The Sword of Termination

"Patience is not about how long you can wait but on how you behave while waiting"

I got my termination letter. A termination letter drafted by me having my name on it. The day was 14th November 2017, when one of my sirs emailed me my termination letter. It was hardly six months since I joined and here I was on the cross road of termination and going back home, my first job and my first termination. It was not sudden. I knew this is going to happen so it was nor shocking nor surprising for me.

Why is that, when everything is working out smoothly there always comes a wave which disturbs that steadiness and stability? In my life that wave was my termination letter. I was happy with the ways things were moving. I made good friends, they were like another family, I even shifted to a new room where I made many beautiful and trustworthy relations. Everything was on track. I was living fully while on the other hand our company was finding it difficult even to survive, I was well aware of the fact that the company was facing financial crises. I was able to sense that tension way before other employees got their termination letter and even before the decision was made.

This was the time I knew I have to stay calm and just trust the process. I warned about our company situation and the uncertainty of my job to my family. They were fine with it but I was not. This was the time a struggle was going on inside me, what I’ll do, how is life going to be and at the same time I was trying to convince myself that maybe my time in UAE is over and that I should make a fresh start. I was back to square one, I had no choice,  things were not in my control, how I deal with the situation was in my control, after all I was not the only one, more than half of the employees got their termination letter, I happened to be one of them. We all were serving our one month notice period.

Every employee in the office was in tension, I could see their shoulders loaded with an additional baggage of finding a new job and the sadness on their face. I started updating my CV with the hope to get a new job. I am not sure why but instead of finding a new job in UAE, my heart was telling me to go back to India. I finally made a deal with myself, I will not run, I will try looking for other job in that 1 month time, if I get job I’ll take it and if I don’t, I will happily go back to India. I prepared my CV and one particular day my manager asked me, "Did you update your CV?” I was surprised when he told me to show him my CV and cover letter for correction and modification. He even gave me tips and suggestions on what to include and what not to include in the CV. If you think, isn't it a funny moment, where a boss is helping his employee to find a new job? and that day my respect for him stepped up.  After that I started posting my CV on job portals. Time was running out. I wonder do these job portals even work. I didn't get a single response.

Even though I got my termination letter, I don’t know why, I was not stressed out, I was cool with everything, having the attitude of “If I stay, it is good but if I don’t it is even better”, Everything happens for a reason and maybe life after this will take me one step closer to the life I wished for, you never know what treasure life is holding, unless you stop resisting. During this 1 month time, I discovered one of my personality traits which I didn’t even consider as a trait i.e., smiles. Yeah, smile and laughter. Usually I smile a lot, but I realized that when I am stressed out or in tension, I smile more than usual, in fact I laugh. One of my colleague even commented that in this situation of tension I shouldn't laugh that loud. I stay cheerful. I was always this way. I recall, when I was in University, one of my seniors asked, why are you always smiling and my simple reply was, “tension leke kya hoga" (what good will happen by taking tension). Maybe that is the reason I was not feeling the tension of same intensity. We all know life keeps moving, no matter what. I knew taking tension was not going to solve my problem.

"Worrying doesn't take away tomorrow's troubles; it takes away today's peace”

I was living in the present moment. The secret of being happy is to accept where you are in life and making the most out of every day. I have learned this a hard way. Smiling and accepting defeat/truth is an effective way to attain peace of mind. Last 4-5 days of my notice period were left, my manager called me in his cabin and told me that, "Everyone will be going today or tomorrow, as you know, we are searching for clients to sell our business, but in vain, we will take a chance to save the business in the next 3 more months, if you want, you can stay for the next three months, after that we will figure out something." I simply nodded (in words, I wanted to say, I would love to stay till the end, no matter what the end will be). I can understand how difficult it can be for a person who has given his time, blood & sweat for setting up a business, working 24 hrs a day, only thinking of that business, our manager did everything he can do to save the business or at least delay the D-Day. He was calm & strong during that time, trying to help other employees in finding other jobs and doing everything that was in his control. I would have shattered in such a situation because two things I couldn't stand, one is "the feeling of helplessness" & other is “you being the reason for someone's disappointment". The inability to help others when they most need us is very painful. But throughout that time he was composed and I never saw emotions taking control over his mind. Mostly labors got affected by this decision. Finding a job in UAE is difficult, many labors are the sole bread winner for their family, after knowing their stories, their need, if I know that management decision is going to add misery to their situation with no way out, I would have broken inside, not because the business is dying/ I worked so hard but, because of one decision, many lives are getting affected and I am helpless. The D-day came and on 15th December 2017, I bid most of my colleagues a farewell, only hoping best life for them.

Subconsciously during that time, I learned a most important lesson that, 

"Sometimes we have to make difficult choices instead of holding on to false hope, we all have struggles in life but we have to continue to fight. We need to accept what we cannot change, because either way the result will be same only the state of mind will differ".

Smiling was and is my defense mechanism to tackle stressful situation and trust me it works and it even doesn't cost anything. Face every day by wearing a smile on your face and you will be amazed how beautiful life can become. I was told three months but my journey continued.......... the sword of termination didn't slice me in fact it gave me a permanent shield of "acceptance of the uncertainty" & an evergreen friend, "smile".

"Smile is a free therapy"

#Smile always

An Angel in Disguise or A Devil with a Mask

I was enjoying my life with my new roommates. Days were passing by swiftly. Things were changing, I was learning and always working on my routine to make time for the things I love to do such as reading, writing, walking, meditating etc. One of my habit which I never changed was going for a walk. I always somehow manage to make time  to go for a walk in a day either in the morning or in the evening. It is the time when I spend quality time with myself, it helps me clear my head, read my thoughts and recharge my energy. It is the time when I make important decisions of my life that in normal hour I usually procrastinate. This might sound weird but I don't like people accompanying me when I go for a walk, that one hour time is all mine and I don't like sharing it with anyone because then it is like a normal chit chatting time where  my mind will be distracted. This incident which I am sharing took place after one month or so after I shifted to my new room. I was on my way to take a regular walk after my dinner and something strange happened. On my way there came a strong built man in his late thirties asking me electra(Place where I stay) KFC address, I guided him with the way but god knows why he continued talking to me, telling me about himself and kept on asking me useless and annoying questions like am I married?  Where am I going? I was not comfortable and when we reached KFC, I told him this is the spot, I was relieved that atleast now I don't need to bear his questions, but what he said next definitely scared and surprised me, he said " Of course I know where Electra KFC is, I know this place very well, I stay here only, I approached you because I figured out that you are an Indian and even my bhabi is from India, I am a pakistani and is single just like Salman Khan "(At the back on my mind I was thinking why on earth he is telling me this things, what should I do if he is a Salman Khan fan or his bhabi is from India. Salman khan has many fans and his bhabi's homecountry being India doesn't makes him a trustworthy person) and then told me that there is this bedspace if I need place to stay in future. He was wasting my precious hour of the day but still I didn't lose my calm & was trying my best to get rid of him by answering that I don't need any bedspace and is happy with my current place and that I am in a hurry. But he kept on insisting me to save his number in case I need it in future, if I am looking for bedspace in future. At the back of my mind my thoughts were," Ja na bhai, nahi chahiye tera number, mujhe akela chod do please, I am really not interested in this talk and you are wasting my time" I so wanted to utter these words to him but I couldn't. But he kept telling me, "what's wrong in saving a number for future correspondence". Now he was getting on my nerves, I was facing difficulty in getting rid of him beacuse I was scared and angry at the same time.  Further he asked me where am I going ? To which I said to the nearby shop and with this I started to walk hurriedly. He too started walking with me and continued to gave me his unpleasant company telling me that he is going the same way.

