Last Day in Nepal

It was a late night at Bherawa in Nepal, one of the 7 SAARC countries, located in North of India, and south of China. Weather was similar to that of my native city, Lahore.

We were 9 friends walking out of the security of our luxurious hotel, where we had just completed our Leadership Seminar. I had not slept for previous 2 nights because of my “ego” that if I slept, who will wake others and someone may miss the point of moving out to Nepal!

This was a usual night at Bherawa, no taxis, and sparse TukTuks (Rikshaws). On our stroll towards a Halal food restaurant 3KM away, we were constantly looking for a rentable ride. We walked for almost 700-800 meters amidst a lot of dogs barking on empty wide road going through emptiness, wilderness and silent homes.

There came a TukTuk from back of us, and we stopped it. The per head cost it was telling way too much at this late hour. Due to facial similarities, Pakistanis look like Indians to Nepalis. Maybe that rikshaw driver hated Indians and knew the habit of negotiating. Amidst negotiations, one of us mistakenly said some joke in Urdu, which he thought won’t be understood by the driver. But he was wrong. The TukTuk driver went mad and started yelling at us! Red flag! We’ve to drop this TikTuk because we had women with us in this unknown land. We let him go!

Another TukTuk came after another 200 meters. We did little bargain and sent 5 people in that TukTuk towards our favourite restaurant! We asked him to come back and pick rest of the people. And it got sorted well!

We ate dinner and shared what we learnt at the Seminar to our Mentors, and decided to not repeat the mistakes we were not aware of earlier. We lost track of time and we got free from there around 4 in the morning. Another night went sleepless! Now my brains was running at 1000KM/h speed 😂

We went back to hotel using TukTuks and requested driver to bring more TukTuks to pick 14 of us, as we had a domestic flight to catch at 7AM. 5:15AM we reached the rooms, got fresh, packed the luggage and came straight to the reception within half an hour, 5:45AM. This punctuality was the result of Leadership Seminar we just had!

6AM we were all in the TukTuks, BUT the point I want to share here is that, nobody sat with that TukTuk to whom I asked to bring other TukTuks. That man came running to me saying: “you’re going?” For a second, I reflected that if it wasn’t him, all 14 of use could’ve missed our flights! Per head 2 lacs loss could happen! So he has added a lot of value! So I gave him some money as a gesture of thanks, not as charity! He became happy, but there I realised our conditioning about money. One of my friends sitting with me in TukTuk said, why are you giving money to him? But I couldn’t answer him, as it was complex!

We reached Bherawa Airport, which is mostly for domestic flights only and is a very small area. Maybe like a bus terminal here in Lahore. We checked in as a group and we realised that we had an additional Passport of a person who was not travelling with us, his flight was in the evening 3-4PM. His passport was left in one person’s bag by mistake. So we became worried! Now how we send back the passport? I didn’t get myself involved in it’s solution because this was a sheer negligence in my opinion! The person whose passport is with us, deserves to face the aftermath! I thought this because my nerves were stressed being sleepless for 3 nights. Or maybe this is just an excuse for my anger (another form of ego). I told the person whose bag had this passport: “If the ABC doesn’t get his passport, he is fu**ed up at this remote country!” So they became serious and brainstormed solutions.

Anyhow we, entrepreneurs solved the problem by talking to Airport officials that our friend will come in the evening whose passport is this.

We reached the Domestic Airport of Kathmandu around 7:45AM. While we had a flight to take at 10AM. It wasn’t a joke! It was an international flight where we had to reach airport at 7AM (3 hours before the flight). But we had no option except for getting late! As there was no flight from Bherawa to Kathmandu before 7AM. And previous day’s flight operation ended 9PM. So this we already knew we would be late. It was a close encounter with the fear of watching the plane fly in front of our eyes in which we were supposed to sit.

From domestic airport, we took a shuttle service to International Kathmandu airport. We queued up for entering the check in area. But my fellow entrepreneur came to me telling that I’ve left my hand carry in the shuttle! In my head, it was a cardinal sin to leave anything behing that has your passport in it! But I believed in my fellow entrepreneur that he will be able to solve his problem! The shuttle was gone for taking next passengers, but fortunately one of our 14 people group was behind. So he called the remaining group to look out for his bag in next one of the shuttles!

