No Girl In Our Family Has Ever Travelled Alone, How Will You Do It?!

Standing in the crowded line alone Mita felt nervous and jittery.

Her heart was racing like a hummingbird’s wings and her mind felt like a tangled bulk of yarn. She recalled one by one all the documents that her husband apprised her about that she might need at the time of checking in. Holding her handbag in one hand and her travel documents in another she pushed the baggage cart a bit when the line moved ahead.

“Ma’am, show your passport and E-ticket,” the lady on the counter asked. After a few initial anxious moments she regained her calm and composure and pulled out her passport and paper ticket from the folder that contained all her travel documents safe and intact and placed them on the desk.

“Two,” Mita replied and put them on the baggage belt.

“Do I have to collect my baggage at Delhi airport and check them in again as I have to travel from Delhi to New York further?” Mita inquired.

“No ma’am since you have a connecting flight, you need not do that. Once you check in your baggage here you are expected to collect them at the destination airport.”

“Thanks,” Mita said smilingly. She felt a bit relieved as if she felt she moved one step closer to her goal.

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The frown lines reduced on her forehead.

She meticulously kept her boarding pass inside the folder securely and marched toward the security checkpoint.

This was her first international travel. Though she had travelled alone on domestic flights earlier, crossing the border alone? She had never thought she would ever be able to do it.

Though her husband had walked her through every step of travel and provided all the documents and information along with the checklist, travelling alone seemed more of an improbable and daunting task to her.

After going through a security check, a line of worry appeared on her forehead again. Did she miss the immigration check in this hullabaloo of the moment? It was a mandatory procedure for any international travel. But as she moved a few steps further she saw the arrow sign of immigration check. The line automatically proceeded in that direction after the security check was done. So there was no chance of missing it! She thanked God holding her hand over her chest.

Her feet were cold thinking about how long and difficult the immigration process would be but it went smoothly. All she had to do was present her legal documents to show her eligibility to travel to another country and answer some related questions correctly and precisely. After immigration was done she strode towards the gate. She seated and made herself comfortable in one of the chairs in the waiting area.

She was so occupied with the process and procedures of checking in that she didn’t get time to check her phone. Not to mention there were a lot of missed calls from all her well-wishers. Now that her mind felt calm and composed and she was out of all the hustle and bustle she felt a pang of sadness. She was surrounded by a huge crowd but felt alone at her heart. The separation from the family was indeed difficult and painful.

While sitting she remembered how some of her close relatives were dubious about her travelling alone. No girl has ever travelled in our family alone, how will she manage everything on her own? What if she gets lost in the hubbub and the massive airport and cannot make it to the flight on time? What if her flight gets delayed and she misses her connecting flight?

They had only questions and queries to create commotion and confusion to discourage her from travelling alone. Why doesn’t she wait until her husband comes here and takes her? Why does she want to go in the first place, it’s a matter of a couple of years he will soon come back. We used to stay away from our husband for years back then. You can’t stay even for a year or two.

Though all this ongoing conversation irritated her, they didn’t realize the more they talked the more she was resolute and determined to go alone. She wanted to accompany her husband, and also to catch sight of the outside world and explore ‘The Big Apple’. Since childhood, she had been fascinated by high-rise buildings and skyscrapers and wanted to see how it felt to be on top of one of these buildings.

Additionally, this would also give her a chance to understand and appreciate the different cultures and people of the world.

And thus planning and preparation for solo travel began. Her husband did his part and helped her get tickets and other documents.

She did her research and planning. A checklist was put together and she prepped accordingly. She wore the cape of confidence and self-belief and embarked on the journey. This was not just a journey but also a chance to prove that she might be alone but not weak, she might be inexperienced and naive but not incapable of travelling alone.

She was feeling nervous like a deer caught in the headlights when she departed from home, but now as confident as a bird committing itself to the air upon landing. Had she not travelled alone she would not have realized her potential and capability. Yes, I did it, she muttered to herself when the plane touched down the foreign land. A scintillating smile appeared on her face as she felt triumphant and jubilant in her heart.

Image source: a still from the film English Vinglish

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