If life can have the rewind button, I wish I would go to the place where I feel I could change my life from the one I am living right now. Next thought comes to my mind is, why can’t I do the same from this moment so that I wont regret later in future for not doing the same now.
Enough of drowning, regretting and thinking about the past. Rewind button for the life doesn’t exists at all but the pause and refresh buttons works fine.
“Be strong enough to at least try to make your life better”.
September 6th 2008.
After the break at India, I am traveling back to Kuwait.
Routine formalities of the travel began with showing the passport and ticket to the security guard அபிடேர் I left my family at the visitor’s place. Scanned my luggage and waited in the check-in queue for more than 30 minutes. Being traveled to the same country for more than 5 times, I relaxed myself with ‘as usual questions and answers in immigration’ (visa in Arabic, age less than 35yrs etc.) running into my mind :). The lady asked for my passport and ticket when I tried to keep my luggage into the weighing machine as my turn came. She checked the passport, tickets and visa too as I got a multiple entry visa this time which is stamped in the passport itself unlike the single entry visa which we get separately in a soft copy. Meanwhile she asked me to check the weight of the hand luggage too.
“Ok Mam, Thank you! You have excess of ten Kgs. Your hand baggage is already 7 kgs. So you have to pay. One kg is Rs.565. “- She told me very normally and contuined her work for giving me the boarding pass!!! I was totally out of thinking about my baggage weight at that time as I was allowed to take nearly 40 kgs every time to this country. I was so puzzled which even I felt it by the face reaction from her. I told her that I am traveling often and this is not at all excess! She said she is being here for more than 10 years in Qatar airways and gave a weird look to stop me giving explanations; she felt I was arguing. She told, my ticket shows only 20kg of weight is allowed. She asked whether I am going to pay 4000Rs or going to reduce weight. After 5 minutes of talk, she told me to remove 7 kg and she allowed me to have 1kg more in my hand baggage too. She didn’t wait for me to give my reply as people were waiting behind me. She said, I have 30 minutes more to decide and she called a worker to help me reducing the baggage. So many things went into my mind; same situation which happened to my freind before, my over confidence when my father told my luggage was bit heavy, how to face him as he gonna shout me now, what to remove now and what to have as I felt I did not dumped the bag, no spare bag or any cover to give the things to my parents etc…
I was running out of time. Having no other option, called my father and informed my situation who somehow realized the situation happened there. I was informed to go out again from the place the routine formalities started! Explained the situation to my family and started seeing the bag what to remove from it. Kept some dress in hand baggage and was totally out of mind what to take off. Some clothes, readymade food stuffs (since it is a Ramadan period, Kuwait follow a very strict policy where all the shops and restaurants are closed till 5pm), books and some other stuff. I felt if I take more things then no need for me to travel at all; Because I was left with only minimal things!
The things which were removed from my bag were in the hands of my mom, dad and my sister and when I was about to talk to them, they told not to worry about that and forwarded me to the scanning again. Did all the works again and reached the check in counter where they told 8kg was reduced and they allowed me to take with that. Now at the immigration, where I usually get stuck regarding the visa - It was not an exceptional day. Before that I should tell about my visa; peculiar visa where all the details are entered manually than to be printed; that too everything in Arabic. After seeing that, he don’t understand anything as usual and he started asking me louder what’s this and showed to me. I replied, 'It is a multiple entry visa for Kuwait where I can stay for a month in each entry'. Well, but I don’t understand anything in this and you call this as visa? – Old man. I told him ask some person who knows Arabic. He was bit angry and did not stop for sometime when I told him to check, 'I get this problem every time, you please check with your superior'. I know, I was bit straight but I had no other option. He went and came after 15 minutes and finally gave me my passport back with stamping. I reached the boarding point just before 10 minutes of the travel.
With a big sigh, eyes closed and rested back, I saw the image of my family in front of me who waved their hands holding all the removed stuff in both their hands, with a smile as I moved away from them!