I couldn't figure a way out. But you see help comes when you most need it. Help came to me when suddenly I saw a man near KFC where I used to see him regularly on my way to walk. I always used to see this old man with his two grandson. We never talked. He gave me familiar look, I greeted him and he started talking to me. I guess he somehow was able to sense my uncomfortness with that man. We started talking to which that Pakistani man went ahead and eventually disappeared in the streets. I was really grateful to this old man, He was from kerala and was living with his son in Abu Dhabi and usually gets out at this hour i.e., 9.00 pm to take a walk with his grandsons. I talked to that old man till the time I was assured that I no longer can see that pakistani guy. We talked a little and then one of his grandsons told him to get them home, kids were getting bored. So he turned to his home direction and told me to come along so that he can accompany me to my home to assure my safety. I started walking along with him. He told me that from my body language he figured out that I was uncomfortable with that man so he came for my rescue. He told me he know that kind of people , he came near me and touched my back and uttered in a low voice, " I know this kind of people, they just want to f**k you" These were his exact words. You have no idea how I felt that very moment. I escaped from one trap and fell into another, this was the first thought that crossed my mind. It was like "aasaman se gire aur khajoor me atake" Now the very person who helped me, I started doubting him, don't know why? Maybe because he told me the truth using harsh words that kerala side people don't use. As a south Indian I know south Indian people are very conservative and polite in language. I now was trying to figure out ways to escape his company in a way that might not hurt his respect because I was not sure what I was thinking about him made sense or not. In the mean time we reached his building. He told me to wait outside his building till the time he safely drop his grandsons to home. I told him that I can go home from here but he was continuously insisting me to wait till the time he will come back which didn't make sense to me, Still I said "okay". I could see him disappearing in the building with his two grandsons. There were some guys sitting on the building staircase, I was already scared and feeling uneasy and above it waiting like this was making me more uncomfortable, I waited outside his building for a minute or so. I desperately wanted to reach home and somewhere in, there was a struggle going on between my heart & brain so I decided to go with my gut feeling.

" Always trust your gut. because if you feel something is wrong that's because it usually is"

I left from there without a word and till the time I reached home I was repeatedly turning back to see that no one is following me. I was so terrified that I felt like every other person on the street is staring at me , I don't know when my eyes became wet and I could feel tears in my eyes. Some tears rolling down my cheeks  Somehow I gathered myself and reached home safely with only one feeling " Fear". I directly went to the washroom to splash some cold water on my face to calm myself and then I went to my bed and tried sleeping but that incident was bothering me with many thoughts flooding my mind. For many days after this incident I didn't went out for a walk and it was suffocating. So I decided to let go off all my fears and doubts and I again started going on walk. It is when I understood the true meaning of the lines which I read on Courage, which said,

"Courage is feeling the fear and doing it anyway"

I am not sure about the second person. It might be that I misinterpreted his intentions, he actually might be trying to help me out and his direct use of words might have scared me. But already the decision was taken and I left that, what' s done is done, there is no looking back. I think you never know what is there on other person' s mind so I guess I took the right decision. Guilty about only one thing that if at all that second person is good hearted, I considered him a bad guy, guilty for doubting and picturing him that way because considering his age he is like a grandfather figure to me.   I don' t know what I did was right or wrong ? All I can say that both were strangers so, I couldn't trust anyone irrespective of country, cast, creed, colour, nationality & race. I chose to trust myself and I am thankful to god for his grace and blessing and for giving me right state of mind at that very moment to take that step and for the decision to leave.

So I suggest everyone,
"Be careful who you trust ,The devil was once an angel"


Post Script: Again after one month or so from this incident. I went for Grocery shopping. I was with a friend, we were tired so sat on a bench which was there outside the supermarket. Suddenly out of blue that pakistani man came, he saw me but this time he approached my friend and asked for a random address. I was sitting right next to my friend. I told him just don't answer this man, he is crazy and fooling you. So we simply got up and left. Initially my friend couldn't understand why I said that but once I narrated my story, he finally got the point. My first encounter with this man was scary but this time it was funny. All we did was laugh

Although one question is still bothering me about that second man, was he an angel in disguise or a devil with a mask?

The Crazy Man Next Door

Independence feels great. It either makes you a successful and confident person or a lost / directionless person depends how you use your freedom and who you surround yourself with. Being away from family made me more responsible and observant. On 12th May 2017, my independent journey began, I was all by myself, learning, observing and understanding things. My colleague arranged for my accomodation in UAE, where I shifted on 12th May 2017. There I was all alone, in a foreign land, with nobody by my side but I was not scared because everyone I met were kind and helpful. When I first saw the room, to be more specific it was not a room, it is called partition. In UAE, most people stay in partition/bedspace because rooms are expensive here. Partitions are like a room divided into many parts by putting a wooden barrier/wall in between. Sometimes a single room is divided into 2 to 4 partitions depending on the size of the room and the partition has enough space to fit a double deck bed and little space for arranging your stuff. You feel like you are staying in a train compartment. Mine was a partition where two people can stay and  till now I was alone (No sharing).  It was a small room divided into 2 partition.

Next day when I came back from office, I saw a man enter the other partition. It was scary and uncomfortable. I am not used to stay like this, in simple words, I was sharing a room with a stranger and the only protecting /distanting factor was, was that "wooden wall". This experience was awkward and a little uncomfortable because even though you cannot see anything on the other side of the partition because of the wooden barrier but you can hear everything(Even your yawning sound). He was the guy in his late 30's.

I used to get alert whenever he used to enter his partition. For weeks I didn't see his face, only the noise that someone is next door. I used to lock my door whenever he used to enter his partition. Half of my time was spent in the office and after office, I used to get home,cook my food, have my dinner, go for walk and then come back, read something and then   sleep. I had and still have a perfect schedule which keeps me busy, I was away from the room most of the time. That stranger's presence or absence really didn't matter. I was cool as long as the other person is within his/her zone not interfering in my personal space. I used to give a sigh of relief whenever I used to see that the other side of the partition is locked. The man next door didn't have any schedule, he doesn't had a fixed timing.Weeks passed and I don't know who my neighbour is. Only his silhouette is what I used to see. Whenever he used to enter his partition, my next move used to be is to lock the door and sleep. I have an advantage which most people doesn't have, I am a peaceful and deep sleeper. Once I am asleep no noise can disturb my sleep. Everything was working fine for me.

One day I came back home from office and the door of that other partition was open, while unlocking my door, the stranger next door immediately questioned me, "Who is there?". His voice was rough and loud. It was then when I saw my neighbour for the first time, he was a person from some Middle east country(from his accent), his english was good and could speak Arabic. I turned towards his door and said," I stay here". He said," Oh, sorry, I thought someone else is there, it's good to meet you.......".  Looking at him I figured out that he is a regular drinker and was in some kind of trouble/trauma because he was blabering things. He continued saying," ...........it's just that I don't know how can people stay in rooms like this, it is so small and, I don't believe I am staying in a place like this, it's so frustating." All I said is " Yeah, yeah, okay" and I immediately entered my room and locked it. I could feel my heart beats racing. That stranger who was staying next door, who I didn't know for weeks and was okay with it, after meeting him a feeling of fear engulfed me. The first impression of that man was scary. Any one can say he is a crazy, frustated with life, troubled and mentally disturbed person. That night I couldn't sleep because it made me realize where I am living. That man is strong enough to bring that wooden wall down in one hard knock if anything goes wrong. All I did was pray and wish not to have an encounter with him again. I somehow managed to sleep, shrugging off my fear.

