10:45 PM IST (Indian Standard Time). Lufthansa flight 764 from MUC to BOM touches down on the rain-soaked runway of Mumbai Airport. Just minutes later, my feet are wandering across paisley-patterned carpet. I deliberately skip the flat escalators meant to speed things up—just to feel more Indian ground beneath me. Right before passport control, I sit down on a bench and eat three apples (even though my appetite barely allows for half of one), then proceed to tick every box on the Customs Declaration Form with a guilt-free "no".

Passport control, baggage claim, customs, checking the bag in again... None of it particularly exciting—and honestly, I would’ve preferred if the luggage had just been checked through. But at least I got the chance to swap my shoes for something a bit breezier. Relieved to be rid of the suitcase again, I follow the signs marked “domestic flights” until I come across a breathtakingly beautiful woman in a deep red sari. With a kind smile, she instructs me to exit the terminal here and take a shuttle bus to the domestic airport. The sliding doors open, and a thick wave of Mumbai evening air washes over my face. I take a deep breath, and the monsoon-heavy air moistens my lungs down to the last alveolus as I step outside.

:)

I'm in India.