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Shivalik Park in Manimajra as always was filled with old people, women and families discussing in groups. Children played under the lights late into the night. I was alone shuffling between short walks and sittings. The cement seat was still warm. I stared for a while at the handicapped kid trying to walk over the bridge with his brother’s help. It was 10.10 PM and I was sure Chawla general store from where I buy water bottles will be closed. I needed water to survive yet another long lonely heated night. Luckily, the small counter in the park was still open. I bought a bottle of water, coke and pop corn. Sat on a chair in a dark corner and gulped the chilled water. Got pensive yet again.
'Long time I have written a blog post', I thought.
Munched more pop corn, this time with more vigor and sipped coke. It was stronger than I expected. Started feeling better, the rare positive energy was doing rounds and I stoked it. I needed it badly, the longer it stayed, the better I felt.
‘Any seldom-good-and-often-bad exciting incident happened in life in recent past?', I asked myself.
Last few ml of coke were left, pop corn already over. My senses started conversing and finally they decided I have enough to write one. I picked up the flakes of corn which fell down, send them down the USE ME box along with the coke bottle and walked towards house number 22/1, galli-number-3, my abode for last 12 months.
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‘Using our products you can do your job in 3 hours which otherwise will take 3 weeks’, I asserted while giving my 9th demo for the day.
I was tired and hungry and no mood to cajole another potential customer. I asked Marc to take over and I went to have some food. I picked a bowl of fruits and a glass of water with lots of ice and walked aimlessly till my tired eyes fell on the giant screen.
It was General Badin Powell, the key note speaker at SAPPHIRE’10 at Orlando, USA.
‘Let’s show the world that our security is our primary concern..’ he said.
General Powell's life is no ordinary, a man with exemplary achievements. I was excited to see him speak live. I quickly followed a flock of SAP geeks into a hall where he was addressing a very large audience.
‘After the 9/11 attacks, we revisited our entire security system……’, he was touching upon something sensitive.
‘US embassy offices across the world have been upgraded with latest IT, we connected them with the fastest of internet using optical fibers…’. I was finding it increasingly difficult to stop yawning.
‘And we made it clear that the VISA will never be easy again for people from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Middle East and of course Moslems (Muslims)’.
There was a round of applause after every patriotic comment he made. I remained indifferent and when finally tiredness took over I moved out. As I walked back, I suddenly realized. I have just got the answers for few frustrating questions lingering in my mind for a while.
Ankur Uttam, Rohit Bohra and me were in same line with same documents and reason for travel. They got their VISA and not me, Why?
Same office, same reason for travel like Ritika but a long wait of four months for me. Why?
"I agree Mr. Powell that you were forced to enforce such a change and may be my name matched with some damn grief stricken terrorist. But I thought every law (natural or man-made) has some exception. You should have allowed a decently harmless student from India’s best Business school invited by the Dean of the best Business school of your land (Stanford), duly recommended by honorable local congressman of the mighty United States of America and endorsed by the elite academicians. I wrote emails and kept writing, called up desperately at your embassy office, and all I get to know is my VISA is in pending administration status. No information can be shared nor can it be expedited."
Visa became a distant dream until that afternoon in DLF building when a courier guy stopped and asked 'Sir, eh Winshuttle naam ki company kahan hain', I smiled when I saw the parcel on my name in his hand.
Shivalik Park in Manimajra as always was filled with old people, women and families discussing in groups. Children played under the lights late into the night. I was alone shuffling between short walks and sittings. The cement seat was still warm. I stared for a while at the handicapped kid trying to walk over the bridge with his brother’s help. It was 10.10 PM and I was sure Chawla general store from where I buy water bottles will be closed. I needed water to survive yet another long lonely heated night. Luckily, the small counter in the park was still open. I bought a bottle of water, coke and pop corn. Sat on a chair in a dark corner and gulped the chilled water. Got pensive yet again.
'Long time I have written a blog post', I thought.
Munched more pop corn, this time with more vigor and sipped coke. It was stronger than I expected. Started feeling better, the rare positive energy was doing rounds and I stoked it. I needed it badly, the longer it stayed, the better I felt.
‘Any seldom-good-and-often-bad exciting incident happened in life in recent past?', I asked myself.
