​

What was meant to be a joyous, fun-filled mini-holiday in Iran and Dubai had turned into a harrowing ordeal for four Indian citizens. However, early on Monday, Marshal Danavil and his wife Joann Quadros, along with their friend and his fiancée, breathed a sigh of relief as they landed in India. “As soon as we landed in New Delhi, we took a 5.30 am flight from there and returned to Mumbai. Our friend and his fiancée have also reached their respective homes safely,” said Danavil.

The quartet was supposed to return to India on June 18, following a leisure trip to Dubai from June 14 to June 18 after attending their friend’s wedding in Iran on June 13. But their plans were derailed by the unexpected conflict that broke out amid escalating tensions in the region, leaving them stranded, anxious and desperate for help.

Hostile situation

Recollecting their visit to Iran, Danavil told mid-day, “We were looking forward to this trip, especially the nuptials, as we were to witness a ceremony of a culture we were not familiar with. We reached Tehran on June 11 and were welcomed by our friend’s family with absolute warmth.”

But the couples’ joy was short-lived as, on June 12, Iran was attacked by Israel. As geopolitical tensions escalated in Tehran, everyone was asked to leave the capital city and move to safer parts of the country. “Flights were cancelled, most roads were blocked, and communication networks were severely restricted. We could barely make one call in the entire day, and that too, because we had help from our Iranian friends,” Danavil said.

Narrating what they witnessed after this announcement was made, Danavil said, “While some locals left everything behind and started moving to other cities, some — especially those who had their shops and livelihood there — were reluctant to leave and stayed back. We, along with our friends, who had relatives in Kedarlasht, moved there. Kedarlasht is like a hill station for the Iranians. Though we were safe there, we were anxious as we wanted to get back home at the earliest.”

Friends of the couple in Iran, as well as those back home, were trying their very best to get in touch with the Indian Embassy. “Though we were on the move, with our friends’ help, we had tried to get in touch with the Indian Embassy in Tehran since the night of June 11. But it was only on June 13 or June 14 that we could make contact. They then asked us to reach Mashhad, where they had made arrangements for stranded Indians,” said Danavil.

A fearful journey

Reaching Mashhad wasn’t an easy affair as it meant looking for transportation to cover a distance of over 900 km. “It was only on the night of June 19 that a car and a driver could be arranged. Since it was a sensitive situation and we did not know Farsi, the local language, our friends did not let us go with an unknown driver or take any other mode of transportation. Through their contacts, they got in touch with a driver who would drive regularly on the Kedarlasht-Mashhad route,” said Danavil, adding that the driver was a skilled one and helped them stay calm at every checkpoint.

“There was thorough checking happening at short distances. Everywhere, we had to show our identity proofs and explain why we were in Iran, why we were out on the road and where we were heading. Our driver helped us communicate with the police and other officials. Had he not been helpful, it would have been impossible for us to reach Mashhad from Kedarlasht,” said Danavil. He added that though the driver eased their 12-hour journey to some extent, “We were terrified for our lives the whole route.”

Hotel for the stranded

The couple reached Hotel Eyvan in Mashhad, where Indian Embassy officials had made arrangements for the accommodation of all stranded Indians. “We reached the hotel on Friday [June 20] evening, and were relieved a bit after seeing hundreds of others like us. The Embassy officials had made good arrangements and kept us comfortable,” said Danavil, adding that the entire hotel was filled with students, tourists and pilgrims from India who had managed to reach Mashhad through great difficulty, just like them.

Wait not over yet

The couple had to wait for three days until they could get on one of the rescue flights arranged from various airports across Iran as part of Operation Sindhu. “From the hotel, we were taken to Mashhad Airport, which was approximately an hour’s distance away. We hopped onto the rescue flight, which departed at 8.30 pm IST and landed at New Delhi around 11 pm,” said Danavil, adding that approximately 375 stranded Indians, most of whom were students, were on board.

He added, “I had to resume working on Monday as work had piled up because we were delayed by five days. So, we enquired with all airlines at the Delhi Airport and requested each of them to help us with two tickets to Mumbai via the earliest possible flight. Finally, an airline helped us, and we got a 5.30 am flight from Delhi to Mumbai on Monday morning, and we reached home around 9 am, and I immediately left for work.”

The couple added that representatives of each state were present at the Delhi Airport to help people reach their hometowns. “Those who had availed of travel arrangements made by the government throughout did not have to pay any fare. However, since we could not wait, we paid for our Delhi-Mumbai flight,” added Danavil.

Words of gratitude

Stating that returning home would have been impossible without the support of their Iranian friends, Danavil said, “From language barriers, currency issues to a safe roof over our head, our Iranian friends proved that they have the highest level of hospitality. We had calculated and carried just enough riyals for two days, and the rest of our money was in dollars, as we were supposed to head to Dubai for our vacation. But who knew a war would break out?”

The couple mentioned that their Iranian friends did not just provide them with a safe home and food, but also ensured that they stayed calm by keeping them in the dark about the war to avoid stressing them and helping them reach the Indian evacuation camp hotel safely and as early as possible and also by making monetary arrangements for that trip.

Bad memories

“Our flight to Dubai was on June 14. But we had to stay back in Iran as they closed their airspace due to the situation. We do not know if we will ever be able to visit Dubai, considering the memories attached to it now,” said Danavil.

Reunion with Jack

While the couple missed their family and friends, they were desperate to meet their beloved dog, Jack. “We had left him at a dog-sitter’s place. We had not informed all our relatives about the Tehran leg of our trip. They just knew that we had planned a vacation to Dubai. We were quite worried for Jack as he had to stay away from us for five extra days, and he is not used to staying away from us for this long. He jumped with joy when he saw us, and we also hugged him tightly,” said Danavil.