whatever time you have spent in India, if you are not used to Mumbai, it’s autos, taxis and trains can surprise you every time you are here. I spent the whole night discussing the old tales with Amit and watching his wedding album.

As we talked the whole night, I spelt just 5 minutes before starting my journey for the airport again. Good thing that Nitesh and Anjani were there to wake me up. Funny thing I was mumbling something like “Negative 1” in my sleep I was told!!!

Reached Domestic airport well in time and met Antra for the first time. The couple (Nitesh and Antra) were very shy to talk anything about themselves and to me they certainly didn’t look like they were getting engaged in 3 days. Anyways, Nitesh can actually be very funny in his own ways. I called mom from the Airport only to find that Dad is hospitalized due to high fever and blood pressure. Man, I was not looking for this in my surprise package.

Anyways, reached Delhi and called Gaurav to know his whereabouts. The poor guy was thinking I will be coming in the night and then was waiting outside the international terminal for an hour. In the meantime, I was also introduced to Delhi heat outside the Palam Airport. Reached home at around 2 and mom and Meenakshi had these looks of disbelief on their faces! I think I managed to surprise Nana Ji also this time! It worked!!! Had a quick lunch and started for the Hospital to meet Dad. He was still running high fever and it became clear to me that he won’t be home before 3-4 days at least.

From hospital, I went to meet my relatives. One funny thing that I was not able to come to term with was the level of difference or indifference I had to show as I am back here. People aspects you to have undergone a transition and at the same time they want to see the past of you as you walk side with them. I seriously think that having spent some time in a different land may have disturbed my driving skills a little bit but besides that I am still the same person as I was 8 months earlier. An MBA may have changed my perspective a little but certainly not my stay at Ann Arbor. I think it is high time people stop looking for that change in me J… anyways as the day was not coming to an end, my eyes gave up and I slept while talking to everyone on the couch itself… see same old me!The next morning, I went back home and I think I am coming in tune with the fact that I really need to unlearn my Michigan driving and keep that license I am so proud of in the boot for a while. As I managed to zoom past my way across those crowded roads to be back home and then to meet old IIT friends, I think I was able to make the much-desired transition.