My Head In the Clouds

As a reluctant NRI who never wanted to leave the comforting chaos of my hometown Delhi, marriage whisked me away to Dubai. It wasn’t the glittering skyline or the cosmopolitan appeal that drew me in, it was simply the new chapter that life had written for me.

My hesitation was always deeply rooted in the need for proximity to my family. I craved the ability to be there instantly and instinctively for joyful celebrations, for sorrowful goodbyes and for the simple, everyday comfort of shared space. Though Dubai is just a short flight away and arguably the nearest international “home away from home,” the irony of timing made it feel far more distant. The world, as we knew it, changed soon after.

As I complete nearly five years in Dubai, I turned to my husband recently and said half-joking, half-serious reflecting on the Indo-Pak conflict that flared up in May:

“My marriage to you has literally rocked the world bringing with it momentous joys and seismic sorrows.”
Pun intended, of course. 

In just these few years, we’ve experienced a whirlwind of global and personal upheavals:

• The Covid pandemic that froze the world
• My big move to Dubai
• The joy and chaos of building a home together
• Job hunting-akin to partner search (filled with hope, rejection & overthinking!)
• The rise of Artificial Intelligence changing how we live and work
• The deep grief of losing a father
• And now, the lingering shadow of regional tensions

“I may not have chosen to leave home but five years, countless memories and one fully stocked masala drawer later, I’ve built one here too.”