Pakistani national Mohammed Imran Warsi, who is set to be repatriated to his native country after spending 10 years in a Bhopal jail, on Sunday said he will only be taking home the "good memories" of his time in India.
On December 26, the 40-year-old will be taken to the Wagah border, from where he will finally head home after a long wait.
Mr Warsi was convicted in 2008 by a local court under the Official Secrets Act and the Passport Act. Among other charges, the court had found him guilty of conspiracy, cheating and forging documents.
He completed his sentence in March this year and has been staying at Bhopal's Shahjahanabad police station ever since as he awaited completion of the legal formalities for his repatriation.
Recalling his time in prison, he said he is grateful to his fellow inmates who collected money to help him pay a fine imposed by the court.
"The inmates in Bhopal Central Jail were very friendly. They collected Rs. 8,000 so I could deposit the fine imposed by the court. Otherwise I would have had to spend two more years in jail. They helped me a lot," Mr Warsi told.
He also praised the officials at the Shahjahanabad police station for treating him well.
"The police personnel have been very friendly and fulfilled my daily needs. They arranged clothes and food for me. I slept inside the police station. I am taking back good memories with me," he said.
For the Karachi resident, the Shahjahanabad police station became his second home.
Though he is not under detention, Mr Warsi cannot leave the police station. It is the nodal station where foreigners who are to be repatriated wait for completion of legal formalities.
Having spent a long time behind bars, he empathises with Indian prisoners languishing in Pakistani jails.
Mr Warsi said he would appeal to the governments of India and Pakistan to continue the process of releasing the prisoners in their jails.
"This will increase amicability between the two countries. I will also say the same in my country," he said.
Narrating his story, Mr Warsi said he arrived in Kolkata in 2004 to meet Shazia, the woman he had fallen in love with on Facebook.
"I reached Kolkata in 2004 for my love and got married to Shazia. I lived there for four years and we had two sons. One of them is 13 years old and another is 11 years old now," he said.
He said he came to Bhopal after learning that getting a passport was easy in the city.
He was arrested in 2008 following a complaint by his wife's relatives, who, he claimed, were angry after the couple demanded its share in property.
Mr Warsi said though he was absolved of spying charge, he was convicted for forging documents like ration card and PAN card.
Asked about his wife and children, Mr Warsi said he will try to bring them to Pakistan after he reaches home.
His repatriation comes close on the heels of that of Mumbai resident Hamid Nihal Ansari, who returned home on Thursday after spending six years in a Pakistani jail on espionage charges.
Interestingly, the stories of Mr Ansari and Mr Warsi are somewhat similar. They both crossed the border to meet the women they had befriended on social media.
While Mr Warsi was fortunate enough to marry his love interest, Mr Ansari could not even meet the woman he came looking for.
