The Story Behind The Journey, by Sanjibita McDonald Tarang Seng, Kolkata

Born and raised in Shillong, Meghalaya, and currently living in Kolkata, West Bengal, Sanjibita iis a friendly, passionate, fun loving, and hard working person whose motto in life is: Good, Better, Best - Never Rest; Till your Good is Better and your Better The Best!

Editor’s Note: The name of the young girl in the story has been changed, to protect her privacy.

_________________________

There is always a first time when you do things you would have never imagined you would do. This is exactly what happened when I organized the repatriation of a young girl, Rose, who had been stranded in an interior village in one of the states of Northeast India.  

It was the 24th of April, 2020, and I had hardly slept a wink for six days, working day and night on COVID repatriations from East and Northeast India to the United Kingdom. I was exhausted and had promised myself a good sleep that night. As I was giving my laptop some rest as well, at 9:31 p.m. my mobile rang, and I received some most awaited news– permission to repatriate Rose from the village had finally been given, and she could now start her journey home. 

All my tiredness was taken over by excitement and nervousness, as I sat down to prepare for the journey. It was already 5:40 a.m. and I was still working when I received a call from my police contact, saying that they were about to start the journey in five minutes. All arrangements were done, and I had everything in place, yet there was something troubling me. 

Knowing the region so well, I was very aware of the security issues. Rose, a young, beautiful girl, would be traveling on her own with drivers who I did not know. I realized it was my motherly instinct that was wanting me to take extra steps to protect Rose’s safety. 

I wondered, How will I ensure that Rose is safe, and that she is being driven in a timely way? How will I know that her car has not been stopped or has any technical issues? 

There were so many questions on my mind. The journey had started, and I was still looking for answers. As I sat looking at my phone, I suddenly remembered something about WhatsApp Live location sharing. I called Rose, who knew all about the location sharing and immediately shared her location. This allowed me to travel with Rose virtually, through WhatsApp Live, monitoring the journey with great care. Her road journey of around 2,772 kilometers passed through seven Indian states. Finally, on the fourth day, at 4:45 p.m., Rose checked in to her Delhi hotel to rest before catching her flight home.

I remember my heart thumping very fast with fear, unconsciously biting my nails, and making countless calls to the police, when Rose was traveling very late at night through the remote roads. I remember her surprised reaction when I called to check on the tire punctures, or when the check post guard told the driver that I was on the phone with him, and they were allowed to cross– all thanks to a mobile app that was giving me information on any unplanned halts and location and allowed me to call and check with the driver. I remember the strong fragrance of the coffee that my daughter prepared for me at 2:05 am, to help me stay awake. I remember the mixed emotions that I went through in just this one, single journey, while I was experiencing similar emotions with the other journeys I was managing at the very same time.

Most of all, I remember hugging my daughters tightly with happiness, when Rose arrived at her hotel safely. It was a wonderful feeling that I just cannot express in words. In all the excitement, I did not miss the confused and envious looks on both my daughters’ faces, clearly wondering, Rose is not your daughter; why are you behaving as she is one of us? 

And then I heard my little one softly say, “Mom, you really need some sleep!”

I smiled at her, knowing that I would forever remember Rose’s journey– which I was fortunate to share virtually with Her Majesty, The Queen! 

_________________________

(This story was prepared for an “Imagine Another World” online storytelling workshop held December 19, 2020.)

Protect yourself and others from COVID-19: wear a face covering over your nose and mouth, practice physical distancing from other people, and avoid settings that are crowded, indoors, or involve close contact. More information about how to stay healthy.