Dreams of flying

Mr Hirubhai patel is on a trip to India for two weeks for his nephew’s marriage. He is a renowned businessman in USA and a symbol of success in his native village Dandi, a small coastal village in a district of Navsari in Gujarat state. Almost sixty years ago Mahatma Gandhi performed Salt March to the same village and liberated poor Indians from unfair salt tax imposed by British rule in colonial India. After sixty years of Dandi March, Many youths of Dandi see USA as a land of opportunity which will liberate them from the spoils of middle class life. And Hirubhai, of course, is their role model. One of such fans of Hirubhai is Gopal, a skilled barber of this village.

Gopal has a shop in a main market of Dandi on the coast of Arabian Sea where he works with his younger brother Raju. Gopal is a master of hair art. While doing his work he gets engrossed fully and his involvement is no less than a sculptor making his master piece. Two months back at the time of Holi, one NRI visited Gopal’s shop and appreciated his work highly. He told Gopal that there is a dire need of talented people like him in USA and normally people pay 15 to 20$ per haircut. If he comes to USA he will rock!!! That was a day and Gopal became adamant to go to USA at any cost, by hooks or crooks. Raju who is not ambitious like him always try to convince his elder brother to leave the idea of going to USA and Gopal always counter argues “What are we getting here? Silly 20 Rs per hair cut? Do you know how much is 20$? 900 Rs OR our combine earnings if we work for 3 days. I’ll go to USA and make my future!!!”

Hirubhai is here at his shop today for hair cut and face massage. Upon his arrival his face got enlightened and he quickly gave him a sheet ignoring all others in a queue. Gopal starts hair cut and at the same time starts conversation with Hirubhai..

“So your newphew is getting married tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah”

“How is preparation going on?”

“Everything is almost done. Actually there are many people to take care of arrangements and I don’t pay much attention. I want to take rest during this time because after going back to US life would be busy as usual”

“Ohh okay”, “ Sir, I’ve heard that you’ve a huge motel in Chicago”

“Yeah that’s true”

“So lot of people come to motel for stay right?”

“Yes”

“Also I’ve heard that people pay almost 20$ for hair cut in US, is that true?”

“Correct, in USA there is a scarcity of labor work force due to which prices of labor work are high, it’s not like india where you find ample amount of people to do this work”

“Hmmm.. Sir I’ve one very good idea. If there is some barber shop just outside your motel and barber doesn’t charge much and still gives quality service don’t you think people will prefer going there?”

“Why not?” “People will surely go there”

“Okay then if you are ready then I can come there and start my work, I would pay you a rent of your space just outside your motel.”

“But….”

“I would give some percentage from my earning as you are doing a favor to me by giving me a good location where I can get good business”, Gopal is not at all in a mood to lose this golden opportunity.

“Your idea is really good but how would you come to USA? Do you know you need something called “visa”?”

“Yes sir I know that I need visa to come to USA and I would get it”

“But how?? American Consulate doesn’t give visa to everyone who goes there and stands in a queue”

“Sir...” chuckling quietly with a proud of having in depth knowledge of visa rules and regulations, Gopal says “Actually American government is giving visa to skilled workers and this year they have extended the visa limit, so I am sure I would get visa and that visa is called h1-B !!!”

“Gopal, I know about h1-B but you are not eligible for that”

“Why? Do you have any doubt on my skill? If Munna goes there to take visa (Munna is another barber is same village and he is not very skillful and gets very few customers), he will surely get rejection but that wouldn’t happen to me”

“I don’t have any doubt on your skill but that visa is for highly educated people. That’s what they mean by “skilled worker””, chortling softly on innocent arguments of Gopal.

“But sir I am sure there should be some other category of visa for uneducated but still highly skilled workers!!!”

“Okay I’ll see if we can work out something”, Hirubhai neither wants to disappoint him nor he has time to argue with him.

Hirubhai’s assurance has made him immersed into the world of his dreams. The dreams of flying high in the sky, dreams of almighty dollar and dreams of getting rich. After hair cut when Hirubhai hands over 20 rupees note to him, his eyes see the image of Abraham Lincoln in place of Mahatma Gandhi as 20 Rs appears to be 20$!!! He dreams of his changed dashing look wearing trendy golden Rado wrist watch, Nike shoes and driving swanky Honda City.

He takes Hirubhai’s phone number and again reminds him to do a favor to him. After Hirubhai goes back to USA he keeps on calling Hirubhai in a hope that something positive will definitely happen but in vain. Still he has not lost the hope and every NRI that comes to his shop he serves him kindly and then talks about ways to get the visa of the “land of opportunity”

Gopal dreams of a better future and financially secure life (like any other person). His current job requires arduous work throughout a day. While going to sleep at night he many times complain about intolerable pain in his fingers and knees. He feels himself stuck into that 8X10 room of his shop and wants to get out of it as soon as possible. In fact he has lost lot of money in a pursuit of achieving his dreams, once some fake overseas agent promised him getting US visa and took 1 lakh rupees as processing charges but after handing over money that agent disappeared like footprints in dry send dunes!

Despite all hope shattering events, he hasn’t stopped believing in his dreams yet. At present, when he becomes little free from work he keeps on gazing at vast Arabian sea from the little glass window of his shop and again he indulges into dreams… dreams of getting to the other end of sea… dreams of flying…