Pan 3 - 0000 hours ; 22nd March '2020

When I first got the message about the likelihood of the 'international flights suspended from 22nd', I was plain stunned.

At that moment I only knew that Diksha was leaving on 21st.... first leg being Perth to Singapore, an eight hour layover in Singapore, and then Singapore to Hyd....which sounded like she would definitely be landing on the 22nd.

Maybe that would have made the decision....even if a difficult one, of staying back in Australia.

But it wasn't to be. When I tell Diksha about the ban, she sends me her ticket saying "I land at 10.30 pm local time on 21st".

As narrow as that. 

And that's where our opinion differed. I was like "it's too narrow deech, what if your flight gets delayed by an hour.....what if they decide to cancel last minute.....the implications are scary....you'll get stuck in Singapore". And she's like "no ma, I'm coming.....I'm sure there will be others on the flight and they won't cancel......imagine that flight coming to Hyd and me having cancelled, how would you feel then"

We both go back to our individual thinking boards. She spoke to her friend who said 'worst case scenario, you get stuck, it's fine you can go stay with my family in Singapore'. I talk to a friend in Singapore and he says 'ofcourse, she's welcome to stay with me' (thanks Dhruva Shankar for that immediate reassurance when people around were telling me no one will host her at a time like this)

I spent a few hours frantically trying to call Singapore Airlines to see if they had clarity, but try as I might I couldn't get through.

I shifted focus to what happens if she gets stranded in Singapore.

A little more research, and I realize she needs to get a medical certificate from a doc in Perth and get it cleared by the Singapore overseas medical mission and then provided she tests negative, will be given a short term visa into Singapore.

She had just one day and she was busy with her semester deferment, cancellation of rental agreement, surrendering her sim card and all those winding down activities.

So that option got ruled out.

Late night I kept googling for more information. Every news portal said 22nd March, none mentioned time. 

Someone told me they heard 0000 hours. My heart sank. Especially as I realized that Diksha was by then in full momentum to come, and convincing her to stay back was going to be heartbreaking, for her as well as for me.

And then late night, and with more clarity the next morning, I found a couple of news clips that said the ban was from 0000 GMT and not IST. What a relief....that gave us five more hours. 

Phew.....enough breathing space. Or so we thought :)