Dear DEL,
To me, you are more than simply an airport. You are an archive of all my worthwhile sentiments. You are the provider of a place where I have said goodbye to everyone I care about, reunited with everyone I have been close to, looked forward to every vacation and returned with a heart full of memories. You are also a place to reflect, pause and take a break from my usually hectic life. A quiet symphony of emotions in your air brings me peace amidst all the chaos and clamor you carry. Watching people crowd in your corridor, observing the rush of life and thinking about the lives of strangers around me; makes me feel like the hands on the clock are moving slower than usual.
I will never forget the late-night drives to you when the winter fog used to settle in, and my family and I used to drive down with our car full of suitcases and hearts full of joy. You are the living embodiment of wanderlust to visit a new city and start a new adventure. There’s just something amusing about seeing planes taxiing through your windows and making a mental itinerary of all the new things I’ll get to experience at the new place I’ll be visiting.
You are a paradox of warmth and ache when I say bye to my sister when she leaves for college, when it’s time for my nani to return to her house, or when I drop off my long-distance best friend at your doorstep. Every time I come home to see my loved ones off, the depth of our bonds become tangible emotions; each word we exchange becomes more meaningful and I hug them tighter while whispering in their ear “Call me when you land”. No matter how many times we remind each other that our farewell is only temporary, it never settles in well in my chest. But there is something beautiful about these painful goodbyes- they are a testament to our love. For every tearful goodbye, there’s always a promise of a joyful reunion. The days that felt like a lifetime, feel like seconds the moment we run into each other’s arms at your arrival gate. The world comes back into focus as we laugh and cry tears of joy with each other.
DEL, you remind me of the impermanence of life. You remind me that life is a series of hellos and goodbyes, and departures and arrivals. You make time slow down and the world seem accessible. You hold a special place in my heart because you bring me closer to the people I love and the destinations I want to go to. Sorrow and contentment live in harmony when they are with you and that’s why you are more than simply an airport to me.