Covid-19 fallout: Flight to New York remains a dream - Hindustan Times
Propelled by a hedonistic whim, I fancied a celebratory sojourn in New York soon after retirement, which was due on September 30, 2019. Undeterred by hearsay that getting a US visa was an uphill task, I downloaded the DS-160 webpage to apply for a visitor visa on the verge of retirement. Interviews for the US visa are held at their embassy in New Delhi and consulates in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad. As I hailed from Chandigarh, I chose the US Embassy in New Delhi, as also the first available date for the interview.
The long queue at the gate of the US embassy signalled tough competition. Absorbed in observing the body language of fellow aspirants in the queue, I inched forward for security check. After the rigorous frisking, I was ushered into the interview hall to wait for my name to be called. There were many interview counters on one side of the hall. One applicant was called at a time at each of the counters. The expression of dejection or rejoice on the candidates' face at the end of their interview indicated rejection or approval of their application. The withholding of passport by the embassy symbolised approval.
Eventually, my turn came. I responded confidently to the lucid queries, asked gently, about my job, the reasons for a US visit, my stay arrangements in the US, etc. The consular officer, an affable lady, concluded with a smile, "OK, Mr Gupta, you will receive your passport after a couple of days". I thanked her courteously, beaming. The due diligence in filling in the D-160 electronic application had paid the dividends, I surmised. A few days after the interview and before my retirement, I was overwhelmed with exhilaration upon receiving my passport with the US visa affixed therein.
Initially, I intended to go to the US in October 2019 itself. But an NRI friend convinced me that the best season to travel to New York would be the spring season, which is the April-June quarter. So, the next year in February, I booked the flight to New York for the end of April 2020. Feeling upbeat, I started browsing the internet for a suitable hotel in Manhattan. Though the initial news about Covid-19 had started trickling, I never imagined it would jeopardise my trip. By each passing day, the threat of the pandemic started looming larger. Before the end of March 2020, all scheduled international flights out of India had been suspended. India was placed under prolonged lockdown. My air ticket was left in abeyance.
When Covid appeared to be abating by February 2021, I rescheduled my trip for NYC for the first half of May 2021. As if my trip was jinxed, the second wave of Covid, more lethal than before, struck our country at that very juncture. Scheduled international flights continued to be in suspension month after month. Broken-hearted, I finally requested the airline to cancel my ticket and refund the amount, which they graciously did. Covid-19 sure did shatter my post-retirement foreign dream as it would have done in the case of million others. chander59@icloud.com
The writer is a Panchkula-based retired banker
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