“The most amazing thing to me about the sea is the tide. A harbour is totally transformed in a very short space of time by the arrival or departure of the sea.”
John Dyer
John Dyer
Today the tide that arrived - has departed .Yes Sandhya Awasthi came to Dubai like a tide ,at a time when we were struggling with the pangs of homesickness . In those days ,the harbor looked monotonous and no matter where we would go to –malls ,restaurants ,offices – it was always a harbor far away from our home.Our boat had refused to anchor in it .The Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf reminded us that we could not catch a bus ,a taxi or walk back to our home .Our home was far away .There were lots of people here in Dubai –but we had no friends .
But Sandhya came in like the tide .She brought in the waves as if from far away India and along with it the sounds that reminded us of home .She talked the same language and she cooked the same kind of food .She loved dogs .And like us she was, typically middle class with the same value systems and aspirations .
We went out together , everywhere .We frequented restaurants and ate our favourite dishes .We shopped at Malls .We used each others cars .We stayed just 20 minutes from each others places –she in upmarket Jumeirah in a beautiful apartment and we in a equally upmarket locality of Springs .Everyday (more or less) we would meet each other –me maybe not so often because I am in the habit of writing and watching TV !!- But my wife Sangeeta – I doubt whether a day passed without them meeting each other .
When we went to India for a summer break –she moved into our house and looked after Laila and Sneezy.They became lifelong friends with her and her husband Anil who like her also became a part of the family.
She was there on the day of the inauguration of our school .She was there for our First Winter Carnival .She was there for our birthdays .She was there for our 25th wedding anniversary .We visited the temple and the gurudwara here in Dubai together several times .
Whenver she went to India ,she always came back with knickknacks .She brought a Fabindia after shave on on one occasion and ,Rajdeep Sardesais book on another . Anil brought Liptons Green Label Darjeeling tea( which i get at double the rate here) –enough to last me for 6 months . Last week when she came back to finally go back ,she presented me with Vinod Mehtas book “ Lucknow Boy”!
She must be on the plane back to India as i write. Apart from the bags she is carrying away –she is also taking away a part of our lives with her .
But life goes on .As the tide recedes –it takes along with it a lot of memories .And all of a sudden ,the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf seem foreboding and India seems very very distant .Thank you Sandhya for coming to Dubai as a part of Gods mission .As Terry Jacks sang
“We had joy, we had fun ,
We had seasons in the sun ,
But the Spring and the wine ,
Are like seasons out of time “
But Sandhya came in like the tide .She brought in the waves as if from far away India and along with it the sounds that reminded us of home .She talked the same language and she cooked the same kind of food .She loved dogs .And like us she was, typically middle class with the same value systems and aspirations .
We went out together , everywhere .We frequented restaurants and ate our favourite dishes .We shopped at Malls .We used each others cars .We stayed just 20 minutes from each others places –she in upmarket Jumeirah in a beautiful apartment and we in a equally upmarket locality of Springs .Everyday (more or less) we would meet each other –me maybe not so often because I am in the habit of writing and watching TV !!- But my wife Sangeeta – I doubt whether a day passed without them meeting each other .
When we went to India for a summer break –she moved into our house and looked after Laila and Sneezy.They became lifelong friends with her and her husband Anil who like her also became a part of the family.
She was there on the day of the inauguration of our school .She was there for our First Winter Carnival .She was there for our birthdays .She was there for our 25th wedding anniversary .We visited the temple and the gurudwara here in Dubai together several times .
Whenver she went to India ,she always came back with knickknacks .She brought a Fabindia after shave on on one occasion and ,Rajdeep Sardesais book on another . Anil brought Liptons Green Label Darjeeling tea( which i get at double the rate here) –enough to last me for 6 months . Last week when she came back to finally go back ,she presented me with Vinod Mehtas book “ Lucknow Boy”!
She must be on the plane back to India as i write. Apart from the bags she is carrying away –she is also taking away a part of our lives with her .
But life goes on .As the tide recedes –it takes along with it a lot of memories .And all of a sudden ,the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf seem foreboding and India seems very very distant .Thank you Sandhya for coming to Dubai as a part of Gods mission .As Terry Jacks sang
“We had joy, we had fun ,
We had seasons in the sun ,
But the Spring and the wine ,
Are like seasons out of time “
Thank you for the joy and fun ,and seasons in the sun .But clearly the wine that I sip today and in future and and the winter that I await are out of time !!Without you here in Dubai!!
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