After that encounter with my crazy neighbour, I couldn't sleep properly for many nights, I used to get scared even at a small noise. I was careful with everything, trying to make as little noise as possible, handling and managing all the things without making noise(thinking it might piss him off). I was living in fear in my own room. I am grateful that the man was respectful towards me that day and that he never tried talking to me. Slowly, I was coming back to my normal self. But fear somehow find its way to come back. 

One night when the man next door came back, I thought he will have his food and will go to sleep in a while. I was trying to sleep , it was late and I had office the next day. Usually what happened till now is,  I never paid attention when he entered or left his room(I guess most of the times he used to come late at night and till that time I used to be fast asleep, this way I was able to sleep at night ) but today I was not asleep and can hear his every movement. He was doing something with the plastic bags(May be opening/looking for something) and the voice was disturbing me, I was unable to sleep. I could hear him talking and then I realized he was talking on the phone (the phone was on speaker), he was talking with some lady in a high pitch, initially he was asking for forgiveness and asking her to come back to him and that he'll change, later hearing her answer he started using abusive words and I can say that he was drunk and the converstion was raising his temper. Suddenly he hit his fist hard on the wooden wall and that made me jump out of my bed. I was scared. He was shouting on the phone and when he disconnectd the phone, he continued abusing loudly. He was banging his hand in anger, in between kicking the wall and continuously using abusive words and talking to himself loudly. I cannot do anything because I was inside and was so scared to even try peeking out of my partition ( If his door is open, he can see me clearly leaving my room so I thought it is safe inside and I decided not to take any risks) and also it was late at night (Didn't want to disturb anyone, it is better that only one person gets disturbed than many). So I just sat on my bed helplessly. I tried shifting my attention from the noise and banging by reading an e-book but it was not helping. Fear gripped my heart and "what if?"questions were bothering me. After some time, the noises lowered, I guess he was calming himself down and in the process he started singing songs loudly(I didn't understand what to do whether to cry or laugh?). It was 3 at night and this man has ruined my sleep and he doesn't even know that because he was not in his senses.  I tried sleeping and eventually sleep got the better of fear. I managed to sleep  for some 2 to 3 hours that night( correction- next morning). It was my worst and the most scary night. Next morning I decided that I'll tell the room owner to change my room, with that thought I went to office.

Even though I was staying in a partition but I was paying rent of only bedspace(It was a room for two people and I was the only one staying in my partition, my upper bed was empty) which was a loss for the owner because if you are staying in partition no matter how many people are there, you have to pay the full partition rent, so the owner  always used to tell me that he will transfer me to other room. Initially I was not willing to change my room(Because I was enjoying my personal space and freedom) but now I desperately wanted to change my room. I took that point and talked with the owner that evening, not revealing about my ruined sleep because of that crazy man(thinking he might get in trouble because of my complaint). It was last week of May month. The owner responded," I will transfer you to other bedspace and the rent for that bedspace will be same as you are paying here and you will be sharing your room with two other Nepali girls, you won't be having any problem there, people there are nice and helpful" and on the same day, he took me to show me that room. It was in other flat but same building and same floor. Again it was a big room divided into 4 partitions. In one partition there was a Bangladeshi Couple, in second partition there was a  Nepali couple, in third partition there were two boys (One was a Pakistani guy and other an Indian)and in fourth partition there were two Nepali girls, where I will be joining them soon. This partition was spacious compared to my current partition and mine was an upper bed. There was a big window to which our bed was joined. I could see the outside view (which was beautiful) from my would be bed. When asked by the owner," What do you think about the room?" I immediately said" Yes, I am okay with the room and is ready to shift next month". On 1st June 2017, I happily shifted to my new room with new people surrounding me. Next Day I arranged my things. Both my roomates were co-operative and made space for my things. Everyone was nice and helpful. Apart from our room, there were three more rooms with partitions in it and all these rooms had one main door, one kitchen and two washrooms in common. I became acquainted to all the people from the new flat in a short span of time. Everyone was friendly. Life had taken a new turn.

In UAE, rents at paid at the start of each month. I get my salary on the 10th of each month, so on 10th I went to give rent to the owner and casually he asked me the reason for my decision to change the room, I told him my experience of that night, hearing which the owner told me the story of that man next door. He narrated ," He was homeless, so I brought him here. He is an engineer, a very intelligent man but lost his job and everything in his life came falling down. I knew him, so out of humanity I brought him here, thinking atleast he will have a roof above his head(it is better than staying on streets), he is not paying me anything for this room. He may be frustated in life but he will not harm anyone, you should have told me before".

I said," It's okay, now I am comfortable and happy in my new room, what's gone is gone". Saying this I left the room. The owner used to stay right next to my previous room, so while going to my room, I paused at the door of my previous room, the door was locked, I didn't open it. Sometimes it's better to let things be the way they are.

Life teaches us many things every now and then. After knowing that man's story, all I could feel for him was sympathy. I felt bad for him. I was not angry or scared anymore. He was going through the worst phase of his life, and me seeing (or you can say "listening") his behavior in his worst phase was a sheer coincidence. Maybe that was his way of dealing with problems. He was hurting himself that day by banging hands, kicking the wall and using abusive words to take out his frustation.  Maybe he didn't realize that I was next door and his actions might disturb /scare me. That night was tough for me but after hearing his story and comparing my one time conversation and that night experience with that man, I can say, it was extremely tough for that man himself. He was going through that feeling of helplessness, frustation and hoplesseness every single day. 

I am grateful that I didn't add to his misery by doing silly things such as fighting with him/complaining against him. I just hope everything gets better again in his life. 

The reason to share this experience is that it taught me to stay calm and be patient while dealing with hard situations. It taught me that,  

"There  is a story behind every person. There is a reason why they are the way they are. Think about that and respect them for who they are. Never take action without taking a thoughtful moment. Think, understand and then decide. Your actions/steps may add to the person's misery but your inaction,if not help but will definitely not add problems in the other person's life. Try to understand that other person's perceptive, situation and story before judging, fighting or acting against them."

By God's grace that crazy man was not that crazy to hurt/harm someone. I moved on in my life leaving behind the scary memories and was happy that my one month stay in that partition with "THE CRAZY MAN NEXT DOOR" was over. 

I was now ready to uncover a new story that life has planned for me. To write a new chapter with lots of bitter sweet experiences that was about to give me wisdom, reality check but still the belief that " Humans have not yet reached that phase where they cannot turn back, We still have a chance to make this world a better, happy and peaceful place for everyone"

I would like to end this story with a quote by Jane Clayson Johnson

" In every person's story there are unknowns-struggles only they know about, fears that they've tried to overcome but still harbor, disappointments & sorrow they bear. The last thing any of us wants-or needs- is to be judged by other who don't know our stories, in parts or at all"

# Be Patient, Be Calm and Be empathetic

P.S. : After 1 month, I saw that man again in our building elevator, he didn't gave me a sign of recognition (Maybe on the day we conversed, he was drunk and so he does not remember my face), he looked sober.  I was wondering whether everything has fallen in place in his life and that is still an unanswered question for me.

