I remember it was a big airconditioned Luggage showroom, where I was sandwiched between many like me. The suitcases and hold alls and other luggage items were categorised in different categories according to their prices and qualities and I was categorised as a middle class suitace, not very costly and good quality. My colour : pink. I was waiting for someone to picke me up, waiting to be sold. In a few days this young girl  entered the showroom with her mother to buy a suitcase. From their conversation I gathered that her name was Shweta and her fav colour pink. She was supposed to leave for United Kingdom in a few days to pursue higher studies. She and her mother started looking around with the help of an attendant or a salesman as you may prefer to call him. After having a look at the many luggage pieces, Shweta's eyes fell on me. As her favourite colour was pink, and there was no other suitcase of that colour, she picked me up. Her mother paid the bill and both of them left the showroom alongwith me in their car. Shweta  was lovingly looking at me and I also was doing the same.

In a day or two she started putting all her stuff like her dresses, the daily  wear and nght wear etc. in me. I learnt from their conversation that she was to leave the same night by a 4 am British Airways flight going to  London.  After stuffing me with her clothes, perfumes etc., she closed me and put a small lock  in the zip around me.

At 1 am, she accompanied by her parents put me in the car, and drove away to the Sahar International Airport.  It was my first trip abroadas it was hers.. I was put on a conveyor belt and passed thru an X Ray machine. Then I was put on a trolley and led to the Airlines counter, where I was offloaded from the trolley and put on the weighing scale. After that I was put on another conveyor belt and which led me to an outdoor space, the airport. Alongwith others, I was loaded on a truck which took us to the aircraft. We were loaded in the luggage compartment of the aircraft and locked and shut in.  After a while I could  feel as if I was flying, but it was not me but the aircraft which had taken off for London. It was my first trip abroadjust it was Shweta's.

The aircraft landed at some airport and I could make out fro the conversations that it was Heathrow Airport in London. I was very happy to reach my destination. Again I was put on a conveyor belt and in the baggage collection room there was Shweta alongwith others, waiting for their respective baggages. She spotted me, and as I was very heavy, she pulled me off the conveyor belt with the help of a gentleman.  Somehow she reached her University which was a three drive by coach from London, and then she paid her fees at the University and  then to the Students accomodation and took the keys of her room opened it and just collapsed on the bed, because she was very tired and exhausted, and  instantly went to sleep but not before calling her parents that she had reached safely.

From next day she started attending her lectures. But whenever she had no lectures, she would get up very late. That was one habit which I didnt like about her. Christmas vacations were approaching, and she was once again set to fly to Mumbai as there would be no one at the accomodation and the campus. Since it was her first time in a foreign country, her parents were a little worried and called her to Mumbai.

After spending 3 weeks in Mumbai, she was all set to return to her University. This time it was an Air India flight from Mumbai to New York with a stopover at London. The plane reached London, I was happy to be back again. They offloaded me, but suddenly they put me back in the luggage compartment once again. I didnt know what was wrong with them. I tried to shout and tell them, "Hello , will somebody please listen to me. I was supposed to be offloaded at Heathrpow. Where are you taking me ?" But nobody would listen to me. That poor girl had only one dress which she was wearing, rest of her dresses were with me. I could imagine her plight on not finding me in the baggage claim dept.  She must have definitely complained to the authorities, and she must have also informed about this to her parents, and I am sure they were trurning no stone unturned in finding me. Oh God, Please help me. For a week I was shunted between NY and India. I was not so much concerned about myself as I was concerned about Shweta. I was sure  she must have asked her parents to send her more money to buy a few dresses, and did the money reach her ? Has she been able to buy them ? I didnt know, and there was no way to find out. Oh God, what have you done ?

But as luck would have it, I was put on a proper flight to London after about 5 days. I remember it was 17th January. I was offloaded at Heathrow as soon as the flight reached London. And then, I was put in a courier van and despatched to Shweta's University. She was so happy to see me. And I could see that she was wearing the same dress which she was wearing at the time of leaving Mumbai. I later came to know that it was her birthday that day. Her parents jokingly told her that this (me, the lost and found suitcase) was their birthday gift to her. She got bugged. She lovingly took me to her room and took out her dresses from inside me. Believe me, I was more happy than her.   All's well that ends well.