"Until three years ago, I was preparing for the Provincial Civil Services (PCS) exam, after having completed my graduation from Allahabad University," Ahmad said. "My family had no money to afford proper coaching, so I was basically drifting along, trying to study on my own." Just then, his elder sister's husband, who had been working in Dammam for some years, called and said that there was a vacancy in his company. Would Ahmad like to come? "I wasn't quite sure. But then my elders pointed out that if I did not make it in the PCS, I'd not have many options. Azamgarh offered hardly any opportunities," he said. Also, he realised a legitimate job in the Gulf wasn't to be scoffed at, given that his peers were paying touts as much as Rs 1 lakh to find jobs there. "I even knew some who were so desperate that they took the Umrah visa to go to Mecca for Hajj, and then stayed on to work illegally," he said. "Without visas and work permits, they could only work as bonded labourers with the threat of deportation hanging over their heads - but what was the alternative?"
When Ahmad moved to Sharjah, he left his wife behind and stayed in a room with his brother-in-law. "There was space for two more men in that room, so we called my two cousins next," he said. The group did all sorts of odd jobs to earn money - washed cars, cleaned driveways and more. At the same time, they saved money by living in cramped quarters and leading a frugal life. "I was able to send home Rs 60,000 every month, which enabled my father to build a pucca house, hire labourers to tend to our field and educate my younger brother," he says. "Best of all, he was able to go on Hajj and fulfil his life's dream."
The bubble burst about a year-and-a-half back, when the Saudi government announced the Nitaqat law, making it mandatory for local firms to hire at least one Saudi for every 10 migrant workers. "Since then, I think at least 5,000 boys have returned to Uttar Pradesh, as they weren't able to regularise their stay or find valid work permits," said Ahmad. "My cousins had to return, too." Life became harder after that, as competition for the remaining jobs intensified. However, Ahmad and his brother-in-law stayed on. "For us, the biggest problem is not being able to take our wives with us, but the money makes it worthwhile," he said.
Eventually, the last of their blanket bundles arrived. Ahmad put the last one atop his overloaded trolley and said as a parting shot, "All my life, I lived in Azamgarh as a poor man. Today, I'll be returning as a well-to-do citizen of the world. That's how working in the Gulf has helped me."