Journey from Visa visa to Employment Visa

It was my 20th day in Abu Dhabi. Till now I didn't get reply from any company. Now everyone was depending on references. I was never comfortable with using references, it just doesn't feel right. My Bhabi's family friend the one I mentioned in my previous blog as cool, smart, competitive and optimistic person came to my rescue. He discussed with his friend, who also was his ex-roommate regarding me and that I am looking for a job.  His friend called me for the interview the next day. He was the Manager of the company. On the day of interview i.e on 5th March 2017, my brother was accompanying me. The inteview was at 8.30 am, the location was a 45 minutes journey by taxi. We got stuck at one point because it was a warehouse zone, so I hesitantly called the Manager and I was amazed by his humbleness, he clearly guided us with the directions , it was 9.00 am by the time we reached the head office, I could see only warehouses. I was expecting a big fancy building. I reached the interview venue. Even though it was a warehouse but inside, there was a big office. It was the centralized Head Office of a Group and I was about to get interviewed to get a job in one of the companies.

When I entered the office with my brother, the office boy made us sit on the Sofa and gave us water. I saw an Indian person in his late thirties sitting in his cabin talking with some other person while I was heading towards the sofa. After a while, he called us inside. I was prepared for this, I was carrying all my documents.The interviewer was the Manager of the Company, who was that bhabi's family friend's friend and the same person I talked with on the phone. This was my first face to face interview in UAE and I was nervous because already 20 days were passed with only ten days in my hands to get a job.I could see my CV on his table. I was a fresher, no experience and nothing impressive on my CV but still the interview went smoothly. Before leaving, the Manager told me to prepare a business plan on a topic which he told he will email me.

Interveiwers have this skill of keeping their facial expression calm and composed, you can never tell what the interviewer is thinking or expecting. This, I am telling by personal experience. In India I got interviewed many times, there I was looking for Chemical engineering Jobs, there used to be 3-4 rounds. In all the companies I made it to the last round that is to the HR round, clearing the General test, Aptitude test, Technical Test, General Interview and then Finally the HR. I always loved the HR round. My interviews used to be great as per my opinion but I always got rejected, never knew why?I used to cry everytime I got rejected. This time I was not trying to predict the interviewer's expression. I was not keeping any high expectations, I was mentally prepared for any decision. We reached home. Waiting for his email and reply.  Next day I received an email from the interviewer with a topic. I did my research on internet the same day, after working for whole day I prepared the Business plan and the next day(7th March) till night I emailed the plan to him. Unsure what will happen next. All I can do was just wait but time was running out. My Job search was at its peak, we were trying everywhere, open to all the opportunities.

Next day, my brother also talked in Administrative department of his company so that they can let him know if there is any vacancy. One of his colleagues responded and I had a telephonic conversation with him. He was the Manager of a big store and was planning to start up his own company in India. He asked me few general HR questions and then immediately he came to the main point. It was sudden for me to digest what he asked me next. He asked me," Are you confident enough to manage a whole company?", I’ll be doing the investment in you & in the company, you will be preparing the business plan, the estimated investment for that company and will overview the complete execution of the plan, can you do that?". This was a very serious question for me. It's an opportunity anyone would wish for. I was wondering, has he even read my CV. Managing a company is no joke. I answered him, " If given the opportunity and with proper guidance I'll definitely give my best and can run a company". To this he said," Okay, if you don't get a job here, give me a call, I will consider you for a job in Mumbai " and after some general talk, exchange of information,the call ended. Even today when I think of that conversation I couldn't tell the value/significance of that telephonic interview. Did I messed up/was he trying to politely say no to me/was he even serious?" I don't know but then I never called back/he never called me back.

In the meantime I also got interviewed by one of my brother's acquaintances, he was running a Vedic maths coaching classes. My brother thought maybe we should try this also, my teaching experience will be an advantage. After my brother came back from office, we went to meet him. The person I met there was an expert in Vedic maths- Techniques that are taught to solve maths problem faster, playing with numbers is fun. I thought this would be a great opportunity to learn something new. I was open for everything, I was like a molten material ready to take any shape, willing to learn everything but then again why would anyone will pay/spend their time on me, giving training to me,because I am the one who needs the job, they don't need a teacher/an employee. The man was in his fifties. People with experience always guide you by sharing their valuable experiences. He was very clear that there was no vacancy for me but he did give me his precious time and some useful advice and tips. He adviced me on different options to get a job in UAE. Infact he suggested me to start something of my own in a freehold zone. Freehold zones are places in UAE, the owner of such an estate/properties enjoys free ownership for perpetuity and can use the land for any purposes however in accordance with the local regulations.He said," If you don't get a job, start something of your own and then you will be the one giving jobs to other people but for that you will need to apply for "Azad visa". Azad visa means a visa to be purchased from a company not to work in that company but to work independently. It has its boon and bane. It was a great advice but I couldn't understand why everyone is telling me to directly take a  big leap. I always believed that we should start slow, working on our basics and building a strong foundation. I mean when you are fresher, you have no idea about the market, about the outer world, about managing people, about management, there are many other things such as accounting, finances,designing etc. It is agreed that these work will be done by that concerned department person but managing them is the main thing. If for example an accountant present a report then we should be able to understand it. This takes time and experience.Are they missing the point that, I was just a teacher with 2 years experience and an Engineer by qualification with no actual industrial/corporate experience after graduation. This is what my CV was showing. So what is it that is making everyone put such high level of faith, trust and confidence that I can do what they are expecting without any prior experience. What were they all trying to explain? Even tough I enjoyed talking and meeting people, learning from their experiences. I was getting no where. Last five days of my visit visa was left.

In these last 10 days, we were trying so hard, everyone was in tension. The tension ultimately showed effect on my health. My return ticket was booked for 14th March. On the night of 10th March with 4 days in hand, I finally prepared myself for the worst, my head was hurting me, the pain was so intense, the whole night I couldn't sleep, I was shivering, I was cold and was having fever. I didn't tell anybody about the headache,cold and fever.In between the night I was applying vicks on my neck and forehead for some relief because of that I was able to sleep  for some 2-3 hours in the morning when suddenly a phone ring woke me up. The day was 11th March, 7.00 am. The call was from the Manager of the company who I sent the business plan. He asked me to be present at the office at 8.30 am for trial. He told me that they will see my work for 4 days in the normal working hours. I was happy, because there was still hope. My bhabi saw the state of my face and my health and she said, " Don't go, tell them you are not well, How can they call on such short notice?". Concern for me from her part was overwhelming but now I cannot miss this final opportunity. I got up and told her," Don't worry, I'll take medicine and  then I will be just fine". Breakfast was not getting down from my throat, some how I got ready within half an hour, took my medicine and took taxi to go to  the interview location. I was unsure how am I gonna handle the taxi journey, in usual days I feel nauseaous travelling in taxi, what will happen today, when I am not in my good health. My brother was accompanying me. To shrug the nauseous feeling, I plugged in the headphone and was working on my breathing to calm myself. That 45 minutes taxi journey was seeming like life time. The time was going slowly. We reached the location, my brother left me there and went for his work and in the office after some waiting, I was summoned in the Manager's office. He welcomed me and then explained and gave me work to prepare some plans and some formats on one of the computers there. First day was a little confusing, everything was new, I didn't even know how to file a paper, it was a different type of file. One sir tried to help me, but manager told him, "Let her do, don't help". This is what I wanted, I always prefer people who instead of helping, teach me how to do that thing. Helping is one time remedy, it makes the person dependent and lazy, teaching or learning on the other hand is for life time. I didn't feel like I did any work, it was like I am net surfing. Till 5.30 pm I completed the work assigned and left for home. This continued till 14th March. Everyday I was assigned some new work. I was learning and growing. Everyday I travelled by taxi, it was expensive. I didn't had bus card then and was left with no other option.On 14th March 2017, I reached office at the same time, completed the assigned work and had a normal chat with the Manager where he explained me in brief my job description and verbally we discussed about salary and other things such as company quota, visa and other procedure. He said, "We will look for company quota and as soon as we have one we will send you the visa"(Not sure how long it will take). I left office early that day, at 3.00 pm because I had my flight at night. I bid my goodbye to everyone and left from the office with a positive note (My mind was filled with some queries but I didn't have time). My bags were already packed. I was ready to head back to India.

