Here we are. It’s February 2026. Let me start putting together my reminiscences of last year. I will try to write everything myself first, and later I will refine the words and grammar using ChatGPT.
In 2025, I became very dependent on ChatGPT. For writing,
asking questions, market research, proofreading, getting ideas and advice. I
subscribed to the Plus version and used it daily for many things. Anyway, let
me start my recollection of 2025. It will be bit long this time.
The year started with Umrah. I went to Jeddah on the 1st of
January. It was my first time visiting the Kaaba, and it was surreal. It was an
incredible spiritual experience, visiting the House of Allah and also visiting
Madinah. I can’t describe the feeling in words. I am grateful that my children
were with me and that they performed Umrah as well. I was blessed to touch and
kiss the Hajar-e-Aswad and to pray at Riyaz-ul-Jannah. I spent a week in Saudi
Arabia.
As I have mentioned before, for many years I had been
desperate for a change in my life. I wanted to move out of Australia and
relocate closer to Pakistan. I prayed to Allah for this during my Umrah. While
sitting in Makkah, I had a feeling that I should check with Emirates. I had
given an interview at Emirates in November 2024 and hadn’t heard anything back.
When I returned to Lahore, I reached out to them and received the good news
that they were considering making me an offer.
Once I came back to Sydney, I received the formal offer. It
was a good offer. To be honest, I would have accepted it even if it had been
lower. Then came the big question: starting the migration process. I had
already put my house up for sale, intending to upgrade. After two failed
auctions, I finally received an offer. However, it was almost AUD 64,000 lower
than my bare minimum acceptable amount.
I thought a lot at xxx speed whether to accept it. The house
was on irregular land, the covered area was small, around 100 people had
inspected it, and only one offer came through. I considered renting it out, but
I was hesitant that property would still be under mortgage, I would be paying
interest, and I wasn’t sure whether the rent would even cover the mortgage.
Eventually, I decided to accept the offer.
Now it was time to pack and move. My joining date in Dubai
was 15 March 2025, right in the middle of Ramadan. I came to Dubai and joined
my new workplace, staying alone in a hotel for the first month. I had to sort
out all paperwork and visa processing for my wife and children. My wife stayed
in Sydney to dispose of household items and remain there until the house
settlement was finalized.
Meanwhile, Eid arrived, and I visited Lahore. By the end of
April, my family came to Dubai. For the first few months, we stayed in
different Airbnb apartments. Then we went to Pakistan to celebrate Eid-ul-Adha.
My family stayed there for six weeks, and every weekend I travelled to Lahore
to visit them.
On the fifth weekend, I went to London for the first time
and visited my sister. I was slightly disappointed with London as I found it
congested and not as grand as I had imagined.
During this period, my father became upset with me because
my wife was staying at her parents’ house, the same old issue. This affected me
deeply, and whenever I am stressed because of my parents, my health suffers. I
had to go to the hospital. When I returned to Lahore, I made peace with him.
However, something changed afterward: I stopped feeling emotionally connected.
My feelings became numb, and now the relationship feels more like a formality.
As a father, I would never let my children suffer because of me or put them in
difficult situations. I will write another blog about my parents separately.
Once my family returned to Dubai, we found a house to rent
and settled in. Around the same time, I received an acceptable offer for my
plot in Bahria Town. I sold it and invested the money in buying two plot files
in DHA Lahore. I also repaid PKR 5 million to my father, the money he had spent
on my house. I furnished the drawing and dining rooms of my Lahore house and
bought all the furniture and essentials for our Dubai home. I set up two houses
and running both simultaneously.
In October, we travelled to Europe. We visited Rome, Paris,
and Germany, and I spent time with my brother and his family. It was a very
good holiday. Toward the end of the year, we visited Pakistan again.
Overall, 2025 has been the best year of my life so far, Alhamdulillah.
I am finally out of Australia and living closer to Pakistan. Allah knows best;
perhaps living in Pakistan itself may not be the right time but being close
feels right.
One more important thing: I performed Umrah again in
December. I once again kissed Hajar-e-Aswad and visited the Prophet’s Mosque. I
truly believe Allah blessed me this year and resolved many of my long-pending
matters because I visited His House. I wish I had done it sooner.
