To the Moon and Back - The Visa

“Krishnan, I want to talk to you! In meeting room…now..” this was my manager in mid Feb 2006 on a Tuesday morning 9:30 AM, as soon as I entered my office in Bangalore. Many things rushed to my mind, as it’d do for anyone.

This is how the talk went…

“Krishnan! For the last one month, after watching you, I could make out that you are saturated in this project, you have been here too long, and I came to know that you had asked for a project change”
“Yes! I did. And you are right, I am saturated.”
“What are you looking out for in the next project?”
“Onsite”…like a typical Indian IT clerk.
“Come with me”We went to my director’s room…
Manager: “He is high priority roll off!”
Dir: “Where to?”
Manager: “Onsite”
Dir: To me: “Send me your resume”…
… “ I have sent you the visa procedures…start them, you should be rolled off in 3 months”

That was crispy enough….5 months rolled. My petitions came. And 4 Interviews were done. I got selected for the project, and it was 1st week of July 06. Dir called me, and asked me, when is my stamping appointment, to which I said, mid Oct. “Call up visa desk, and change it to before 20th July” came the reply, in a stony voice. Handling visa and travel desk, will fetch anyone with a PHD.
Finally got an appointment date on 13th Oct, in Delhi, and it is already 9th July. Prepared documents, damn a mistake in my petition, date of birth is wrong, change that using a whitener, book tickets, book hotel, pack bags, prepare for interview, get annoyed by people frightening about the interview, drink, sleep, office, work, deadlines….everything passed with almost nothing registering in my mind.
Taj Hotel, New Delhi, was near the consulate, and it was pretty good. Could not sleep, damn, got down to the lobby, and asked the receptionist, “Where is the bar?”. She was look at me like a character from Discovery Channel. “There…” she said..and after a bit of pause she added, “…it could be expensive for you.”. What the heck? I just said, “Thanks..” and stepped in the bar. Gulped a couple of drinks, and it wasn’t as expensive as she was telling, and then I realized that she was thinking that I am a bloody “sarayam” drinker. Whatever, all I had in my mind was Visa….finally that drink was needed for me to get the sleep that I needed.
Got up morning 6 AM, for my 9 AM PA. Freshened-up, checked out the hotel, Hertz guy was there waiting for me, boarded that, and was travelling towards the Con. Finally after all checking and everything, I was there waiting in the line, for the PA, with that Nalli Silk Emporium Plastic bag in my left hand, my heart and lungs in my right hand. It was like walking the green mile, well atleast that’s how I felt it. When the lady said, “Your visa is approved, you will receive that in a week”, I remember, gulping down my heart and lungs back into my body and swallowed some air to push them down.
Came back to Bangalore the same night, and my friends asked, “So which project are you going to?”
“Wonderware”
“What?? … Under wear?? Ha ha ha Hey! Did you hear him?? He is going to work in Under wear….dei Krishna…is it boy’s or girl’s??? HA HA HA”

To Be Continued…