Stamped and Stumped!

I got up early in the morning and was ready in few minutes.I got into my cab without having any breakfast coz i had to reach the embassy before 7:30 in the morning.I landed in delhi in the evening,the day before.I went directly to my room that was booked by my company.It was supposed to be in a very posh locality-Kailash.I was expecting a very chilly weather in delhi but it was really warm.The winter this year did not set in yet.

The day was sunday and there was hardly any traffic on the roads.I went to the room and finished my dinner very soon.All the while i maintained my calm tying to put aside the anxiety about the next day.I came to delhi to get "STAMPED!"- the visa stamping.I switched on the TV to try to deviate my mind to some other non sense.But the nuisance that I was worrying about kicked in fast.My mind started reeling on the probable events that could happen the next day and ofcourse their consequences.I was all alone,no one around to talk some junk,really intimidated by my own thoughts.This went on for quite along time now.I dint knew what to do.I rolled on the blanket,try to shut myself off.

All my effort was in vain.Now that this feverishness was killing me,i couldnt help,i got up and switched on the TV again.There was some relief this time.It was Micheal Schumacker's last race of his career-The Brazilian Grand Prix,2006.It was quite an engrossing thing for me.I liked it.The race was really thrilling and relatively short(atleast i felt that).I had to soon deal with my subdued restlessness.The race was over and i was all alone.Couldnt help myself in anyway but just waited to get tired and doze off.I dont know when it happend.The next thing that i could remember was the next morning's alarm screaming at me.I got ready quickly and went to the embassy.It was in a high class area called Chanakyapuri.This area had all the countries in it.I mean all the embassys.There was not a single creature present at any of the embassys except for the most sort after one-the US embassy.This was like a theatre crowded with people.I saw two lines and joined one of them.

To my surprise all the people were carrying the Green colour folder which was not really required for the Delhi consulate.Atleast this was what i heard from our HR so i took my own folder.But dint want to take any risk so I ran back to my taxi which was in waiting ,parked some quarter of a kilometer away.An autowalla saw me running, to get the Green folder lying in the taxi.He helped finish my chase quickly and i soon joined the waiting line again.There was a telugu speaking guy ahead of me in the line.Soon we fell into some conversation from which i came to know that i missed some main document.I checked my folder hastily but couldnt find it.My heart started pounding and i had a despairing look on my face.That fellow suggeted that i should call the Satyam hyd office.I thought that was risky at that time as in the first place i did not have any cell with me and even if it was borrowed from someone..we are not supposed to make any calls once we are in the line. so i thought ..chalo let the officer ask me for that doc and then ill say that i forgot and ill rebook the appointment and donno when it will be..whether this year or next year ..so i gave up all the hopes.

Mean while there was a security officer beside the line,whom i called for help ,to ask him his suggestion.he took my file and said ,,hey..here it is,,this is the doc u r looking for ..then i said "No sir, there should be one more of the same kind".He then took the whole document out and showed me that the two docs i was supposed to have are consolidated into a single main copy.For a while i did not believe him but then it made some sense and it took a while for me to understand that and henceforth came back all my hopes.The first thought after the relief i had was about being thankful to God.I was praying God all the time.You know what! I checked all the documents many times before but did not notice this thing bcoz this doc was given to me by Satyam.Actually the documentation process involves two kinds of docs.One set of docs are our personal docs like the education certificates and the other set are the Satyam provided ones like the petition docs.I basically did not want to meddle with the Satyam provided ones as they are sure to be rite and in a correct order which i did not want to disturb.So i did not check their details at all.Yeah,coming back to the line...From there on i somehow felt that everything would go smoothly and it did.The interview was for jus a few mins ...only 4 or 5 questions to be answered ,which i did successfuly.

As soon as the last question was over the interviewer told me that my visa has been approved and the passport would be sent back to Hyd thro courier.I came out calmly and first thing i did was to thank God again and then had to smile back on the events happened from the start of the day.I went to different places in Delhi in the taxi,had my lunch and took a short nap in the room.In the evening i went to a market called Central market.I did not know what to do there. So many pretty looking ladies around ,so many shops ,it was such a confusing moment to make any choice. The delhi women,whether girls or married woman,they look like Godesses!Ill bet they surpassed all the bollywood heroines in their beauty and grace.It was as if i was in a wonderland.All these beauties around i couldnt jus stop looking at them.Their attire,the lifestyle not much different from the West.Delhi itself is such a beautiful place,so much greenery,a well planned city and its very very posh buildings and the poeple who live in it.U dont believe that i rarely saw a two wheeler there.The roads were occupied only by cars and cars of the latest and costliest makes.Mind blowing!Literally! When i was leaving delhi the next day i just wanted to stay there for some more time.To visit all the posh places i missed out.To have a look into the city's life in the weekends.I know its not as much pomp in Delhi as in Hyd.Its a very calm and unsafe place(bcoz of the crime rate).I visited Delhi in 9th standard when we were travelling to Nepal.Now when i saw it this time around-I was STUMPED!.I dont believe it really belongs to India anymore.The effects(mostly the ill effects) of a restless cosmo culture pretty much evident.Its not over yet!Thers a twist in the tail-i missed the flight i was scheduled for.Took the next flight back home.