I had travelled to Bengaluru in February to support the release of a project I was working, with March 10, 2020 initially being my final day in Bengaluru. However, the government announced a travel suspension till March 31, 2020. Since I couldn’t return to Japan, I decided to stay with my parents at Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. I managed to get an e-pass and a vehicle to take me there.
In May 2020, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) put a hold on repatriation flights to Japan for Indians due to the rise in COVID cases. However, on May 12 they announced repatriation flights for stranded NRIs provided on humanitarian grounds for which my husband and I got the necessary documents for securing a flight. The Travel Desk at Sasken also helped me with the ticket from New Delhi to Haneda in Japan for June 25 and I booked a flight from Jabalpur to Delhi for June 23. I waited a day to receive clearance from the Japanese immigration office. After a flight while wearing a full PPE suit, I reached Haneda on June 26. Once all the necessary testing and formalities ended, I was finally reunited with my husband which was a joyous occasion. This repatriation would not have been possible without the endless support from my colleagues and the various departments at Sasken.