It was half an hour past since we landed in Kathmandu. We were waiting for 5 of our friends to join us towards boarding. Some of the friends were getting angry (again, ego) on others that due to them we have to wait and everyone is suffering! I called two of the leaders, one, who had vast flying experience to lead the pack if we leave them behind, and other, the one whose bag was left behind. I asked him: “bag mil gaya tera? (Could you find your bag)” and he replied: “peechhay dekh! (Look behind!)” and there was the group of all 5 that was left behind ❤️ Awesome problem solvers under pressure!

Now we moved towards check in! Is was easy as we were on our way back home! We got the boarding passes and split ourselves in small groups. I was in a group who had to get their money exchanged because Nepali currency was not replaced in Pakistan. Now we had an hour only and were looking for money exchange. We found it but the challenge was, they didn’t have small notes of USD. So we wrote who is exchanging how many Nepali rupees so that we can divide later.

This money exchange costed us another 15 minutes! Now we had even shorter time left. We ran towards Immigration! We found that there was a huge huge line at immigration!! Our flight was in 40 minutes. Most of our friends found shortcuts to reach in front of the rows, which we, the last group were not aware of. (To be honest, if I were aware, I’d have had skipped it as I was representing my country there!)

There we spent good 20-25 minutes and now our flight was 25 minutes after now! One of our group mates requested officials to let him stand in front of the row as his flight was on 25 minutes. But I realized, A LEADER IS NOT THE ONE WHO CROSSES THE LINE FIRST, BUT IS THE ONE WHO MAKES SURE EVERYONE CROSSES THE LINE! So, I talked to officials and made all my group of 5 people make their way to the immigration. This was the time when I start getting calls from my fellow entrepreneurs who had made their way to the flight already! There was panic in his voice! But I had to keep the temperature low! So I eased him up that we will make it with help of Almighty!

We were 2 girls and 4 boys! One of the mates was too much worried that would we be able to make it to the flight or not, so me and another fellow started cracking jokes to ease her out and distract her from the criticality of the situation! We made pictures together and enjoyed the moment! There was pressure, but I learnt that still we can manage to smile in every situation!

We cleared immigration! Now there was security clearance stage! Again, a huge queue! There were 20 minutes in the flight! I was getting calls that where are we! Now I had to calm myself up and talk to officials about our flight! And I did it! They gave us the priority while yelling on us: “you are the last passengers! Plane will fly without you!” But you know what? This wasn’t my first flight. So we knew plane cannot fly without us, as we have the boarding passes already!

Everyone cleared security except me because there was laptop in my bag. So he asked me to take out laptop, put in separate tray and then clear myself again! This was a point at which I would burst upon him as I had a freaking flight waiting for me and you asking me this petty thing! But now I knew it’s a form of ego! So I should follow what is said by the authorities. I did it and cleared the security, and the official welcomed me to next stage! Good image of my country: CASTED ✅

Now stages were clear and pending thing was to get to the runway! We ran into the queues to relevant gates and entered the buses! I was literally the last person to enter the bus of my plane!

Buses placed us near the plane. But now I had another thing in my head! There was no mobile or wallet in my pockets and I had no memory where did I place them! Plane, ready to fly, was in front of me! And I had to make a decision to stop and check or move back and find, OR take a leap of faith and board the plane and think that it’d be somewhere in my handcarry! So i have a principle to follow: DO WHAT BEATS YOUR HEART FASTER! So I took a leap of faith, and at this point in time, I was ok to lose my phone and wallet, and just leave Kathmandu!

I boarded the plane, which was Airbus A320, two engine mid sized aircraft. And sat at my seat. Confirmed if everyone out of 14 people is in the plane or not, and then saw my hand carry where my belongings were smiling at me! Alhamdulillah ❤️

This was a 4 hours flight and due to a hell lot of pressure situation and 3 nights being sleepless, I was unable to empty my mind and sleep! So, I ordered some good food and coffee and started writing on my phone whatever was going on in my head! I emptied my head in 2 hours of thinking and writing and felt relaxed now!

I was happy that next destination (Sharjah) is my familiar place and In sha Allah no issues will happen next! I forgave everyone for their mistakes and relaxed myself at 36k feet height above India!

It was clear in my head that if these young entrepreneurs had not attended Leadership Seminar, then it was impossible for all of us to board the flight in time ❤️

God puts the pressure on those who have ability to bear it only! – Meaning of a verse in Holy Quran ❤️