Christmas 2005 – Stranded in Delhi

On 21st December 2005, I boarded my flight from Canada back to India. I was going back to my home after almost 6 months of onsite project work. I was happy and ecstatic that I was going back to my family – specially to my 2 years old son, whom I had left with my parents.

We had planned my visit such a way that I would actually land in Bangalore Friday morning so I could spend the week end working on my jet lag and go to office on Monday, December 26th. I would land in Delhi early Friday morning around 5.30 and my flight from Delhi to Bangalore was confirmed at 10.30 a.m. on Friday.

And through and through I was booked under Air India. But then, when ever (wo)man proposes, God disposes :p and I learnt this the hard way.

My flight until Delhi  (via Birmingham) was without any incidents. Even at that point, I did not know what was coming.As we were nearing Delhi, we heard an announcement that our flight was being diverted to Mumbai owing to severe fog at Delhi.
The pilot explained that although IGI Airport, Delhi did not have adequate Fog lamps to enable him land the flight at Delhi. This was the precise reason that the flight was being diverted to Mumbai.

And what followed after this announcement was sheer nightmare – one which I really cannot forget even if I want to.

So, off we went to Mumbai, where we were unceremonosly disembarked along with our luggage. Nobody with the Air India office were available to help us, leave alone respond to our queries.
There was utter chaos. People trying to fight with Air India, people trying to call their relatives and tell them what happened

There were infants, kids wailing owing to hunger – although we were given food coupons, unfortunately for us, by the time we reached the canteen the food was over.  Few of the passengers, who were headed down south (including me) started requesting AI Authorities to release our luggage so we could try and fly to our destinations from Mumbai. But AI officials were adamant. They said – your destination is Delhi. You need to go back there and get it.

It was so demotivating. Those days, I did not have roaming enabled on my cell phone. The lone telephone booth in Mumbai Airport had long queue and people were fighting with each other to get access to the telephone.

Mumbai airport private canteens were charging artrociously for any food item. A sandwich was priced at Rs. 400 and a water bottle at Rs. 100/-
I was parched. I was carrying my laptop along with a backpack and had a cabin luggage with me. When I tried to argue with the private canteen owner on the price, he gave me a dirty look and said “lena hai to lo…warna jagah khali karo”. Mumbling choicest gaali’s aimed at him, I purchased a water bottle.

Suddenly an announcement came through that for all Air India passengers Scheduled to land at Delhi, there was a special flight to New Delhi. This brought some cheer. So, all of us went through security check-in. Only to find out that the flight would leave only late in the evening. And we were stuck. Having completed the security check, we were not allowed to go out. There was no food available within the security area. But credit-card-charged telephone was there. I was able to finally reach my husband and let him know what had happened. He was very much worried as he had not heard from me Friday morning as promised.

Eventually, the flight left only in the evening. I reached New Delhi at 9 p.m. And rushed to the domestic airport after collecting my luggage – only to be told that my 10 a.m. ticket was not valid anymore as the flight was in the morning and I had missed boarding it (as if it was my fault). No explanation melted their hearts…

I was exhausted, hungry, tired from 2 days of flight and all the mayhem. And now, I realized, I was stranded in Delhi for next 2 days, without a ticket to fly back home. I had not even gone to the bathroom for fear of losing my luggage as I had heard so much about all (in)famous Delhi.

I was in India and yet so far from reaching home (Bangalore). Again, there were 2 booths operating and I stood in the queue to get access to one of them. I called home and my FIL received my call. I started howling (crying) over the phone. He was so scared…

Above everything, my hubby and FIL were trying to trace me since morning. They had called the airlines multiple times, they had called Delhi and Mumbai Airports – everything and everywhere… no news of me.

After I called home and told them where I was, they really were relieved. For, my FIL’s brother and his son’s family live in Delhi. So, they saw a ray of hope. My hubby called his cousin R and told him what had happened. Incidentally, R and his wife, both of who work for the Delhi Hyatt had been roped in the Vidya search mission. So, my FIL told me he will take care of this.

