i sat on my 'settee' and dreamt. i sat on my settee and planned. i boarded a flight and alighted on the land of my dreams
However, it was not as smooth as i had planned. And how could it be! Remember the curved line?
"Madam, I am at Rajdoot Hotel, please give me directions to your house." That was the driver from Easy Cab calling me at 7:40 p.m.. My flight was at 12:05 a.m, i had called the cab at 8:00 p.m., four hours in advance. I gave the directions. I was not unduly perturbed.
7:50 p.m., and no car had arrived. i called the driver. "If you were at Rajdoot, it should'nt have taken you more than five minutes to reach my home. Where are you now?" "Madam there is so much traffic, I have reached the church now."
8:00 p.m., and still no cab. "The church is just a few yards from my house. Where ARE you." "Madam there was some problem with the car. I am coming."
Finally he arrives at 8:15. My landlord loads my luggage! i see new respect in his eyes. i am going abroad!
We start. We reach Nizammuddin. "Bhaiyya, why is the AC blowing hot air? is there something wrong?" i ask. "Let me see Madam." He stops the car. He goes out and peeps into the engine and comes back to collect two bottles of water. In the next 10 minutes he pours water.
It is 8:30 p.m. when we start again. We reach Pant Nagar. He breaks the news. "Madam I tried to cool the engine but it has not worked. The car will not go much further. You have to make other arrangements."
i explode, i scream. However, soon i realise that he is just a driver working in a faceless enterprise running a fleet of cars which invites its customers to repose total faith in them. i vow never to call for an Easy Cab when i have a flight to catch. i call Easy Cab again and ask for replacement as i do not know whether i can locate a taxi stand. It is not easy to get myself heard. i am caller No. 10 in line even though i have already booked a cab and am about to miss my fligth!
Finally i manage to call for another car and explain the urgency. The car arrives at 9:00 p.m. My new driver is sympathetic. We race as i decide that its either do or die for me now. How can i come back and tell all the people who already know, that i could not even catch my flight!.
I reach Indira Gandhi International Airport at 9:20 p.m.!
to be continued.....
