Lucknow,

17 July (HS): Home-cooked dinners, peaceful family time, and exchanging stories

from Earth and beyond... that's the type of homecoming Kamna Shukla has

prepared for her astronaut husband Shubhanshu Shukla, the nation's toast and

just the second Indian to venture into space. On Tuesday, Group Captain

Shubhanshu Shukla, or Shuks as he is known to his colleagues, friends, and now

legions of admirers, returned to Earth after spending 18 days onboard the

International Space Station (ISS). He is

India's first astronaut aboard the International Space Station. Shubhanshu is

presently quarantined in Houston. Kamna

is already there, along with their six-year-old son Kiash.

Now

that Shubhanshu has safely returned, our immediate attention will be on his recovery

and ensuring he integrates easily to life on Earth,” she remarked. Kamna told

reporters in Houston that merely being reunited after such a remarkable journey

is a cause for joy.

“I'm

already making some of his favourite recipes, knowing how much he must have

missed home-cooked meals during his stay in space,” she added.

Shubhanshu

will be in quarantine until July 23, with supervised visits from close family

allowed. Shubhanshu posted beautiful photographs of meeting his wife and son on

Instagram on Wednesday evening.

“It

was difficult. Returning to Earth and

hugging my family in my arms felt like home.

Human spaceflight missions are wonderful, but they are produced that way

by humans. Space trip is great, but

seeing your loved ones after a long period is equally amazing,” he mentioned in

the post.

It's

been two months since I was quarantined.

During quarantine family visits, we had to be 8 meters apart. My child had to be taught that he had germs

on his hands and thus could not contact his father. Every time he came to visit, he asked his

mother, 'Can I wash my hands?' It was

difficult, he said, telling people to cherish their loved ones.

Find

a loved one today and express your affection for them. He stated that we frequently become

preoccupied with our lives and lose sight of the importance of the people in

our lives.

Meanwhile,

Kamna has been in the United States since Shubhanshu began preparing for his

SpaceX launch from Florida on June 25.

The

duo was married in 2009. They've known

each other since Class 3, when they were both students at Lucknow City

Montessori School. Kamna claimed her favorite part of Shubhanshu's 18-day stay

in space was receiving phone calls from him.

Receiving

his call from the International Space Station immediately after docking was an unexpected

and joyful surprise. Hearing his voice and knowing he was safe meant a lot to

me. Our chats usually focused around his

everyday activities, the fascinating experiments he carried out, and the

incredible experiences he had that were far different from life on Earth. She stated that these phone conversations

were the highlight of her day for 18 days.

Shubhanshu

has gained superstar status, with posters of him adorning his Lucknow house in

Triveni Nagar, and his parents and relatives have been inundated with

congratulatory letters. While the country celebrates his tremendous

achievement, our family will appreciate quieter, more intimate moments

together. Kamna described how we celebrate by exchanging old tales, laughing,

and enjoying simple pleasures.

His

return is a lovely combination of personal delight and national pride, and we

are extremely thankful for all of the encouragement and kindness we've gotten

from all around the country, she said. Kamna said that the extended periods of

isolation that come with space travel are hard, but she has become accustomed

to them. Separations have, in many ways,

deepened their closeness.

Separation

is surely stressful and painful.

However, our experience in the Air Force has taught us resilience and

adaptation, making these separations easier to bear over time, she explained. In

many respects, these times apart have only deepened our relationship, teaching

us patience, understanding, and unflinching support for each other's

goals. Finally, we accept the notion

that everything genuinely precious is seldom obtained easily. When you devote

yourself to a goal or vocation of such importance, you naturally learn to

overcome the emotional problems that come with distance, she explained. The

pair is constantly cognizant of the larger goal underlying these sacrifices,

understanding that important accomplishments need enormous labor and patience.

Kamna

expressed delight in Shuks' metamorphosis from a bashful young man to the

famous astronaut he is today. Seeing him engage so boldly and joyously with

pupils from space made me extremely proud and happy. Witnessing his extraordinary change from a

shy young guy to a vibrant and captivating individual capable of influencing

numerous young brains is really emotional. His path exemplifies the tremendous

potential of human development and resilience.

His story ought to be told widely, and I'm glad to see him saying it

eloquently and with a genuine grin, she added. Shubhanshu is the new poster boy

for their alma school, Lucknow's City Montessori School, where many pupils want

to be astronauts.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi