86: Into the Unknown : Adapt , Adjust , Overcome

As I knelt down on the marble floor of the Ganesh temple , back in my hometown of Kolkata , my phone rang all of a sudden and I answered a call that would change my life forever! It was good news but it would take me to a place I had never gone to before , an unchartered territory of adventures , dilemmas and emotions I had never dreamt of even till today !

As a young lad in India , I had ardently been searching for a job opportunity in a good company ! Never did I know , I would receive this call of a lifetime while in a temple , but when it came I was ready to embark on a new quest to Jubail – KSA , my first experience outside India !

The decision wasn’t easy , but going with my gut I took it and boarded a flight to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ! As I took my first step out of the airport I entered a whole new dimension , I knew this journey wouldn’t be easy but I wasn’t going to back down! For the first 3 to 4 months Karuna , my wife , stayed in India and this took a toll on my heart . Adjusting to a foreign environment and job was a mammoth task without my wife’s comforting presence ! A major obstacle I faced was FOOD , I didn’t know how to cook ! I solely survived of plain canteen food during office hours and humdrum rice or bread for dinner , my only alternative was starvation! As days and months passed , I was immersed in loneliness , craving my wife’s scrumptious food and love and care!

Lucky for me , my pillar of support , my wife , came to KSA and though I was filled with euphoria a storm of obstacles awaited us ! We were vegetarians and on any special occasions when we wanted to have a candlelight dinner or mouthwatering dishes , to our dismay only a barren desert encompassed us , diminishing our hopes ! Furthermore , India and KSA were poles apart in every aspect and we had to adapt faster than we could handle ! We were born and brought up in close-knit / joint families and coming from a culturally diverse country , with a smorgasbord of religious festivals , Saudi Arabia was disparate! There were alien cultures , rules , lack of friends and a gush of new experiences !

But enough was enough, we decided to effect change to turn things for the better ! We took on a more positive perspective and stopped cribbing about the negativity , but tried to find the best in the situation. To begin with , we improved our social circle by mingling with our neighbors and interacting with our office colleagues. Our days started to get filled with splashes of joy from office parties to functions with friends. In fact , one of our friends who had lived for 7 years in Jubail came as an angel in disguise at this very moment. He helped us with the office / work culture / professionalism and helped us know and explore the place better. We were comforted by him and were glad we had a true friend , a shoulder to cry on . In addition , we started exploring the new malls and restaurants . Jubail at its essence was filled with serene gardens and picturesque landscapes! In fact, there were many beaches in front of our house. It was funny how we could have ignored such scenic beauty , perhaps simply blinded by our struggles , we forgot the positives ! Over time , we started enjoying ourselves and with every day a new memory was added to our photo album! With everything going smooth , we decided to enter the second phase of our journey and moved to Riyadh , KSA.

At first glance , all seemed fine! Riyadh was a big , highly advanced and developed city with a rich and lavish lifestyle for all. It was an open society with gratifying night culture during holidays ! Yet something felt incomplete! I remember that very day when Karuna was crying in the car , troubled by how we would adjust in this new environment without any friend circle. It felt like phase 1 all over again and history repeated itself!

Over time , things stabilized ! We got a good apartment and were immersed in office work , slowly we adjusted and developed a friend circle. But right when life took on a monotonous tune , we were blessed with a baby boy , Advaith . Karuna was pregnant we couldn’t believe it , though we were elated at the very thought of this , a flurry of challenges awaited us ! Just a few days later , upon much request by our parents Karuna had to go back to India despite her constant requests to stay with me , and this took a heavy toll on her! During this stage of resilience , determination and patience ; I  couldn’t be with her nor could she with me and a whirlwind of emotions engulfed us!

Here in Riyadh , I was victim to those sleepless nights worried about Karuna’s health; and over there she didn’t have her pillar of support ! We wanted to share those precious moments like the baby kicking , but our picture album was barely paid a visit. After Advaith’s birth , I had planned a delightful trip to India to visit him . Right after I returned from it he got sick and once again all I could do was talk to Advaith on the phone, feeling completely helpless ! But a few days later a miracle happened that would reunite me with my family , I got a job in Oman and moved there with my family .

Talking about the present, I have been working happily Oman and have a plethora of Indian family friends to share my days with. But every now and then, I can’t help but think about this journey! Looking back , I will always be indebted to KSA ,  Karuna and I had never dreamt beyond India but Saudi gave me my first opportunity outside of it ! This journey has been full of ups and downs but at the end of the day it is our choices that made us stronger ! Our journey has built our character , it has taught us self – independence , and taught us the delicate skill of “ Adapting to the Environment “

Everything paid off from our struggles , after all you need to work hard , struggle and bare that initial pain to get where you are . It is those very struggles which have helped make us who we are !”.

They say the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step , and for us that very step started  when I decided to take that call in the Ganesh Temple ! This truly has been a journey from within and it has taught us that if our roots are strong , we can bloom anywhere all we need to do is adapt , adjust and overcome!

Co – written with Vedanth Aggarwal, Age 13, Dubai, UAE, under the StoryBuddy program.