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'If you've lived here, you will not want to leave'

Abu Dhabi - Three generations of the Basantanis have been calling the UAE home and their hearts belong here

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Suresh Basantani has lost count of the number of times he has narrated his first UAE adventure to his daughters Sarika and Sonam.
As young girls growing up in a modern metropolis like Abu Dhabi, they were captivated by the tale of their father's maiden voyage from Mumbai to Dubai some four decades ago with empty pockets.
As a 19-year-old young man from Mumbai itching to earn some hard cash, Basantani had borrowed Rs400 to buy a ticket onboard Dumra that set sail from Mumbai on March 14, 1973. He had carried a huge tin of ghee and some packets of cardamom as his luggage, which he hoped to sell in the Dubai market. Rest is history. Now 64-years-old, Basantani owns the Yugoslavian Furniture company and has built a prosperous life for himself and family in the UAE capital.
But decades later, the 'ship story' lives on. It is now the turn of Basantani's elder daughter Sarika to narrate it to her children, Ranveer, 6 and Naisa, 3 - the third generation of Basantanis in the UAE.
"After hearing the story, now my kids say they also want to go in a ship like their nanu (grandfather). Airplanes do not excite them," says Sarika Aidasani, who works as a public relations professional.
Having lived all her life in Abu Dhabi, Sarika says her heart belongs here.
"I had once moved to Cameroon with my husband but it was difficult and we came back to the UAE. If you have lived in this country, you will not want to live anywhere else," says the mother of two.
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Basantani's younger daughter, Sonam, who is a beauty writer based in Dubai, says her father's early years have been both humbling and inspirational for her. "He worked hard - saw ups and downs, found strength in his family and friends. It is a true tale of hard work and motivation. I don't think my father had imagined how far he would have come, or how his family would make the UAE our home, but we're glad he had the courage and took the risk," says Sonam.
Having been born and raised in the UAE, Sonam knows no other home than Abu Dhabi. "But the amazing friends and families around us helped us keep in touch and respect the Indian culture and traditions. I never felt like I missed out on anything or any experiences that I would have gotten in India," says Sonam.
She adds that growing up in a multicultural society like the UAE gave her opportunities she would not have got back in India.
Recollecting the past
Even as the two young women talk about life in the emirate, their mother Koushi Basantani has a different take altogether. Moving to a foreign land as a 27-year-old young mother (her elder daughter who was one at that time), was not a cakewalk for Koushi.
"It was very different from what you see now. My biggest concern was whether I would get all my Indian supplies. There were a few Indian stores and that solved the problem. The Indian community was also very small. There were only a few families that I knew personally when I came to the country in 1980. And they were our pillars of support," says Koushi, a housewife.

"It was hard at first but now as the years have gone by, the UAE has become my home. I can't imagine living anywhere else," she says.
Basantani, who had a rough start in the UAE, says it was the small pleasures in life that kept them going. "Writing letters and going to post office to check whether you have any was the main obsession. To get a trunk call from India, one had to wait up to a week sometimes.
"There were no taxis and we all used to go by walking everywhere. Hamdan and Khalifa were the only main roads. During summer, we used to sleep in front of the TV Building (now Liwa Centre) in the open air."
Basantani says most families who came like him wanted to stay for four to five years, make some money and go back home.
"But it was the Arab hospitality that made us stay. Indians and Emiratis share a great friendship and they were always there to help us. Today the emirate has grown into a world-class nation thanks to the wise leadership and vision of it's rulers. And I am proud to call this place home," says Basantani.
And to watch his children and grandchildren sharing the same sentiment is what makes Basantani a content man.
Ask Sarika, and she says the high standard of living coupled with the safe environment makes the UAE stand apart.
"We do not face any problems that our peers face in other parts of the world. The UAE is also the most conducive for women to pursue their careers as there is a strong family support system available," says Sarika.
She has no doubts that the emirate is the best place to bring up her kids as well. "This is their home. And they can have the best of both worlds here."
anjana@khaleejtimes.com