Congratulations!..Plan B worked.

One year ago, standing in the long queue of a movie ticket counter, i seldom  expected that within a matter of no time, i would be in a hell like situation. It was for the first time that i was in line to take a movie ticket on the second day of film release. For proper queue discipline, the way to counter are provided with grill like structures; (call it barricades or handrails as u like) not more than 60 cms wide. The queue was so designed that it takes a U-turn before it reaches the counter. Above the head the free-board is restricted to about 40 cms, so that no one can walk over you. So literally, i as confined to a space of 2m X 0.6 m.... U usually during off seasons, we used to run through this narrow tracks to get tickets. I used to notice a shaft at the U-turn and wonder about it's purpose. Standing in the queue, i was literally getting crushed in the rush. We were in the queue two hours before issue of tickets, which means i had to die there for two more effing hours. It was boiling inside, air was getting stale, i couldn't breath properly, and my breast bone was aching on account of the high pressure imparted by the rush. I thought of going back, giving up the thought to procure a ticket, but i was accompanied by a friend, who was stronger than me, in this case. He asked me to stay in line, and not to give up. In such situations, our brain ask us to fly or fight. The prominent side picks up the message and react silently, or violently. I behaved in a different way. I was planning to go back, but it was impossible. I began to cry. That was the only way left out to get their attention. I said i was having trouble to breath and may black out at any instance. That day i recognized the real actor in me. I was not really crying, but was acting so. But my dear friend really thought that i was crying, and there was no way by which i could convince him. still he believes that i cried out of pain. So i was air lifted by them, and their free-board was occupied by a man 168 cms long. People lifted their hands and it worked like a giant conveyor and i was taken into the exit. Meanwhile i was flipped into a square opening, and before i realized that it was the same shaft i used to wonder for its utility, i got occupied there. With utmost disappointment, i realized that i was having fear for congested spaces known as "claustrophobia".....It took weeks to get rid of the disappointment and shame. I need not worry about it any more, as i would be trained very sooner. I was recollecting the disaster, while the whole world was looking towards a major rescue operation - The rescue of miners trapped in Chile, as per PLAN B.

Last night, i took an early leave from the web, and confined myself to prayers for the rescue operations. Ascending through 2040 feet of pitch black darkness at a speed of 1 m/s, and the uncertainty for a disaster or rescue dangling on a steel cable of just 45 mm dia, there is no wonder why someone didn't take initiative to step into the capsule. And even after a rescue there is a chance for them to be the victims of claustrophobia. This was what lead me to spend some time rolling the beads of rosary one by one.

I got up this morning a little late, and even before getting brushed i tuned into BBC to get live feeds on the rescue. It was 2203 hrs in Chile, and rescue operations were about to start 30 mins ahead of schedule. The tunnel was lined with steel pipes for about 150 m inclined at an angle of 11 degrees, after which it joins the main vertical tunnel for rest of the 500 m descent. Being a Civil engineer, i am well aware about the challenge and risk to grind in through a variety of soil strata, and if 33 workers make it to the surface safely ( i hope and pray for it) then its the biggest miracle, mankind would have ever witnessed, and the greatest achievement for safety engineers and rescue operators. I was even wondered when i came to know that three more people, including a mine worker and two paramedics will be lowered to the mine. No one can predict how humans react when they meet another living organism of the same gene number after a span of 69 days. I am pretty sure that one part of the world will be totally unaware about this incident; many of them might have clocked in for their usual jobs, a few of sailors and Navy seals piped out for their ship, and a few other mine workers may be getting lowered into mines for the next shift to lift up their livelihood. I was fortunate enough to sit alone at home, and watch the live scenes from Chile, so that i can feel the courage of men who went down for the rescue, i can give out a sigh of relief when the crown of FENIX2 shows up, i can embrace the dear ones out of sheer pleasure, and i can feel the pride felt by Chili's Mining Minister Laurence Golborne, who was an active participant in the rescue operations...I wish to spend some more time chatting with you, but just now the first miner Florencio Avalos has showed up...HALLELLUEAH!......off to him...See you later...