When I reached home, I explained and told  my whole conversation with the Manager to my Bhaiya- Bhabi and the Manger's friend who referred me. Everyone was confused, did I get the job or not? because they didn't give me any offer letter, it was just a verbal discussion and as a proof I had nothing with me that showed that they are hiring me. Some people said trial in UAE is common, companies keep candidates for trial till their visit visa ends, get their work done from them and when candidate's visit visa ends they say yes or no based on their performance. An official document was not handed to me by company, which was considered as a disadvantage in my case. I am heading back to India without knowing for sure whether I am hired or not. What will I tell my parents? Did I get the job or not?  We all were hoping that that verbal conversation was final and fixed and soon they will call me or email me the offer letter. Till then I decided not to disclose anything to anybody. Once everything is finalized then only I'll inform my friends, relatives and acquaintances about my job. I left my brother's place at 9.30 pm on 14th March for the airport accompanied by my bhabi, their daughter and the friend who referred me. He is my saviour and in the process I earned a really great friend.  I owe him a lot but all he asked is a party if I am back in Abu Dhabi for work (that is so kind).They left me at the airport. Again I could not express my feelings like how grateful I am for their love, support and efforts. All I can say is" Take care " and I just left. This one month brought a lot of changes in my life, I made and earned some simply amazing bonds and relations for lifetime, met positive, experienced, knowledgeable and humble people. All in all, it was a roller coaster ride with lots of things in my treasure such as great experience, sweet memories, strong emotions and connections.

I landed in Mumbai, India on 15th March and followed by a 5 hour train journey, I was finally home. That five hour journey to home from Airport also was full of unexpected stories and incidents but at the day end I was sitting safely at my house. I was feeling good. I messaged my brother and bhabi. My family members were happy and were asking me about my experience and finally they asked me that question, the answer for which I didn't have." Did you get the job?". I said," I don't know, but I am hopeful about the last interview which I gave,  where they verbally discussed with me everything and told me that once company has quota, they will send me the visa". Although I was not confident and convincing, but my family believed me and suggested me to be prepared for any decision and told me to simultaneously look for job in India(if in case that company in Abu Dhabi will reject me saying, they don't have quota"). Next day I messaged company's Manager informing him about my safe journey back home and I started asking him queries which I had and couldn't clarify because of time limit in UAE. He told me to do attestation of my highest degree from both Indian embassy and from UAE essential for the visa pocess. I had no idea how to get it done and from where to start. I asked for his guidance and help. He initially said, "You should have done this attestation process before coming on Visit visa''. He patiently replied to all my questions and told me to immediately send my Educational certificate for attestation,  as this process takes time. He told me there are agents who does document attestation , try contacting them.Take internet's help. I did as he said, On the same day (16h March), I searched for a company that does document attestation, contacted the agent and sent my document copies and Original degree through courier. Next day they received the courier, the day was Friday and immediately on Saturday, I transferred the advance money(Agent's fees) so that it will be get done soon. The attestation agent told me it will take 7-8 of working days so Saturday-Sunday is out of picture. I understood 7-8 working days means almost 2 weeks. Till 30th March I didn't get any reply from the agent, my patience was wearing off. I was worried because what I sent was my original degree. So I expressed my fear and doubt to the agent. He said" Don't worry Madam, the attestation from given below Indian departments is done and the document is now in Dubai for foreign affairs.You can expect your attested degree till 5th April 2017

• Notary Public – (Mumbai)
• Home department – (Mumbai)
• Ministry Of External Affairs – (Delhi)
• Embassy Attestation – (Delhi)
• Ministry Of Foreign Affairs – (Intended to use country) . 

On  the very next day(31st March) the agent sent me the photo of my attested degree and told me to transfer the remaining amount immediately. I was happy and relieved. I immediately transferred the money and messaged him my proper address where he can courier the document. I told him to send me the courier receipt so that I can track the status.He didn't sent me the receipt so, next day on 1st April, I started conversation with him by casually asking, whether he received the money or not and again requested him to send the receipt. He sent the courier to me on 1st April and told me that I'll get the courier on 3rd April.  One thing was bothering me why the agent is not sending the courier receipt even after my request atleast I 'll track the status, my mind was stuck at that point. 3rd April I waited patiently but I didn't receive any courier. I messaged the agent again in the evening  then he finally sent me the Courier compay name and the courier no.I tracked the status and it was showing dispatched, then where is it? everything was getting on my nerves. I calmed myself and decided to wait for one more day. On 4th April, I waited till 5.00 pm and I was about to give up when I heard a knock on my door and you can imagine how relieved and happy I was when the person at the door was the courier man. I realized how much I bothered the agent during this whole time, so I immediately dropped him the Thank you message and his response was "😆 Thank God".
This part was done. I thought the rest process would be easy, unaware that the other procedures are "the baap of the attestation process".

I immediately informed and emailed my attested documents to the Manager. He said he will contact me soon. From that day(4th April) onwards we were in continuous touch. I was clarifying all my doubts one by one and he was patiently guiding me. While clarifying my doubts, I realized and was now confident that my talk with the Manager was no joke, they are hiring me. I can trust him on that. The realization that I have got a Job and is just completing the formalities was a relief. Still my parents were suggesting me to look for job in India, they were not fully convinced, reason being the same, till now, I didn't get any official paper from the company and all we did is spend money till now.My job quest in India was going on simultaneously and with every pasing day my parents were telling me to try harder, to apply for more jobs and attend interviews even when I was sure that I  have got a job in Abu Dhabi(I was confident  but to respect my parent's views and suggestion, I was applying for different companies in India).I even attended a Job Mela and got interviewed there for a wine industry. I got selected and they called me, but I politely rejected it, telling them I am waiting for my visa.

On 7th April, the Manager assigned me one task so that I will get involved in the office work beforehand and can utilize my time learning something new while waiting for Quota and other process, he told me to prepare a Strategic Pointer Report. He sent me the excel sheet with pointers in the afternoon. My job was to do the research and elaborate the points and submit a report. Whatsapp was our only source of communication so to discuss thoroughly about this new task, we got connected on Skype. I got started on my newly assigned task immediately after talking with the Manager on Skype. Did my research, worked till mid night and finally was able to finish and submit  the report to the Manager the next day in the morning till 8.30 am(8th April). He seemed happy with my work pace . The points which I didn't understand, I asked him and we discussed those details on Skype. I sent him the updated report. He gave me one more task, he emailed me 2-3 half finished reports and told me to  prepare one final report (which needed more research and time)

I was doing work from home and my mother was worried for me beacuse I was working on my Laptop the full time, sometimes even forgetting to eat . My mom used to remind me about food everytime. She told me," You are not even sure whether you have got the job or not and you are working so hard, how hard you will work if you get hired. This is not  the way to work, you should not stress to complete the work when there is no time limit, for now I am here to remind you of food and health, who will take care of you there,if you behave the same way. Never force yourself to finish something which is not urgent and always take care of your health first, work can be done later".
Her worry for me is natural after all it is a mother's heart. Mother's pure and selfless love, words and touch heals everything, you forget all your tiredness, pain, worry. She is the world for me. In her presence, I find only peace and happiness. To calm her down, I told her that I will not behave the same if I get hired.

