"Indira, get the passports ready," said Kash as they approached the gate. His wife complied, and soon they were through and heading for the luggage carousel.
Once outside at the taxi rank they savoured the warm Italian afternoon. Soon they'd be sitting down to eat at their hotel.
"It was a good summer this year Kash, certainly by Scottish standards," said Indira.
"Yes," laughed her husband of almost sixty years, "a mild summer in Scotland is infinitely preferable to baking in Mumbai, just as a warm Indian winter beats freezing in Britain."
Both long retired, Kash and Indira lived on multiple pensions earned working in the UK and in their native country. As usual on their seasonal changes of residence they were making an en-route stopover in Europe, this year Rome. It had become a routine they both prized greatly.
After dining at the hotel the couple sat out on their room's modest balcony. From there they watched the evening deepen as an autumnal sun dropped towards the horizon.
"Rome is so beautiful at this time of year," said Indira. "Not too hot, just nice."
Kash nodded, saying, "We have a good life, and we deserve it." Then turning to his wife and stroking her arm he added, "And we have a good marriage."
Now scrolling social media on her iPad screen, Indira frowned and said, "Asif won't be over this year. He says air ticket prices in the States have gone through the roof, and they're blaming it on shortages of aviation fuel due to the Gulf crisis."
Kash sighed then eventually said, "Our son will be OK. It will be sad to miss him this year, but we can try to go visit him before we return to Scotland. And next year will be our special anniversary, so seeing him again will be even more special."
"Yes Kash, you're right. And you were right too when you insisted we book our own tickets and hotel well in advance this year."
As they sat in silence, Indira now checked the BBC news site. She exclaimed, "Kash, all European flights from all EU member states are cancelled indefinitely, as of this evening!"
Kash, smartphone cradled in his palm, other hand raised to his face, didn't let on to his wife that he was on his third attempt trying to access their bank account.