Fingerprinting!

A serpentine queue, the scorching Chennai heat, gossiping aunties, and above all, getting drenched in sweat did little to lift my spirits...Definitely, a hot June afternoon is a bad time for a visa interview appointment! I had forgotten all good manners in my irritation..I scowled at those who brushed past me and didnt even hiss a sorry when I accidently stepped on someone's neatly polished shoes..(Who asked him to wear those anyway..Didnt he know this was Chennai..where we dont believe in things like that!)Anyway, the wait seemed endless. It was not the time for any friendly conversation so I simply kept mum.

After about 2 hrs, someone asked me 'you from Andhra only no!?' My first reaction was to ask her to keep shut, but I felt sorry for the fat lady who was sweating from head to toe..'Why do you ask?' 'Simply..I wanted to find out'...I should not have supressed my instinctive reply!

From the way things were being conducted, I assumed that there was to be a 'fingerprinting' and then the 'visa interview'...Once inside the main lobby,I noticed the fingerprinting apparatus at all the 'interview counters',but, fingerprinting happened at one counter and interviews at the rest. So, when my 'fingerprinting' turn came, at about 4:45p.m, I went and joined a long queue..

One of the assistants called me and said 'come back, ma'm'. We in Chennai draft our own grammar rules (yes..even for English!)and I didnt know whether this assistant was using the 'original' grammar or the revised one. (Revised grammar is usually conversion of Tamil sentence(s) into exact,direct English ones..In this case, 'come back' meant stand further away..'pinnaadi vaa' in tamil) He didnt wait for me to ask him what he exactly meant..So I went back to the place I was sitting...Just then, another assistant came running 'Aiyiyo..enna madam..ore thollaya pochu..Go to fingerprinting; 1:45 appointment no?! Why are you coming back?!?' 'No no..someone asked me to get back to my seat..' I protested..She wasnt in any mood to hear..She grabbed me and pushed me in front of a counter..

Before I knew what was happening, I was standing in front of a lady who tried to speak into the mike and failed miserably at it!!! There are sometimes when you need to think on your feet..There's no time to wait for messages from the brain..! This was one of those..I remember saying 'pardon' distinctly to the first three questions before answering them...'Your fingerprints please..' I pressed hard,harder,hardest..hoping she'll say ok..she kept smiling..I wanted to pound that thing with my fist..After pressing for what seemed like ten minutes, 'That's fine' she said..'you can go home; your visa is approved'...

I collected my papers and sat in a corner..'What's wrong with these people.?!! Why cant they tell me fingerprinting IS same as interview..?? Why tense me so much!!?!' I got up and looked around for the first assistant...'What madam...fingerprinting over?' He asked. 'Listen, I had fingerprinting at counter 10 and interview there itself..' 'Ohh...so fingerprinting fully overaa??' 'Fully?! What fully?!' 'No madam..normally fingerprinting first happens at counter 8 and then at any other counter.. got itaa??' 'ya ya got it..the second is interview right?' I tried sorting things out...'Ayyo madam..it's fingerprinting..that is what I'm explaining, you are not understanding!!' No point.'Ok got it..thanks! bye!'

Minutes later I called home. 'What happened to the interview?' asked my mom..'Fingerprinting over ma..' 'You mean you didnt get it!?' 'No..I got it..but that's how I've learnt to say it!'