In 2023, when I went to Iran to study Medicine, little did I know that two years later, I'd find myself in the crossfire of missiles.
I took admission at Iran’s Arak Institute of Medical Sciences in Arak city, which is 300 km southwest of the capital, Tehran.
On 13 June, the night of the attack, many of us were still awake because we were studying for our practical exams scheduled for two days later. Around 3 am, we suddenly saw the news that Israel had attacked Tehran.
At first, we didn’t think it would be too serious. There had been attacks before, and things usually went back to normal.
Then we heard that things are escalating. The damages are severe. Some of my friends who study in Tehran told us that missiles are landing in civilian areas and around their hostels.
At around 11 pm, we saw two missiles being intercepted right above our hostel. If those missiles had landed, I don't know what the damage would have been. I might not have been alive. Everyone started shouting... we were terrified. The sounds of the explosions caused some students to faint, while many others vomited from anxiety or broke down crying.
'My Escaping Journey'
On 17 June, the Ministry of External Affairs issued a notice stating that 'Indian students in Tehran have been moved out of the city. This felt like a second chance at life because it gave us hope that we, too, would be evacuated soon.
On 18 June, buses were arranged to evacuate us from Arak. We were taken to Qom, a city about two hours away by bus.
When we reached Qom, the Indian Embassy staff were already present. They helped arrange hotel rooms for us and took care of all the arrangements. We stayed in Qom for a day. On 19 June, we were transferred to Mashhad, which was a 12-hour journey.
'Can't Forget The Last Few Days I Spent In Iran'
For four to five days, the internet was suspended in Iran, and we had no way to contact our families. It was very difficult—our families didn’t know how we were doing, and they were hearing terrible news. Both we and our families were under immense stress.
We were continuously witnessing missiles being intercepted. In Mashhad, where we stayed for a day, we saw about 25 interceptions in just 30 minutes one night.
'Lucky To Escape The Conflict, But Worried For My Future'
We are obviously anxious because we don't know what’s going to happen to our careers. I've already given two years (to my degree), so having to restart everything will set me back.
My father, who retired from his job at Indian Railways, had saved to support my education. That money has already been spent on two years of college fees, living expenses, and other necessities.
If you’re living abroad, expenses add up quickly. MBBS students belonging to middle-class families go abroad with a dream to complete their studies and return to India to clear the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) or to go to another country, obtain a license, and serve there. The plan is always to achieve these goals within a certain number of years.
But now, we don’t know what the future holds. We’re not sure if things will return to normal in Iran or if we’ll even be able to go back.
Some students who went to Iran in February are already returning in just a few days. Others who went six months ago have also come back. I went two years ago. Some went three years ago. All of us are left wondering what lies ahead for us.
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