The Journey of Faith, Frenzy, and Fortitude ?????

It was almost a month ago when I embarked on my return journey from Ladakh to Coimbatore. My itinerary included a brief stopover in Delhi, with no concrete plans except to keep my options open. However, just days before the trip, a close friend informed me that his father had been admitted to the ICU, battling dengue and requiring a platelet donation. Without hesitation, I decided to offer mine if needed and included a visit to the hospital during my layover. My friend explained the logistics, mentioning that the process would take about 2.5 hours—1.5 hours for verification and 1 hour for the actual donation.

Additionally, I planned a long-overdue visit to a dear friend’s home in Gurgaon for Ganpati Darshan ????. He was a devout follower of Lord Ganesh, and it felt unfortunate that I hadn't visited his home all the time I'd spent in Gurgaon. So, with these two heartfelt agendas in mind, I set off.

The First Hurdle: The Airport Rush ????

The drama began at Leh airport. Assuming it was small, I believed an hour would suffice to clear security and check-in. To my dismay, the airline refused to accept baggage for screening, claiming I was too late. After some pleading, the kind check-in agent accepted our bags, but the real challenge lay ahead—a monstrous security line of nearly 150 people, creeping at a snail's pace ??. Time was ticking. At 8:05 AM, just 25 minutes before departure, a gate announcement finally stirred the security personnel to let us skip the line. We rushed through and boarded the flight, exhausted but relieved ??♂???.

The flight was uneventful, but we landed in Delhi 30 minutes behind schedule, leaving me with even less time for my packed itinerary. It was 10:00 AM, and if I was to make the donation, there was no time for Gurgaon. I had to rush back to T2 for my flight to Coimbatore. I called a cab driver and confirmed that he could collect my bag from Gurgaon if I couldn’t do it myself.

A Race Against Time: The Hospital Visit ????

Time was tight, and I couldn't bring my luggage to the hospital. My friend graciously offered to store it at their house in Gurgaon while I rushed to visit my friend’s father. After an endless metro ride and shuttle transfer, I finally arrived at the hospital at 11:55 AM—just 10 minutes past visiting hours ??.

Luckily, the kind guard let me in. I spent 10 minutes with my friend’s father, offering him support and sharing stories from my recent Ladakh marathon ???. Over lunch, my friend gave me the heartening news that his father’s platelet count had risen to 56K, and no donation would be needed. This was a huge relief! With a few more donors on standby, I could head back to Gurgaon to pick up sweets for Mom and retrieve my luggage ??.

The Ganpati Darshan and Roadblocks ?????

I arrived at my friend’s home in Gurgaon for Ganpati Darshan at 3:10 PM. The darshan was peaceful and fulfilling, but the estimated travel time to the airport was now 40 minutes—cutting it close for my 5:40 PM flight. Still, I felt confident I could manage it.

Then, traffic struck ????. Our driver missed a crucial turn, sending us on a longer route. A massive jam at the toll gate pushed our arrival time to 4:50 PM, leaving me with barely any time to check in. Faced with no choice, we opted for a longer non-toll route, hoping to save precious minutes. But the rain and poor road conditions turned the journey into a nightmare. By 4:10 PM, the estimated arrival time had slipped to 5:05, and the chances of making my flight were looking grim ??.

Faith in Ganpati Bappa ????

Despite the chaos, I held on to faith. I told myself that if I missed the flight, it would be because Ganpati Bappa had other plans for me. Just as I resigned myself to booking another flight, a miracle happened—the ETA jumped back to 5:05, giving me a glimmer of hope ??.

Amidst this, the driver was sideswiped by a bus. Thankfully, he chose not to argue, understanding my urgency to catch the flight. I owe him for that! ??

The Final Dash ??♀???

At 5:05 PM, I finally reached the airport, but a tech glitch had prevented me from downloading my boarding pass. Without access to DigiYatra, I relied on the kindness of security officers to let me through manually. At the check-in counter, I braced myself for rejection, but the agent calmly checked in my bag and shouted to her supervisor to reopen check-in for me. At 5:07 PM, I had my boarding pass in hand for the 5:40 PM flight ??.

As I rushed through security, I reflected on how a series of fortunate events had aligned in my favor. Despite the tight schedules, traffic jams, and multiple hurdles, I had visited my friend’s father, experienced Ganpati Darshan, and still made my flight home ??.

A Journey Blessed by Faith ???

This journey was filled with challenges but also small miracles. I can only attribute it to Ganpati Bappa's blessings and the power of faith ????. #FaithOverFear #GanpatiBappaMorya #TrustTheProcess