The Trip.....

I don’t travel abroad on a daily basis so I was excited and I am sure I didn't know how to hide it. Gaurav and I had planned it for like ages now. He would be boarding the same flight from Bangalore.

I had reached Delhi airport before time, it was an achievement for me. I have never reached airports on time. As I checked in the lady printed the boarding pass after some enquiry and gave a small blue paper to be filled up for immigration. I being a thorough professional when it comes to traveling had checked all the necessary documents to be carried. Just then my phone rang “ oye, did u reach”. 

“Yes, do u think I would miss it for my life?” I replied

“Ur history speaks for you, anyways board the flight and ping me”

“Roger, dude” and I left that slip on the desk itself unknowingly.

In a hurry I made my way to the immigration line, it was not a line, I would say it was liiiiiiine. I was just wondering is the whole of India planning a trip today, simultaneously checking my pockets for everything to be intact in it. Not really aware about the blue slip.

Remember the Murphy’s law “ Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong”. Any normal day I would have noticed the slip tangling at the hands of hundreds of people in the line, but no it was not a normal day.

When you are standing in a line waiting for something to happen it is bound to happen late, the line was moving at a snail's pace. Just then a girl in her early twenties who was standing infront of me asked “ do you travel frequently?”.

I gave a smile with an additional nod, I always thought I knew the art of talking to girls. And it was one of those fictional things I thought I was. She turned around and asked about a section to fill in the slip, I helped her thinking I was the batman and rescuing her from the death trap. It was as usual the snail’s pace again. She smiled with a pleasant “thankyou, it must be a normal thing for you.” 

“These guys won’t ask you much, they are least bothered lot”

Just as the hour passed another lady from behind asked “ Beta, could you please help me with this slip. My son lives in…….and she went on" I let her complete the story, that’s the only problem of mothers, they boast about their children like no one exists. Anyways, I helped her with it. In India it is bound to happen “free ka query” which everyone near me had about the slip and  “free ka advice” which I was happy to give.

As was about to be called at the desk, the girl turned around and asked “ how many times have you been to Europe?”

I nodded as if I didn’t hear and pointed to her about being called to the desk.

We both came to the separate desks simultaneously, I gave her a warm smile of “everything is going to be fine” and felt for my boarding pass and slip. What!!! I exclaimed, no the slip was missing. Fuck! I had left it there at the counter.

The immigration guy with a round glass and a bald head looked at me sternly as if he was about to kill me “ Form incomplete hai Mayank Babu- pehli Baar Safar kar rhe the to ye madam se puchlete” I gave him an astonished but embarrassed look. “Sir, blue slip chahiye” he thundered. I was only thinking let this girl go I l plead to this baldy.

The line was a never ending one, my heart just skipped a minute of beating I guess.. just then, the girl said “ hey, I always collect an extra slip” she hands me one slip. I was too embarrassed now. “ It happens, being a regular traveller you must have not even thought about it” she said again. All I could was mumble jumble some words.

This baldy had to get back at me again “Mayank Babu, aakhir madam ne hi bachaya aapko”

I did pass a customary smile to the baldy and hid my sight from the girl.

The baldy speaks something to the other immigration guy and comes up with another line, which the crowd was now enjoying “ arrey Mayank ji, madam bhi Paris jaarhi hai” and looking at the girl he says “Raksha madam, sir ka waha bhi thoda help kardena, Kahi waha bhi kuch bhool naa jaye”

I was almost red, inspite of the fact I was black. This movie should end now, I just wished.

Sooner than later, I completed my formalities and looked out for the boarding, just for a second I looked out for the girl, I couldn’t see her. I gave up with a smile on my face.

Finally I boarded and sunk in my window seat and opened up my phone to ping Gaurav, the passengers had starting to settle down. I did not really care about it or any of the announcements, I was too embarrassed. Someone was putting the luggage and suddenly the co-passenger spoke “are you sure, you won’t need my help at Paris immigration now?”

I looked up and smiled, this embarrassment was good I thought...