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Published: March 15th 2016
Dear Readers,
Greetings from "
Kutch Adventures India " I hope you are doing well and ready to read real life story of "
Undelivered Parcel" that resulted into beautiful friendship between an American traveler and I who never met in person but seems like we know each other for years 😊
It was May 2015 when I posted a picture of hand stitched quilt on
my Instagram and I got message from Jessica "
I tried to ship a package back to the United States from Bhuj. It appears it never left India and went back to post office in Bhuj. What are the odds I could send you some money to investigate locally (if you are near Bhuj)?? "
This parcel contained some handmade scarves, quilts and some old Rabari embroidered pieces that she had personally collected during her village visit in Kutch back in February 2015. I replied to her that I can do that as I live in Bhuj and it wouldn't be big deal to go to local post office and inquire about her "undelivered parcel" But I was wrong! 😉 It turned out biggest deal of my life 😉) haha..!
I first visited post office in July
with a letter explaining whole story about this parcel and submitted inquiry letter to Post office. Unfortunately I came to deal with this laziest bureaucrat clerk who asked me to wait few days and inquire again about this matter and so I did. After few days that turned into few weeks I was told that parcel went all the way to USA and returned back to India for some reason.
Wow! so this parcel was lucky to safely visit USA only for Rs.3500 and arrived back to India. I wish I was that parcel 😉 But the question was
Where in India..? 😉 Each time I went to local post office because they hardly receive phone call,
I was testing their "Efficiency" and my "Patience" 😉 as this clerk showed me track of the parcel from Bhuj to Ahmedabad to USA and return back to Ahmedabad on computerized tracking link. That's great that it was found in Ahmedabad office but then he gave me phone number of Ahmedabad to deal with this matter which means I had to start a new inquiry with new person and explaining whole story again and after few phone calls, I found out that
I need to send them original receipt of this parcel when it was sent (back in February 2015) along with a letter allowing me authority to deal with said parcel and pay due duty for the parcel which turned out Rs.2800 so here I asked Jessica to send me an authority letter and receipt from USA which fortunately was available. "
How did you know Jessica that this little receipt will be needed in future, after 8 months?" 😉 lol Anyway it sounds like we're getting closer to release this parcel but not yet. Because they didn't say at first that they won't accept email containing picture of that receipt and authority letter. Are you kidding me!!?? :-/ ? so I requested Jessica to send me an original receipt and letter as soon as possible to get rid of this slowly moving inquiry that took more than 8 months of inquiry, several attempts of phone calls, more than 15 time me visiting local post office and dealing with that lazy clerk who would only act while I was there and kept me waiting for more than half an hour each time I visited and promised me that he would
send an official letter and reminder to Ahmedabad office and he really want to resolve this issue as soon as he could. Finally that parcel arrived back in Bhuj office after few weeks. Thank God!! (Some parcels that never reached to their destinations must have made this guy to think that 8 month's wait is nothing. 😉 Whatever!
Anyhow the original receipt and authority letter were sent from USA and I rushed straight to the post office (March 2016) where I unpacked it in front of the clerk and I laughed as Jessica sent picture of her sending this receipt so they could believe me that we didn't forged this receipt 😉 lol. This time the whole drama happened in the office of "Post Master" who started swearing that clerk because he didn't act as quickly as he could have and asked another clerk to accept "due fee" from me and the documents Jessica has sent and deliver me this parcel immediately and they did. 😊 I was shocked! :o Whole drama was over. I thanked Postal Service with all my heart and expressed how much I trust and love them if it was all because they wanted us
to be friends 😉 lol
I wish there were some more employees like that post master who could act fast and help resolve such matter fast enough. But anyway I was super happy that 8 months inquiry was over at last and the parcel was released and this joy of winning the game was shared with Jessica. She sent me money to pay all those fees, courier charges and even double amount for my time/efforts that I told her not to because I was really not expecting any money for this little help as I know how much it matters when you have bought something handmade, because you wanted to give them as gifts to your family and friends and you bought these to support those local artisans of Kutch for whom this money could be matter of survival.
When I was packing these goods it made me very emotional and I almost cried because I had similar experience with one of the parcel my brother sent me from UK and we had to struggle between Custom and DHL. long story!
Anyway! this
"Undelivered parcel" made us good friends and even though we have never met in person, it felt like we know each other for years. 😊
Spiritually speaking this parcel was not delivered in first attempt, may be because it was meant to introduce 2 old friends? and who knows what was it all about?
Life is a mystery! Today when I saw picture of Jessica, holding parcel with tears of happiness in her eyes, answered my hundreds of questions. I felt like I'm happiest person to make someone genuinely happy without any expectation.
But now, to be honest, I have an expectation: to meet her in person. 😊xx
Kuldip Gadhvi P.S. Story from her side can be found on
http://www.returntostranger.com/ "As you give to life, You will receive"
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Sandra
non-member comment
When I read your words it reminded me of the moment we shared after you reached home and told us the whole story. And how your words in Bhuj and now written touched my heart. I even had the feeling to smell your mum's chai. It's written as beautiful and heart-touching as you told us from face to face. And I was thinking about how funny it is that people sometimes meet. Like our story. I have to find out what peacocks love and bring it to his place to thank him for the feathers which made our friendship starting.