PASSPORT FOUND
Don't ask me how, don't ask me why, don't ask me where - it's key that I found it and that's all that matters - except the little detail of somehow figuring out a way to cancel my NEW H1-B application :) I'm sure there is a process in place for this - I don't want to go through the entire rigamarole of standing in line in Bombay, going through an interview, having my background checked, etc, etc...
So here's the lowdown on how the actual discovery occurred. Last night was Smallville and dinner night at Mr Karand's. Mehra, Karand and I reached his place at 8:45, ate dinner, talked about the hairiest subjects ever (religion, faith, belief, supersitition and whether pigs have wings) and then watched an average episode of Smallville - Lana died, but came back to life - why, why why?!
Returned to work and prepared all the documents needed to fulfill all requirements for the duplicate passport application. Bunched the document categories using Paper clips and wrote short descriptions with Sticky notes for the passport office to figure out what document was for what purpose and then made a check-list of things to be done this morning at the bank before Fed-Exing the package to SFO. I'd given up most all hope of finding the document; I had tried 4 times earlier with no success and had also been helped by the Karans - I couldn't have missed it...
I entered the apartment at 3:14 in the morning and looked at the final pieces of luggage, boxes and suitcases that I hadn't returned to storage in the hope of finding my passport. What could I lose by sifting through them one more time, I asked myself... And so began the search - first through the cardboard boxes, then the bag containing the files and finally, I was down to the suitcase - the big blue suitcase that carried my books on my first trip to the US in August of 2000 (Mamta saw me transferring clothes out this suitcase's twin at Heathrow Airport - she thought I was weird then - not much has changed since!)
It took twenty minutes of digging into the myriad plastic bags and boxes in the suitcase that I finally found a Sunglass Hut bag, neatly folded and housing a bunch of envelopes. I opened the bag and saw some interesting pieces of saved paper - first statement from First Tech, my loan statement for the BMW, my Comcast activation package and then a Microsoft envelope with the words "Paystubs 2" on the front.
When I went to India the December before last, I had been asked to carry paystubs, credit card statements and utility bills just in case I was asked to prove that I was a resident by the US Consulate in Bombay. This was an evelope from then - peculiar I thought... The instant I opened the envelope, I sensed hope - it housed the ticket stubs from my Cathay Pacific flight from Bombay and it had a slight bulge at the bottom. Ten seconds later, I was jumping across the room, passport in hand - the familiar blue booklet with the H-1B letter - yipppeee yaayyyy yaayyyy!
Called my parents, called my friends and wanted to thank everyone who supported me through the roughest times I had in January. I was so happy, I couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, couldn't even talk slowly :) India, here I come...
