‘Footlooseinme’ is on a trip to the Abode of the Clouds. Yes, you heard it right. The Abode of the Clouds is a place in India—and I hope you’ve guessed it. I’m starting a new series of blog posts on Meghalaya. Let me begin by sharing the initial challenges I faced. This series will follow the sequence in which I travelled through Meghalaya. Without wasting any more time, let’s journey to the heart of Meghalaya and explore what lies ahead.
On this solo trip, my flight route was Pune to Shillong via Kolkata. The journey started well. I boarded the early morning flight from Pune and then the connecting flight to Shillong from Kolkata. Everything was running on time, and I was fairly certain I’d reach my pre-booked hotel in Shillong by 4 PM. But as they say, “Man proposes, God disposes.” Despite multiple attempts, the flight couldn’t land at Shillong Airport.
It was an ATR aircraft, and the high wind velocity made landing difficult for such a small plane. The flight circled the airport several times. From my window seat, I could clearly see the runway and the airport below. Ultimately, and quite unfortunately, the pilot aborted the landing. After several unsuccessful attempts, an announcement was made: the flight was returning to Kolkata. (Read my blog post on Kolkata.)
I was absolutely clueless and perplexed—so were most of the co-passengers. To my surprise, the passengers seated beside me, and the one across the aisle in the same row, were laughing at the situation and their fate. The front cabin crew even joined in on their conversation. Curious, I asked what was going on—and came to know the reason for their reaction. The same flight, with the same crew and many of the same passengers, had met the same fate the previous day. These two passengers had been in the same seats the day before!
Initially, I was cursing my own fate. But after hearing their story, I felt even sorrier for them. The previous day, the flight had also tried to land at Shillong Airport multiple times, then diverted to Guwahati—but couldn’t land there either, and had to return to Kolkata. Today, after similar attempts, it returned straight to Kolkata again.
It felt like I had taken a sky tour over Meghalaya and the Northeastern region of India. Back at Kolkata Airport, we waited for the airline staff to provide alternatives. They gave us two options: one was to fly to Shillong the next day, with the airline providing overnight accommodation; the other was to fly to Guwahati that evening and arrange our own onward journey to Shillong. I chose the second option. The flight to Guwahati was scheduled to land around 9:30 PM.
Thus began my airport sojourn. I met several co-passengers who also chose to fly to Guwahati. I asked how they planned to reach Shillong. Some said they’d stay overnight in Guwahati, as driving through hilly terrain at night is unsafe. Others said they would drive straight to Shillong.
I was torn. One part of me advised staying back in Guwahati for the night, citing solo travel safety. The other part urged me to take the risk, reach Shillong that night, and save the day to start my tour the next morning.
The drive from Guwahati Airport to Shillong takes around 3 to 3.5 hours. I was still indecisive after a whole day of waiting at Kolkata Airport. Finally, while boarding the flight to Guwahati, I met the young lady who had been seated beside me earlier, and the middle-aged gentleman seated across the aisle. I spoke to them and learned that they too planned to drive to Shillong. The gentleman said his car would pick him up at Guwahati Airport, and he was giving the lady a lift. He also kindly offered me a ride, if I wished.
After speaking with them, I decided to drive to Shillong. The gentleman had also arranged another rented car for a couple who had been on the same flight. Coincidentally, they too were staying at the same hotel as I was.
The gentleman planned our onward journey from Guwahati Airport. The young lady would travel with him in his car, and I would join the couple in the second car, as we shared the same destination. Our cars would travel together for safety. With everything decided, we boarded the flight. Upon arrival in Guwahati, I met the couple I was to travel with.
By then, I was already familiar with the young lady and the gentleman. She belonged to the Khasi community and was returning home for a work vacation. The gentleman was a Jain businessman settled in Shillong, returning home from a business trip. Both were very warm and cordial. We boarded our respective cars, and I met the couple I would be travelling with—an Indian-origin doctor couple now settled in Dubai. They had come to Kolkata for a conference and, with a few days to spare, decided to tour Meghalaya.
The lady and I shared many common interests—and even a few ailments! 😄 In no time, we became good friends. Our cars moved together, one behind the other. My new friend and I kept chatting about our travels, and I hardly noticed the road or surroundings. I completely missed seeing the changes in a city very close to my heart.
I was back in Guwahati after many years. I had spent a large part of my early childhood there and had many fond memories of the city. But I missed watching the city as we chatted away. Meanwhile, the young lady in the other car called to ask if we wanted to stop for dinner.
We agreed and stopped at a restaurant chosen by the gentleman who had arranged the cars. While we had a pure vegetarian dinner, we also got to know each other better. We spent a good amount of time chatting, laughing, and enjoying the warm, tasty food.
The young Khasi lady also suggested some offbeat places to visit in Meghalaya. She shared pictures and her personal experiences. It felt like a big family dinner—strangers just a few hours ago, now good friends, full of laughter and warmth. The gentleman paid for dinner. Despite our repeated insistence, he wouldn’t let us contribute.
Soon we were back on the road in our respective cars. The winding roads had begun. We were on the new highway from Guwahati to Shillong. I remembered how often we used to travel to Shillong in my childhood. Whenever relatives visited our Guwahati home, we would take them for a tour of Meghalaya.
So many memories of Guwahati and Meghalaya came rushing back. I was happy to be here again—though I never expected to arrive in such an unexpected way. Even at this hour of the night, we kept chatting as we approached our destination.
The first car stopped. We did too, right behind. It was the drop-off point for the Khasi lady. I haven’t disclosed the names of my new friends, so I’m referring to them this way. Her house was nearby, and her brother came to pick her up. We bid her farewell and continued on our journey.
Next, we stopped at the house of the middle-aged gentleman. He said goodbye and his car drove into his high-walled mansion. He had also arranged two vehicles—one for me and one for the couple—to tour Meghalaya. Soon after, we reached our hotel, bringing an end to a long and eventful day. I was finally in Shillong, ready to rest and recharge. Stay tuned for my next post on Meghalaya.
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