To everyone's relief, finally the company sent me Employment contract on 9th April. Now I had a legal  document, my parents were happy. Without any further doubts, my parents and everyone told me to focus on this job and my preparation started. I started my research on the procedures to be followed. In case of doubts, my saviour was my Manager. When I look back a year ago, I laugh reading the messages I have sent him, asking so many questions. I was so naive. Next  few days went on research and planning. Already the documents were attested, the next procedure was Medical test. On 15th April I did my Medical Test in GAMCA Center, Mumbai. On 17th April, Sir sent me visa appointment message. I got my Medical reports the next day and it was "FIT". Next and Final step was Visa stamping for which I needed to go to UAE Embassy in New Delhi. I was facing difficulties getting train tickets, we hired an agent but he was delaying every time, this wasted a lot of our time so we took matter in our hand and booked our tickets online of 1st May 2017(0.05am). In this time i.e from 17th April to 30th April, I was kept busy by my Manager because he assigned me more tasks. My family decided that my elder sister will be accompanying me to Delhi. We were excited for our journey.We planned in such a way that the train ticket which we booked will drop us to Delhi in the morning, so that we will do our visa stamping till aftenoon and can leave the same day in the evening or night whenever the work is done. No need to worry about staying in hotel or finding accomodation.We didn't book the return ticket because we didn't know how much time the visa stamping procedure will take. The plan worked. The train journey was full of fun. When we sisters are together we don't need anyone, we are just perfect travel partners. We enjoyed our journey a lot and reached Delhi on 2nd May at 5.30 am. The Embassy was easy to find, we easily got taxi ro the embassy. The embassy was yet to open but there were already many people in queue. We gathered all the information from the watchman and all our procedure got finished till 2.00 pm afternoon( In UAE embassy women are given first preference otherwise it normally takes atleast two days).  We left the embassy, booked our return ticket on laptop and luckily got tickets for the night train to Mumbai the same day.

Now we had enough time in our hands, we first ate something. We were in Delhi, before the journey itself we were planning of shopping in Delhi, so we utilized that time doing whatever we planned. My sister loves shopping and her taste in clothes is great. She already did her research on shopping spots, so we straightaway went to Saroj Nagar Market, Delhi- It is a famous shopping spot where we can get fancy clothes at afforable price. We did a lot of shopping. I usually don't show interest in shopping but first time in life I enjoyed shopping. After shopping for so long, still we had enough time. We thought we will wait at the train station so we took a rickshaw and at that moment we came up with a plan, we asked the rickshawala to take us to the famous nearby spots before taking us to the train station and the rickshawala was so nice, he took us to so many historical places and on the way he showed us many monuments and government buildings, giving us information just like a tour guide. We didn't get down from rickshaw but it was an amazing experience. We saw India Gate, Red fort, Rajpath, Bhavans and many other tourist places in such a short time. Finally we reached Delhi station to head back home. We were very tired but it was worthwhile. We got our train, it was on the platform when we reached there. We reached Nashik safe and sound. This whole visa stamping process was exhausting, time consuming and expensive. But we somehow managed and successfully completed the complete process by proper planning, help and proper guidance in limited budget.

Now, I was all set to go to Abu Dhabi. I was only waiting for our Manager's reply. He said ,"Don't waste your time and immediately book your air tickets". I was worried of accomodation so I asked him about accomodation. He said ," Don't worry about it, we will find accomodation for you, you just book your tickets". I booked my tickets. The flight was on 10th May 2017 at 10.30 pm. From 3rd May to 10th May, I was cherishing each and every momemt with my family. We start noticing small small things. Finally the departure day came. On 10th May, I bid farewell to my family at the airport, I stepped inside the airport to begin the new phase of my life, a new journey full of opportunities, hope and dreams. I landed in Abu Dhabi on 11th May(Thursday) at 12.35 am. My brother was there to receive me. After some sleep, I got freshen up and reached office around 11.00 am the same day(11th May 2017). In the office, everyone welcomed me, all my joining formalities were completed, I was introduced to the Managing director & to all my colleagues. Everyone made me comfortable. They gave me my working desk. On that day I entered the professional world.

One of my colleague already searched an accomodation for me, so after office we went to see the accomodation. It was a very small room but it was enough for one person. We all left for the day. I told my bhaiya-bhabi about the accomodation and we decided to shift my luggage the next day(Friday) which was our off day. In UAE, Friday is the week off. On Friday we did all the shifting, cleaning and arranging and after spending some time my Bhaiya and Bhabi went back home. I was alone in the room but I was happy waiting for the sun of my life to rise. From Saturday (13th May 2017) my regular job started.

This is my story about my experience when I was on vist visa and how my visit visa turned into an Employment visa- My journey from Visit visa to Employment visa.The experience is special to me because it gave me confidence, hope and belief in destiny and unseen divine power. It gave me an amazing family, friends and a mentor(Our Manager). From that day till now, I am only growing, learning new things, taking all the challenges and experiencing a whole new world.

" LIFE IS A SERIES OF THOUSANDS OF TINY MIRACLES, NOTICE THEM"
I noticed them and want you all to do the same, you will be amazed by the way life will surprise you.

Spoiler:Next time onwards my blogs will be stories of people, incidents, issues, events and emotions that I felt, that changed my perceptive, influenced my thoughts and brought changes in my life.

Job search- A rough start

World for me was always a protective confined environment with people always acting as a protective shield, guarding me, keeping me safe from any harm. When I was a kid, that protective shield were and still are my parents, in my toddler and teenage,the one person who always stood by my side,no matter what,fighting with other people (if they tease me or harm me), is my elder sister. Even today I look up at her for help if there is a problem.I place her forward if there is a fight or we are bargaining at a shop, if I want to talk to an important person on phone or if I want to avoid any unpleasant/boring event. At school teachers protected me and no one dared troubling me because I was too sincere to handle.Teachers admired me because I was competitive and studious.

Till 12th standard, I never actually knew what the real world is like. After my 12th, I applied for B. Tech in Chemical Engineering and got selected in an university. This was the first time I was stepping out in the real world, away from home. I was not scared in fact I was excited and happy. I was never home-sick and I still wonder why?Maybe because technology made it easy for us to stay connected. For me all I need to know is " Everyone I love are happy and healthy".

In the University, I got fabulous friends and roommates who always supported me, guided me, motivated me, backed me when I was in trouble, cheered me when I was sad and above all loved me. They were my shield, my family in the university. Even my university professors were supportive and concerned enough that never made me realise that I am not home. Four years just flew by.

After graduation when I came back home, I realised my shields are falling slowly, because I was busy preparing my own confined world where the only person I was with was "me" and this way I was stopping/resisting my shields from protecting me, I was cornering everyone,hiding everything,trying to be oblivious but I failed miserably because there are people in my life who were still trying to hold that shield from falling down. They cared so much that I just couldn't give up.They wanted to help me and I wondered why? Why does anyone care? I did nothing for them so why are they trying to help me?Back then I was scared of being vulnerable. I was shy,conservative and a worrier. In that two years time span(2015-2017), I was continuously searching for meaning,purpose of my life. Time in and time out, I felt that I am useless,not good enough, average person with nothing but a person with unstitched flaws. I was turning against my own self. I was my biggest enemy then. I was drowning in my own sea of despair, blaming myself for everything that is going wrong.

I survived that phase because of "An Answer" to one question. I have this very annoying habit of asking one question repeatedly to my family until my heart is satisfied with the answer.That question is" Sab thik ho jayega na?"(Everything is gonna be okay na?) and I always expect a positive reply for this question and their answer always used to be" Ha, sab thik ho jayega"(Everything is gonna be fine). God knows how many times in a single day I used to bother my Mom & sister asking this same single question, at times my sister used to get frustrated but their answer to me was always positive, they tackled me patiently and I believed them.