This gave me some hope. So, after talking to my FIL and hubby, I went to Jet Airways counter. Asked them if ticket was available for Bangalore. As luck would have it – all tickets to bangalore were booked until 3 days But the booking agent said Business Class tickets were available. I did not mind paying extra money to reach home. So, booked a business class ticket paying Rs. 21,000/- for Sunday morning flight. This truly gave me some sense of relief.

R and his wife came to the airport at 10 p.m. that night and took me to their home. R’s wife, my bhabhi, gave me a big hug on seeing me and I started sobbing like a small child.

They took me home, gave me hot dinner and made me comfortable. Although after our marriage, R and his wife, had been inviting us to come to Delhi and we had not got an opportunity to do so. And now, as fate would have it, I directly landed there…

Spent 2 days at their home and R dropped me back to the airport on Sunday Morning. My flight was at 11 a.m. and again, thanks to fog, the flight was delayed further. Luckily this time, as soon as I landed at the airport, I was able to check-in my luggage. That gave me the space to roam around whereever (including the bathroom) without extra baggage.

The flight finally left from Delhi at 7 p.m. Sunday Night. And that was Christmas Day. My homecoming was the best christmas gift I recieved that year….

Prayers to Narayana

I came across this hymn while reading Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotra. Reciting this makes me feel very humble because there are times when I have thought “I am an educated person and I know lot of things (by way of reading, interacting with others, etc). Thus sometimes reducing the other person to a dud. But in this hymn, Bheeshma, who is considered a very learned man himself, bows to Sage Vyasa and Goddess Saraswti to help him recite the mahastotra with devotion and complete understanding.

As the saying goes in Kannada “Tumbida Koda Thulkodilla” – the pot that is full will not spill or make noise. I am a mere mortal full of noise and nothing else…

Narayanam namaskrutyam naram chaiva narottamam |
devim saraswateem vyasam tatho jayamudeerayeth ||

Which means:

I bow to thee, Narayana, HE, who is everywhere and in everything

I bow to Goddess Saraswati, the Goddess of Speech and Knowledge and to Sage Vyasa to help me understand this great hymn.

Hyderabad Blues – 2

We used to frequent the Koti Market. I used to like it for its humdrum and colorful stone bangles and lot of wares that the vendors used to sell. One saturday evening, my mother, sister, cousin and I visited koti. I asked my mother to buy me something (at present, i do not quite remember what I asked her for). She categorically refused.

I was so angry that I unclutched my hand from her grasp and wandered off. The thought in my head was “Let me get lost and let her search for me. That should teach her a lesson for not buying that for me”. And so thinking, I truly wandered off.

Half hour later, I could not spot my mom, sis or cousin. Panic started gripping me. I started crying. This burly 6 ft tall guy saw me and asked what happened. I told him that I was lost. He asked me for my whereabouts. I told him and he consoled saying he was off in the same direction and would drop me to my house. I did not want to trust this guy as he looked very mean. But I did not have a choice but to go with him as I had no money with me and no brains, anyways.

That man said “please wait here, I want to buy something and then we can be on our way. I will drop you home”. I was truly scared by this time and was hoping to spot my family members. While he was buying something, my eyes desperately started searching for my family. Luckily, i saw my mom searching for me very frantically. I immediately shouted for her and ran to her.

The man came following me and asked “Are you sure this is your mom?”. I said “yes and explained to my mother that this guy had offerred to drop me home”. She mumbled her thanks and took me firmly by my hand and took me aside. She cried a lot that day – a mixture of anger, anguish and relief.

She went on to explain “V, do you really know whether that man would have dropped you home? What would have happened if he had sold you off to some lady who runs a brothel or made you beg alms? How sure are you that any man you meet and offers help is a good one? Your today’s behaviour is just not acceptable. I hope you have learnt a lesson and will not repeat it”.

I was truly humbled that day. At that instance, I realized what I a mess I had got myself into… and true to my promise, I never repeated it again.

Even today, I keep wondering what would have happened if I had not spotted my mother that day. Would that man have dropped me home? Or what would have become of me? Any news where they report missing girls or girls in brothel, girls begging alms, working as house maids… brings this incident to my mind and I feel goosebumps all over my body….