Last few ml of coke were left, pop corn already over. My senses started conversing and finally they decided I have enough to write one. I picked up the flakes of corn which fell down, send them down the USE ME box along with the coke bottle and walked towards house number 22/1, galli-number-3, my abode for last 12 months.
-----------------
‘Using our products you can do your job in 3 hours which otherwise will take 3 weeks’, I asserted while giving my 9th demo for the day.
I was tired and hungry and no mood to cajole another potential customer. I asked Marc to take over and I went to have some food. I picked a bowl of fruits and a glass of water with lots of ice and walked aimlessly till my tired eyes fell on the giant screen.
It was General Badin Powell, the key note speaker at SAPPHIRE’10 at Orlando, USA.
‘Let’s show the world that our security is our primary concern..’ he said.
General Powell's life is no ordinary, a man with exemplary achievements. I was excited to see him speak live. I quickly followed a flock of SAP geeks into a hall where he was addressing a very large audience.
‘After the 9/11 attacks, we revisited our entire security system……’, he was touching upon something sensitive.
‘US embassy offices across the world have been upgraded with latest IT, we connected them with the fastest of internet using optical fibers…’. I was finding it increasingly difficult to stop yawning.
‘And we made it clear that the VISA will never be easy again for people from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Middle East and of course Moslems (Muslims)’.
There was a round of applause after every patriotic comment he made. I remained indifferent and when finally tiredness took over I moved out. As I walked back, I suddenly realized. I have just got the answers for few frustrating questions lingering in my mind for a while.
Ankur Uttam, Rohit Bohra and me were in same line with same documents and reason for travel. They got their VISA and not me, Why?
Same office, same reason for travel like Ritika but a long wait of four months for me. Why?
"I agree Mr. Powell that you were forced to enforce such a change and may be my name matched with some damn grief stricken terrorist. But I thought every law (natural or man-made) has some exception. You should have allowed a decently harmless student from India’s best Business school invited by the Dean of the best Business school of your land (Stanford), duly recommended by honorable local congressman of the mighty United States of America and endorsed by the elite academicians. I wrote emails and kept writing, called up desperately at your embassy office, and all I get to know is my VISA is in pending administration status. No information can be shared nor can it be expedited."
Visa became a distant dream until that afternoon in DLF building when a courier guy stopped and asked 'Sir, eh Winshuttle naam ki company kahan hain', I smiled when I saw the parcel on my name in his hand.
There are millions of people on earth , who dont kind of food and comfort we get , whom should they blame ? It is purely your destiny , you can do nothing except embracing it with a smile.
ReplyDeleteI think,You will definitely achieve much more success in life, leave apart these trivial things!.
Please do not miss the context.The comparison is not with the unfortunate millions. My anger found way through my blog, nothing more to it.
ReplyDeleteI know I am destined to achieve lot more and I will for sure. However, this is not a trivial thing for me, I need a VISA to travel the world :)
Smiles
Abid
Abid, your style of narration is too good. I love reading your posts.
ReplyDeleteThanks buddy. I am glad you like them. Please keep reading.
ReplyDeleteAbid, a perfect articulation of your feelings. A very good read. With the way you write, I feel as though I am watching a movie and I could visualize the scenes.
ReplyDeleteThanks Shilpa for the nice words. My efforts will be to ensure you and Bhargav continue feeling the same. Would love to hear often from you guys.
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Even the PMO staff guys were rejected the visa, was in the paper recently!! Yet if something happens close at home it hurts more. I totally sympathize with you on this. World is an unfair place. Good Luck. and a nice blog you have got here!
ReplyDeleteHey pallavi, good to hear from you after long time. I need loads of best wishes, so will definitely take them, thanks :)
ReplyDeleteDost!
ReplyDeleteProbably I am reading this after long time. But awesome it is! And I am happy you chose right subject this time. Mr. Powell and his friends will have to answer not only you but millions of their own citizens in years to come!!
Best
Naresh
Thanks bro..reading after long time..not acceptable :)..1st day 1st show ippatinundi..sare na :P
ReplyDeleteNicely put story. Few days back only we were discussing how difficult is to survive in India too if you are a Muslim. Worst is that most of them are paying for the insanity of a few...God knows when this discrimination would end...only He knows...
ReplyDelete