This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kunal Trehan, a luxury interior designer . It has been edited for length and clarity. We arrived in Dubai on February 20 th to expand our business into the UAE, fully expecting to fly home to the UK on February 28 th at 10:20 p.m. local time. On Saturday, the day we intended to leave, we decided to chill by the beach connected to our hotel. Around midday, we heard what sounded like an explosion — a very faint but deep sound. My partner and I