The Visa Appointment

I had got admission to a US university in 2006 and all that was left was appearing for the visa interview. The visa interview i was told could be dicey. Many persons visa was denied for apparently no reason. I had no need to be apprehensive, as i had not even managed to get a date for the interview. By the time the official confirmation from the University reached me, the visa dates had already got blocked. The earliest available date was November 2006. However i had to reach USA by August. I was in a fix. I was not sure what had to be done. As i asked around, the US Visa Center informed me that they did have emergency visa dates available and i could apply for those. They also told me that the embassy planned to open some more dates to manage the excessive demand. I wanted an interview in June. The Visa office asked me to monitor their website regularly for the additional slots. I sincerely sat in front of the computer and was lucky enough to find a slot for June 4th. I tried booking online, but it failed as the date was no longer available. I rushed in my two wheeler to the US visa booking center that allows a manual booking process instead of using the internet option. In my excitement i speeded at break neck speed that i was almost thrown off my scooty pep. I somehow managed to reach the office in the next 20 minutes. I was afraid that all dates may get booked before i could get to the office. Chennai was one of the most crowded visa processing centers and the largest in southern . Numerous candidates competed for the few slots available. As i parked my vehicle i stopped for a second and prayed to Baba and Swamiji that they somehow help me secure the date for the interview. It seemed impossible but i prayed that Swamiji's grace can achieve everything. I sent this prayer calmly and then approached the visa officer inside. She asked me to fill out some forms delaying the process further. I mentioned to her that i had seen a date of June 4th being available that later became unavailable. She requested me to wait. After ten minutes she said a date was available and for June the 4th. I was thrilled beyond measure. I asked her to book it immediately. Within the next ten minutes my visa appointment was booked and i had a date ahead of friends who had booked three months in advance. The date that had seemed impossible to secure had become readily available with Swamiji's grace. I owe it to Swamiji for making my US education possible. May Swamiji be blessed for all his kindness and compassion.