Propelled by a hedonistic whim, I fancied a celebratory sojourn in New York soon after retirement, which was due on September 30, 2019. Undeterred by hearsay that getting a US visa was an uphill task, I downloaded the DS-160 webpage to apply for a visitor visa on the verge of retirement. Interviews for the US visa are held at their embassy in New Delhi and consulates in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad. As I hailed from Chandigarh, I chose the US Embassy in New Delhi, as also the first available date for the interview.
The long queue at the gate of the US embassy signalled tough competition. Absorbed in observing the body language of fellow aspirants in the queue, I inched forward for security check. After the rigorous frisking, I was ushered into the interview hall to wait for my name to be called. There were many interview counters on one side of the hall. One applicant was called at a time at each of the counters. The expression of dejection or rejoice on the candidates’ face at the end of their interview indicated rejection or approval of their application. The withholding of passport by the embassy symbolised approval.
