" Please come to the side and let others go. You cant go in. You have already missed your flight". I look at the guard outside the entrance uncomprehendingly - it's still just 9:45. He explains impatiently, "Look at your ticket. Your departure was at 12:05 a.m. and the date of departure was 12th June. That means your flight took off this morning." I understand. I had clarified that aspect with makemytrip. "I know what you mean. But look at the the time of arrival at Bangkok - it is 5:30 a.m. on the 13th of June. Surely it cannot take me more than 24 hours to reach Bangkok by flight!". "Why should I look at the date of arrival in Bangkok. I am only concerned with your date of departure from New Delhi!"
i begin to lose my temper. i pull my cart with a jerk. i want to get it out of the way so that i can get closer to him and make him understand simple logic. i hit his shin with the cart. i lose my case. He squeals and then glares. "Don't hold up the line. If you have anything to say, go to the Indian Airlines office", he dismisses me roughly.
i have no idea where the Indian Airlines office is. i have a vague feeling of depression beginning to envelope me but i push it away. i am in a state of inertia - of motion - therefore i cannot stop. i run to a counter which looks like an India Airlines counter. The attendant tells me it is not but gives me directions. i dash to the building that he points out to me as best as i can with a loaded cart. i run into a corridor and find the office.
i open the door using all the force of my muddled emotions. i cannot enter as i cannot push the cart inside and i do not want to leave it outside the door. So i stand at the door and petition to a shocked officer that the guard would not let me in. He looks at me uncomprehendingly and requests me to come in and calmly tell him what is wrong with me. i am almost at the brink of a second explosion. His calmness and unconcern pushes me a step further. i show him my ticket and tell him that the guard would not let me in. He does not understand. He does not understand my simple logic either. He supports the guard. He does not understand what is best for him. "Theek hi to bol raha hai woh. Apki flight to ja chuki. (He was right. You have missed your flight)". Just then, i get a call from my sister- KD. She does not yet know what I am going through and calls me only to make sure I am performing as per her check list.
The calmness in KD's voice finally pushes me over the brink. I explode for the second time that evening. I do not explode at KD. I explode to KD. Officer does not understand me perfectly as i explode in Bangla. But he finally understands that i am dangerously distraught and he thinks KD is in trouble. "Madam, Madam please sit down. Why are you scolding her (aap unko kyun daant raheen hain)! Wait let me check." And he logs in to his database.
Officer checks the list of passengers for 12th June 2009. I AM NOT IN THE LIST. He checks the list for 13th June 2009 and finds my name. " Here you are. You should run now. " He looks pleased and i think, relieved, to see me smile.
At the door i suddenly remember. "But please make an endorsement on my ticket ." "That's not necessary" he says. I remember the guard and panic again. " But your guard was not letting me in then, why should he trust me now!" " Kis bewakoof ne aapko andar jane nahin diya (Which idiot did not let you enter)!", he says and he makes the endorsement! I bite my tongue. It is best to praise the Lord and get back to motion as fast as i can.
Its now well past 10:00 p.m. i still have to change money, clear immigration, check in, and go through security. But i face no further problems that night.
The curved line seemed to have meandered through all obstacles in her path on the 12th of June 2009. The line was now curving through the skies towards the Kingdom of Thailand where a sister come to receive her, would wait for over two hours and rack her brains and try to think what more could possibly go wrong between take off lounge at New Delhi and arrival at Thailand. Nothing would occur to her until she would get a call from a strange number....
to be continued.....
5 comments:
I have got confused big time. How did June 12 in the ticket change to June 13 in the computer.... and I am feeling genuinely sorry for all those who literally and otherwise crossed the path of you with your loaded cart and errr..... loaded head.... until 12 changed to 13.... gosh!
Wow you put up a pic! Well it was makemytrip's fault. They should really have written the date of departure as 13th as 12:05 does make it the next day. And you know when i called them a few days before boarding to confirm which was the date of my flight, they said that everything was in order as i'd have to reach the airport 3 hours before time of flight therefore id be reaching airpoprt on 12th itself. It was stupid of me to have believed that but who would have expected such a well known travel agency to give such goofy arguments. I thought aisa hi hota hoga. Infact i told KD also and she who is so well travelled also thought the same!
Well it didnt change.. i was supposed to board the flight on june 13th only. Makemytrip got confused and generated an erroneous ticket. They should really follow the 24 hour system if they cant remember how many hours make a day.
Miss flashing eyes, when will you learn that many problems are solved just by keeping one's 'cool' insted of exploding at everybody and at everything? Yea, I have my sympathies too - for all those who crossed your path that day!
Only mother appreciates me :( (sniff!)(sniff!)
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