To keep my mind away from negativity I started going on early morning walks, reading more and more books, indulging myself in household work and things started to change. Morning walks made me mindful, I became aware of everything around me, I became aware of my breathe,the beautiful nature around me with birds chirping and the sun rising, my body movements,my mind was gaining clarity. Time really is a healer. It was healing my mind,nourishing my soul and I was feeling happy and energetic. My health which was a mess was getting better. Slowly and steadily I was getting rid of all the problems. I didn't even realise that my question " Everything is gonna be fine na?" is no longer a question, I unconsciously transformed it into a statement.Only one problem was left" A real job", I met many people who demotivated me by telling me things like "It's almost 2 years, now it is difficult to get a job, you don't have experience" and similar other stuff. This quote best suited my situation then

“Everyone tells you what's good for you. they don't want you to find your own answers. They want you to believe theirs.” 

I chose to ignore them, I wanted to find my own answers.

That was the time when I got an invitation to go to Abu Dhabi from my brother whose existence I was unaware of.  We once talked about it on phone but I thought he was joking but when he sent the Air ticket and Visit Visa, at that time I realised he was serious.

I was hesitant because many questions were flooding my mind like what I will do in one month? I don't have experience, why would anyone will give me a job?Will it be a fruitful journey( if not I will be a big disappointment) or will it be just waste of money?  There were no interviews waiting for me, the plan was to go to Abu Dhabi, start searching jobs by dropping CV on different job portals and company websites and if they reply then attend the interview and wait for the results and all I had was one month in my hand. Getting a job seemed next to impossible for me in my thoughts, that's why I was hesitating because it doesn't feel practical and logical and I was lacking the will to go,unlike hostel time, this time I was scared and not excited. Scared of disappointing my parents but my father insisted me to go. He said, "Don't worry, even if you don't get the job, I won't be disappointed, just try, if you fail consider this journey as a holiday, go out and see the world". I never wanted to visit Abu Dhabi, but my brother had already sent the ticket and visa and I couldn't say no to my father. I prepared my mind for the worst and hoped for the best.

The date was set and on 14th Feb 2017, I found myself standing in a different country. I was at my brother's residence in Abu Dhabi, where within 15 minutes I have a family, they welcomed me in their family whole heartedly as if I was always a part of their life? How can they love me, if they don't know me, they never met me before. I was overwhelmed by their love and care. Whenever I meet with people who share their bad experience with fellow human being, I always thank God and feel fortunate and blessed, people who know me often hear me saying these words ," I am very lucky with people, I am gifted, because in my life I always meet nice, kind and loving people".

My count down to get a job had already begun, for almost 1 week I was just researching, dropping CV's on job portals. My brother gave me a list of Email Id's for almost all the companies in UAE (I guess because there were so many email id's, I didn't bother counting). I prepared my CV as per UAE format  and I must say it was really unimpressive. I emailed my CV to almost all the email id's. My brother was trying really hard, getting out of his comfort zone, sending request emails to people he know(for me). Job search was going no where, it was like searching for a needle in the haystack but my bond with my Abu dhabi family was getting stronger and deeper with each passing day. I met 4 more amazing people. My brother's friend and colleague(He is really cool,ever-ready, helpful and empathetic), My bhabi's sister's friend (She is beautiful, intelligent, kind and sweet) and her husband(He is funny, enthusiastic, active, observant and a very good listener), My bhabi's family friend(He is smart, cool, competitive and really optimistic). They all are simply amazing. They without any hesitation added me to their Whats app group. They all were so helpful and supportive,trying in their own way to help me out,giving references.

Everything was going great, I was getting comfortable, they all started knowing me as a person. "Everybody was happy but..........",why is it that there is always a "but", which means"something went wrong" and yes something did went wrong. My bhabi's sister was facing some visa problem. She recently got interviewed for a job interview and got selected but her medical reports created a problem. When she was in India she got treated for TB, after that she got better, but that mark remained and was spotted in the X-ray that was performed in the medical procedure as per UAE law before issuing employment visa. UAE Law immediately ban people with present or history with TB. This one news turned our world upside down. My bhabi's sister is a very mirthful and fun loving person, she is a person who brings life to the party, you will never get bored with her and the thought of she leaving the country was shocking and heart breaking. All the happiness was gone. Everyone was trying to keep her spirit up, to be hopeful, looking for solutions, researching on similar cases but nothing worked.She bravely accepted the decision and made up her mind. To cheer her up we all decided to go out on a trip and create some beautiful memories. We enjoyed our late night trips to different parks, Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa, creek temple and  luckily that time Global village was going on so, we took that opportunity to make most of our time together(To know more about Global Village please click the below link)

globalvillage.ae/about-us/facts-figures/

2-3 days after the trip she went back to India. Before leaving, she wished me luck with a smiling face and gave me some tips. I just couldn't explain the feeling of helplessness, why me?I could have known her better,why this has to happen to her?Am I unlucky for her(I was feeling guilty secretly)?Why did it happen the exact same month when I came on visit? I was a no-one but that day I realised that my existence counts because she was in trouble and still she was hoping best for me. That day I learned from her that " When you accept the fact that somethings are not in our control and by holding it we are only hurting ourselves, the best option is to let go and smile". Everyone were sad and missing her but "Life has to move forward. Everything has its time and everything ends". Things began to get back to normal.Now everyone was focusing on me and spending their energy to get me a job.

It was almost 20 days, I was feeling guilty, I felt like a burden because even during that stressful time, my bhabi was worried for me, my brother was running day and night trying to sort things. I only had one telephonic interview which was from some Laboratory and they never ever called me back after that. Time was running out, now everyone were like take any job. I was back to square one. I didn't lose hope. I was mentally prepared for anything because this experience combined with my two years struggle with myself definitely changed me as a person. I was training my mind to see the positive side of life and I was succeeding. Every person I met with, I was only seeing opportunities. I have read these lines somewhere,

" A negative thinker sees difficulty in every opportunity. A positive thinker sees opportunity in every difficulty"

and I must emphasize that I was becoming that positive thinker. Life taught me to enjoy the present moments, leaving behind the bitterness of the past and  to stop worrying about the future.  Worrying will never solve any problem but it will definitely add to your misery. I just love this cycle because it solves all my problems. I apply it whenever I feel I am stressed or is overthinking. It works.

                                   

Now I was not a no-one because every time I was low the universe amazed me by showing that “There are no ordinary moments.”. Everyone is special and every moment is precious. So just enjoy life.

Spoiler: Wondering what happened about my job? Next time I will share with you how the status of my visa changed from Visit to Employment..........to be continued

The Start of an Unexpected Journey(2017)

The best things in life happen unexpectedly. 
The best stories begin with " and, all of a sudden.." 
The best adventures were never planned as they turned out to be. 
Free yourself from expectations. 
The best will come when and from you least expect it

This is my story of that unexpected journey, which I started a year ago, unaware of the life changing turns I was and am going to experience. A year ago, I was no where, I was clueless, confused and just left my fate in the hands of "The Universe" with nothing but a belief that,"Everything is gonna be alright". The Universe made it happen for me.

