I have to travel to Rajkot from Pune

I have been offered a job with US based NGO to work for their School and Clinic Construction Program in Afghanistan.

I was working with RedR [India] When i got the job offer it was month of MAy'2004. I was asked to resume my duties on 7th June 2004.I was jumping with joy.

The first task for me to reach to my place Rajkot ASAP as i need to collect my documents and go to Delhi to apply for VISA.

The travel from pune to rajkot is diffilcult, i had to catch a bus to mumbai then a train to rajkot.

getting train to rajkot is the biggest task in month of june [school vacation time], one cannot think of getting any ticket up on arrival.. i did dare to .. i went to mumbai central queued up in loong line and the only ticket i got was "general ticket"..

travelling in general class in Indian train is the biggest adventure one can ever have... one need cool mind, greatest patient and very very accommodative nature.... i am not sure i have all these.. but any way the important thing was to reach rajkot..

I got in to first train.... i was very very lucky to have atleast a small sitting place on wooden planked [un-cushioned bench] i knew after 12 hrs of journey what wd be the shape of my bums!!! well millions of my brother and sister travel by general class so why not to enjoy? this is one of rare instances i have to travel..

so i squeezed myself in the corner as people came in we are 5 ppl sitting in the seat of 3 :) well and the temperature was above 40 degree... we all were sweating... the train was still in platform.. i was lucky enough to be in the seat close to window.. enjoyed some breeze and some interesting activities on platform... i love watching people on railway platform and more enjoyable thing is their talk.. .. i like analysing , categorizing people .... how they behave in public, how they see the problem, how they are come to the solution and all.....

a big push and train started... the compartment i was in looked specious as surprisingly not many people came in lately.. most of us having sitting place and some of them have specious standing place... heyyy in general class you cannot expect to have space to stand on your both the feet!!! unless you are lucky.. and you know what having seat in general class is... nothing less then owning a merc!!! luxury :)

i was ok and thought sitting for 12 hrs wont be a prob. i wd see if i can find a place to stratch my legs and have a small sleep.. and see my luck... one of the guy had to get down at some place and he offered me a complete birth.... i was like in 9th cloud.... i slept till down and woke up with a sweet loud voice of "tea boy" [chaiwala]..

i was already in my province just 5 more hrs to go....:)

finally reachd my home town.. a nice small [1.5 million people] city Rajkot.

the next task for me is to wait for some docs from Afghanistan.. my recruiter the person in context was Mr. Ali Rajpoot [Finance Director] , Mr. Mal Ralston [Program Director] and Mr. Kevin [Dy. Prog. Director] ...

i got intimation from Ali on 29th may that he already got approval from external ministry and fax has been sent to Embassy of Afghanistan in Delhi so i just need to go there with a number and my passport I got a mail from Kevin that i just have to come down to Kabul and contract and all other formalities will take place there..

I was happy, i packed up all my luggages and started my journey to Delhi to get VISA and then to depart to Kabul straight from there.....

I conveyed a date to Mal, Ali , Kevin that i will be there on 7th june as i may need whole week to get VISA....

they confirned my arrival and kevin promised to send some one on airport with pla-card!!

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