For most of his life, Shibaji Paul's world revolved around algorithms, syntax errors, and lecture halls. A Computer Science teacher since 2001, he trained generations of students. In 2015, he took that skill online with his first Udemy course. His calm, methodical teaching style turned him into a favourite among programming learners around the world and eventually taught nearly 13,000 students.
But six years ago, at 45, he did something only a few mid-career teachers dare to do, he 'reinvented himself'.
"It's really hard to think differently when you are seasoned. People are not that soft to change their comfortable ambience and move out for something different. I started doing something new again," Shibaji wrote on his Linkedin profile.
That "something new" was travel vlogging.
He launched a YouTube and Instagram channel, Explorer Shibaji, and began to learn how to tell stories and began filming short travelogues across India and beyond.
Journey To 'The Land Of The Kabuliwala'
In October 2025, the 51-year-old Bengali vlogger boarded a nearly empty Kam Air flight from Delhi to Kabul. As he filmed the cavernous Airbus A340, empty except for nine passengers, he said, "Such a big flight, yet there are only nine of us. I was thinking they could have upgraded us to business class, it's completely empty."
He shares, in his first short vlog on Instagram, that the journey was inspired by Syed Mujtaba Ali's Deshe Bideshe, a classic Bengali travel memoir written in 1948. Like Ali, who had travelled to Afghanistan in 1928, Shibaji too was drawn to the 'country of the Kabuliwala'.
Deshe Bideshe. Photo: Shibaji Paul's Instagram
"Many of you have guessed it already," he told his viewers, holding up the book. "We are going to the land of the Kabuliwala." It was also a reference to Rabindranath Tagore's famous short story, Kabuliwala.
When he landed in Kabul, the first thing that struck him was the orderliness. "Kabul feels amazing, truly wonderful," he said, introducing his local hosts Omar and Musa, students of a family friend who teaches at Kabul University.
The weather was pleasant at 22 degrees the first day. The mood was light. He filmed marriage halls, blue taxis, the sun dipping over the city, and spoke about the tourist registration process.
A Blast But Breakfast As Usual
Then, the explosions happened.
On his second day in Kabul, late at night, the city was rattled by blasts.
Reports claim that in the early hours of October 9, 2025, Pakistan reportedly carried out airstrikes in Kabul, Khost, Jalalabad, and Paktika, targeting the Pakistani Taliban. The group's leader, Noor Wali Mehsud, an internationally designated terrorist, was the main target of the attack in Kabul, which happened in Abdul Haq Square.
As of today (October 14) Pakistan military says it has killed more than 200 Taliban and other fighters in overnight border clashes, adding that 23 of its soldiers were killed and 20 were injured.
Now, back to Shibaji's story.
While sharing his current situation, he said on Instagram that WhatsApp messages began flooding his phone after the blast.
"Yes, last night apparently Pakistan attacked Kabul, I heard a bang. I thought it was thunder," his travel companion Prithwijit said.
"I understood from the sound right away that it was an explosion," Shibaji replied. "We had already returned to the hotel after dinner. Then I slept. In the morning I woke up to see messages everywhere. But there's no reaction among local people. We are fine. We are okay. Now we'll have breakfast."
There was no panic, no dramatics from either of them. It was breakfast as usual.
When people asked whether they would cut the trip short, he said, "No, we absolutely won't leave. We'll roam around Kabul all day today, then go to Herat and Kandahar as planned. We'll finish the tour completely and come back. Even if Pakistan attacks Kabul, we will stay right here."
His viewers, many of them Bengalis, flooded the comments with mixed emotions: admiration, concern, pride.
The Nights In Kabul
By his third day, he had turned his panic into perspective.
"It's now 9.10 pm and I'm here at night in Kabul. The weather is fantastic, around 14 to 15 degree Celsius. The media said Pakistan attacked Kabul and that the situation is terrible. But there's nothing like that. We roamed around all day, everything was normal. 100% normal," he said in one of his Reels.
He showed bustling streets, bakeries making Kabuli naan, men selling pistachios.
"From what you see, does anything seem unusual? Please tell us in the comments," he asked viewers.
Crossing West To Herat
A few days later, after landing in Kabul, his videos shifted from Kabul's cityscapes to the arid landscapes of Afghanistan. "Look, we are at Pul-e-Malan, can you believe this is Afghanistan?" he said.
The camera panned to a centuries-old bridge stretching across a dry riverbed, its arches glowing in the late afternoon sun. Children were skating over the ancient stones.
He recounted the history of the bridge, which was built in the 12th century under Seljuk Sultan Ahmad Sanjar. However, popular legend attributes its construction to two mythical princesses, Bibi Nur and Bibi Hur, around 900 AD.
"Pul-e-Malan is 230 metres long, 10 metres high. Before 1962, it was the only way to cross the Hari River to reach Kandahar. Even now, cars pass over it. And it's also a barrage, during floods, water would get blocked on this side," he said.
'No Plans To Cut The Trip Short'
For now, Shibaji and his travel partner remain in Afghanistan, sticking to their original plan. After Herat, they intend to travel to Kandahar before flying back to Delhi on October 19.
Despite the recent blasts, they've made it clear that they don't plan to change their itinerary.
Once the Afghan leg of their trip is complete, they'll head back briefly to India before taking off again for Europe later this month.