Leaving Home for the second time 🏡

Between two worlds: Kolkata and Tokyo

Mar 29, 2025

November 2024: I had been working in Tokyo for more than a year. So going back to India during Diwali in 2024 was special for me. This blog captures the little experiences of joy I had during my short trip back home - moments I don’t want to fade away. 🌸

Tiny packet of freshness

The feeling of being back began even before I had set foot in the country. It was not the sumptuous Indian food served onboard by the airline that stood out. Rather, it was a small packet of aftermint that made me very happy. In India, getting a mouth freshner after a meal is so common, that I never paid attention to it. But after a year in Japan, where this simple practice didn’t exist, that tiny packet felt like a warm gesture.

The sound of home

Stepping into Delhi Airport, I was surrounded by the sound of Hindi. It felt so so so normal. In Tokyo, English & little Japanese had become my default language so much so that hearing Hindi all around me felt extremely reassuring. It was a reminder that no matter how much time I spent away, home would always feel like home. 🗣️

Moreover, back there, I could rarely speak Bengali and thought I had lost my ability to think & speak in Bengali. But in Kolkata, when I started conversing with people, words started flowing out of my mouth effortlessly. It felt like reconnecting with a part of myself which I thought was slipping away. The simple activity of interacting with the local shopkeepers made me feel very normal and unexpectedly happy.

Weight of leaving

I was so engrossed in all the festivities and meeting people that it wasn’t until two days before my departure that the reality of leaving again hit me. As I took off my clothes from hangers, my hands felt weighed down, as if carrying more than just fabric. Indeed, it was the weight of all the memories, moments and comfort of home.

Leaving home for the second time felt different. A year ago, I was excited and ready to explore what the world had to offer. Everything was new, unknown and unexplored. This time however, I already knew what I was going back to. Home had reminded me of my roots and yet I cannot deny that Tokyo had become a part of me too.