US trip - Part 1

When I was a kid, one day watching a TV, Doordarshan of course, I saw one show which really inspired me and motivated me to study. The show was about a man who comes back to India from West and shares his moments and gifts with his family as he got pampered by the folks around him. One of the kids around him asked him the mantra to go to a foreign land and he said to kid that the kid had to work study hard to go abroad. That day I decided that I would also go abroad one day. I started working towards my goal.

The moment I heard my CEED score for IIT entrance exam, I knew I got the visa to go abroad and that was true also. Everybody from our batch had gone to Europe or US. My moment came a bit late but for a longer duration. After three years of corporate job Aug 12, 2006 I got into the flight to Boston – sponsored by Keane India.

At the airport

First time international flying experience is like first time love because of the uncertainty of the experience – Good or bad. Fortunately I was lucky to have a good experience. While on the airport waiting for my flight, I felt thirsty and the urge made me to get up and grab a bottle of water. I was struggling finding two rupees change when a girl standing behind me helped and shocked me by putting two coins on the counter for me. I did not want to accept the help but could not deny the friendly gesture. She turned out to be a fashion designer - Jennifer Rai. Short, plumb, cute, and with specs on her face, she looked professional in her black dress. Since she was also alone and was waiting for the flight, we had mutually agreed tacitly within ourselves to be companions for the rest of the time. We did not talk much as most of the time she was busy on phone with her friends and family. However, we exchanged email ids and she told me that she was going to Austria on vacations.

In the flight

I had the ticket for window seat and found an old south Indian couple as my fellow passengers. We had 3-4-3 arrangement of seats per row. We never talked but I did not take a long time discovering that they were not happy with me. The moment they saw non-veg food in my hands, they got their first shock. To add to the sensitive situation I demanded scotch, followed by another, and followed by another one. Every time I pushed the bell to call the pretty air hostess for the drink I had to go through his insulting looks filled with ocular abuses such as “Greedy Pig!!!”, “Demon”, etc. I am sure he would never forget that night when his sacredness, religion, and values were tainted by my sinister tasks. He would have taken ablutions and prayed to god for several days to wash off the horrific experience from his old holy soul.

Next flight from Frankfurt

I was dazed and dreaming during the day after the deadening experience in the little cramped space of the flight. No wonder rich prefer business class over economy. The good thing about the second flight was that we had 2-3-2 arrangement of seats per row. There was a nice chick that I was eyeing on as she looked Indian to me. My prayers reached god and he made her sit next to me. Wow! Imagine a beautiful girl as your flight buddy. My body ache and tiredness disappeared in a fraction of second. I was wondering as to how to start the conversation with her. Finally my chemicals in the brain became active and got me the first response, “Which is this language in your book”? “German” she answered. “Oops, I thought you were Indian, you look like one.” I added another question and then another and then another until we knew each other. She was a 32 year old beautiful lady - Farsana, an Afghani settled in Germany. Her grandfather decided to leave Afghanistan after being badly beaten up by the civil war and came to Germany for refuge. Farsana had all the north Indian traits – Very fair skin, Dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, nice height, and nice curvy lines apparent in her tight fitted clothes. German culture was in her blood but she still had the Asian-Indian shyness in her eyes. We had a nice talk and we exchanged email ids also but neither had she written me nor did I. I was tired so could not talk much but whatever we talked it made sense. We discussed Afghanistan, India, and our cultures. We discussed her tensions and conflicts within herself as she didn’t have a country of her own. Her country, her motherland.

Logan Airport Boston – US

I opened the window flap when Boston was fifteen minutes away and I saw the yellow bright sun in the clear azure sky. The sky did not end but merged seamlessly with the blue ocean and created a mirage. I recognized ocean only after seeing big ships and boats in it. Finally I saw the runway extruding from the land into the Atlantic. It was a breath stopping beautiful sight. Boston sky line was visible and the city looked floating in the ocean. For a moment I thought that we were landing in the ocean but when the wheels touched the ground I took a sigh of relief. I wandered and wandered in the automated labyrinths of the Logan airport to figure out the exit terminal and to meet a friend of mine to pick me up from there. Finally I found Amit Taneja waving his hands to me. I was surprised as it was Praveen Shukla who was supposed to come. Amit said that Praveen was on the way and would be reaching any moment. He explained that he had come just to welcome me as anyway I would live with Praveen because of the proximity of his work place from my office. But I was touched to see him there, all the way from New Hampshire - without any motive, without any invitation, and without any selfishness. I had two good friends, from two different states, in two different cars, to welcome me. Ain’t I fortunate? Thanks God for being so kind with me.