United Kingdom :My New Home

Arshad worked as a Doctor in Glasgow, Scotland(north pole).We started off our journey from Delhi's Indira Gandhi international airport where my real bidaai happened, all my family and me cried our eyes out(melodramatic punjabis)!The flight was fine and i was fine until we reached the Amsterdam airport and from where my tears didn't take a break.I saw the airport, hardly any people(odd time,maybe),unfamiliar language, clothes, food..... no connection.Reality was, now i was missing home,my family and friends.From Amsterdam to Glasgow, can't forget the first taste of the foreign coffee on the flight, strong and bitter like poison (uugggh)! More sugar please and more and more I asked the air hostess, and she smiled at Arshad and said your wife has a sweet tooth. Sweet tooth???do u call this a coffee, i thought,poor me...
In Glasgow, it was cold and raining(as ever) but it was supposed to be summers in july,isn't it?It was grey and nearly dark in the afternoon.I felt like crying,again!
We managed an accommodation,a flat on the third floor,i thought that should keep me fit and in shape and it sure did!I used to look for people around, hardly there, it was all so lonely. No noise, the noise i was longing for...children playing(fighting),ladies gossiping on the terrace,loud TV and radios,car horns,sabzi Wallas the hustle bustle of Delhi.But it was quite,too quite for my liking.
Arshad used to leave early and i was left alone in the house,upstairs where there were two bedrooms there was a radio which was always on and downstairs the TV.If i was in the kitchen there was another radio to make noise.Thank god for Awaz FM,an Asian radio channel which played known music and Punjabi and Hindi speaking presenters.My house was a noise making hub and it gave me courage to be there alone.
At times i used to be happy to see children playing football from my third floor window, highlight of the day.No friends, No college, No gossips , No shopping with Friends and No horrible fights with Isha(sister) and himanshu(brother) and I felt so lonely.
Arshad was ever so loving and he was so understanding.He used to come home and he knew i would cry(again),but he was so supportive.I think it was a difficult time for both of us.
Worse was when he had his night shifts,I used to sit the whole night watching TV or computer and more crying.Coming from a joint family i used to crave for some privacy,but here i was,didn't mind if the people from the whole building came in to live with me.
I even missed my irritating grandmother who used to call me every second for something or the other.I missed my ex-life.
Anyhow the radio station i used to listen to gave me an idea,to be on the radio.I have always been talkative and all my friends used to call me a joker because i used to make them laugh. So i won't be boring on radio as some of the presenters(sorry).The idea clicked and i was in their office with Arshad.I was asked to join in as a guest at a special Diwali show and i was chuffed. Soon I was all set to do my own show,and i started off with a boom and a bang! well not really,i was sooo nervous and my voice was shuddering and juddering.But it was fine, i got so much support from the listeners, they knew it was my first time.
I was famous now(ha ha),well i had my audience.people loved my show and i loved being on air!
It made me happy,more than ever.At the home front,We moved to Kilmarnock around 15 miles from Glasgow and now i had to travel by bus for my show.In the meanwhile I landed a job (part time) as a telephone banking advisor and now,i was busy.
Arshad and i were taking time to understand each other.Sometimes i found it hard to cope with my marital problems,seemed too much i could handle.Arshad seemed changed,cared a little less and was careless with everything.Our first anniversary was also the first anniversary for our biggest row ever.Arshad was busy with work and didn't have time to buy any proper gift or write the card properly and i was upset!really upset,was he the same arshad who used to write poetry for Me!!!The good thing was we never would sleep over a fight, always made up and kissed good night.(touchwood)
Anyhow, the first year was hard, but eventful and made me a little matured.I realised my potential in writing and radio presenting,interviewed Jaya Bachhan,Jaya Prada and Amar Singh, hated the weather in Scotland(donated all my summer clothes) and most importantly cried like I never did in my Life!