Going to a foreign land was never actually my dream but  I guess I was meant to go. It was sheer luck. I was struggling with a lot of stuff be it job, health, family problems. Nothing was falling in place after my graduation in May 2015. I am a B.Tech in Chemical Engineering graduate and was unemployed for almost 2 years till 2017. During that time I sought my solace in teaching, volunteering and definitely enjoying family time. An unexpected invitation changed the course of my life. My cousin brother who works in Abu Dhabi invited me to Abu Dhabi just for a change. He never saw me, never talked with me and he arranged for my visit visa and air ticket.  My visit to Abu Dhabi. The fact that I never fantasized about going to foreign country makes me believe in the term "destiny". There are some things which are pre planned.

It was Valentine's day,14th February,2017, when I placed my first step in Abu Dhabi at 6.10 am. Before hand I was very nervous because I never expected something like this to happen. On 13th Feb, I stepped out of my home with my mom, dad and sister in taxi from Nashik for Mumbai airport at 9.30 pm .We all reached the airport at around 1.00 clock. This was a new experience for me. Normally the check in is allowed 90 minutes prior to the flight. That taxi driver , my mom and my sister left me till the entrance point, I took my Mom- dad's blessings, embraced my sister and then from there onwards I started my own journey. It was like I am in a world where everyone is looking for something. People of all kind were wandering here and there, some were sleeping on the couch, some were waiting for their flight. Everyone seemed to be in some sort of excitement. In the enquiry counter, I enquired about my flight to Abu Dhabi, as it was not mentioned on the flashing time table, I first enquired about my flight at the wrong counter but they guided me to my zone(Zone K) i.e,. to the Etihad Airways counter and there out of surprise the person on the help desk looked at my passport and after looking at my surname he started conversation in my mother tongue i.e., Tulu. He said," Bakaa yencha ullar aaka"means "How are you Sister?" I first hesitated but then I happily answered and after some formal question answers, he guided me towards the Check in point. There again one cabin crew member asked for my passport and asked me if I am carrying any portable charger. Till this time my family was waiting outside worrying about me.I decided to call them when I cleared my check in and immigration procedure. At the checkin that cabin crew member asked me some questions like reason for my visit and similar other questions. After that they took my baggage and gave me some forms and seal to my handbag, The first thing which I did after clearing the checkin point was currency exchange to change INR money into AED. The person already guided me with the direction to the zone I should go.Reaching to my zone took some time but some how I managed to reach my zone. Again there was security, there was passport checking and after handbag checking I was allowed to the other side. I joined a line and to be honest I didn't know why I am standing there, I simply followed the crowd and when my turn came I realized that this is what we call the immigration process.The officer asked me some questions, did my eye scan and allowed me to pass through the locked gate. Once you are through your immigration process, at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, you will come across many shops in between. I got confused with the directions but after some wandering here and there , I finally reached the place where people from the same flight were waiting and I saw same cabin crew members helping passengers.It was already 3.00 am. I called my sister and told them to go. Till that time they all were waiting outside and only after my confirmation,they all left. I always find it difficult to express my feelings to the very people I love the most. I am not good at saying Goodbyes. I  don't know why I act this way but I prefer going unnoticed, it is easy than saying Goodbye. Just you and your solitude(Alone time is my best time). My flight was at 4.20 am till then I waited.

I must say cabin crew members were really co-operative, I know, that it is their job but the politeness and never to wear off smile attitude bring confidence among the passengers especially for the first time travellers like me. Finally the time came and I boarded my flight. Wow! it was really cool travelling all alone, for the first time in flight, beautiful air hostess welcoming us . I reached my seat via business class,everything around me left me spell bound.My seat was to the extreme right row, somewhere in the middle because from the window I was able to see the wings of the plane and mine was the middle seat with two middle aged men sitting to my adjacent sides. They seemed enjoying their own space so I didn't bother chit chatting and my introvert nature stopped me from taking the initiative. Although I did had a conversation with one passenger sitting near the window in sign language(it was funny).There were some stuff like blanket, headphone and neck pillow. Firstly I didn't know how to use that neck pillow but that passenger told me how to use it, he didn't utter a single word but still by his actions, I got his point and imitated his actions, I was supposed to tear that lining of neck pillow and then place my neck in the cut made. Airline staff were helping the passengers and when everyone settled, the air hostess started with standard procedure of demonstrating the safety instructions. I really enjoyed it. I tightened my seat belt and read the safety manual in the meantime. There were some announcements made by the pilot, it was sort of a welcoming speech also stating weather conditions. Finally the take off time arrived and there I was flying in the air. In front of me there was an information screen which gave information about current time in Abu Dhabi and India, about altitude, different ads and various different things half of which I cannot recollect. For some time I was staring at the screen , then for some time I was trying to look through the glass but all I could see was darkness , then again staring at the screen I went to sleep. A gentle touch woke me up, it was the Air hostess, serving the meal. I had my food and realized that I was fast asleep for almost 2 hours in my 3 hour flight journey. I must say, everyone and everything around me seemed beautiful as this journey was something out of my comfort zone. Then at 6.05 am, the pilot again made an announcement about landing and with a small thank you speech he went off air. We landed safe and sound.

I was in Abu Dhabi . Normally the time difference between India and Dubai is 90 minutes when it is 6.30 in Abu Dhabi, it is 8.00 in India.The flight attendants, air hostesses bid everyone farewell and from there I again tried following the crowd.I crossed the security check and was looking for the baggage section . I asked  the security person. He told me you have to go all the way back from where you entered , I did the same and again after eye scan and  passport checking I finally entered the baggage section where I got my luggage and  from there I headed to the exit. I called my cousin brother about my arrival, then my parents and with it my recharge ended (I was using my Indian Sim card, 1 minute= 12 Rupees). Transportation and call charges are expensive in Dubai. After some waiting my brother with his wife came to pick me up from the airport. This was the first time I was seeing my cousin brother even though I talked with him through mobile and via emails,  I never actually met him. Before their arrival, for some time I waited inside the exit door, people from different nationalities were meeting their relatives,. I saw a Group of Filipino people, welcoming each other, laughing and embracing each other, it was getting crowded at the exit, so I decided to wait outside. I could see two blur figure approaching me, they were my Bhai- Bhabi. I gave a sigh of relief because I was worried how they are going to locate me as my phone was not more than a metal box for me at that hour. For the first time I saw my bhabi, my brother's wife, she is beautiful. The moment she saw me, she tried to make me comfortable and talking we entered the cab to our way home.She was talking to me the whole way home unaware of the fact that I don't talk to anybody when I am in car or bus because unlike other people talking makes me nauseous,when travelling I usually prefer no talking with chords in my ears but for that moment I was helpless as it might have sounded rude so I answered to the questions asked and as if reading my mind she told me to open the cab window and immediately I slide the window open, she might have figured out my uncomfortness and uneasiness. It was the moment of immediate attachment for me with her. Since then I don't know how but she always knows what I want without me uttering a word, be it my hestitation or a request,as if she is reading my thoughts. It amazes me when she does that. My conservative South Indian family background always made it difficult for me to get social instantly and she in the first meeting itself touched my heart by her kindness, positive energy, excitement and ethusiasm.On the otherhand my cousin brother is a totally cool and calm person with a heart of gold. After opening the cab window I was feeling better and within fifteen minutes we reached home. There I met their 5 year old daughter(She is adorable) and my bhabi's sister. They all are wonderful people.I am blessed to have them in my life..

My unexcepted journey began that day. I was on 1 month visit visa and the story of my one month stay in Abu Dhabi is to be continued...........

Spoiler: I thought my journey to Abu Dhabi will end with the end of my one month visit visa on 15th March 2017. But it was just the start of the new beginning, a  journey full of stories, incidents, people, life lessons, memories and my simultaneous journey towards self discovery.