Back home finally..........

Today was THE day that I had been looking forward to since that evening in July when I booked my ticket. Well, a month long vacation awaits me in India. I will be back at home after more than fifteen months. In all the excitement, I complete the remaining packing and have lunch. By the time I am all done, its 1.15 in the afternoon. The shared Limo is coming at 1.30. So am happy that I made it well in time. As soon as I sit down for a bit of relaxation, I get a call from the Limo driver that he is coming in two minutes. I go down with two bags and he has already arrived. So it’s a hurried departure from the house. But I don’t care. My excitement has reached quite high levels. Well if this is the excitement level at the beginning of the journey, I can’t imagine how much it will be once I reach Mumbai. Call up home and Madhavi Tai to inform them about my departure. Once all that is done, just doze off. Get up at 3.30 to see us still at the outskirts of Philly. Well, since my house was the farthest from the airport of the eleven people, I was picked up first. And so, for the last two hours, we have just been picking up people. And its quite a bunch of people that are there to be dropped at JFK and Newark Airport. Other than me, there is a Malaysian student off to Kuala Lumpur, a Chinese student heading back home, a European student heading back home, a Polish lady and a Pakistani couple. At one place, I see quite a crowd giving a send off to that person. I assume it’s an Indian. And I am not wrong, because that person turns out to be Mr. Patel heading by Air India to Mumbai. The remaining three people are picked up from their hotel in North East Philly and we are on the way to the airport. Since most of the journey is on the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Turnpikes, we move at a pretty fast pace and at 5 pm, I am at Liberty International Airport, Newark. As I enter, the Continental ground staff informs me that there is a separate check in counter for Mumbai. Don’t know whether that’s because of extra baggage screening for security purposes or just because of huge crowd. Previously, when Mami had left, the flights for China and India had a common check in facility. Anyway, I check in my luggage and clear the security formalities immediately and have lot of time to kill at the airport. Our flight had already arrived from Paris in the afternoon and with clear skies, we were going to take off on time. I head to Dunkin Donuts and relish a onion bagel with coffee. As I finish, I also speak with Sharad, Nikhilesh and Teju. I also inform Madhavi Tai about my position. As I finish, the continental staff call us for verifying Passport and tearing off the I-94. We start our boarding at 7.30. First the business class travelers board followed by handicapped travelers. This is followed by families traveling with infants and small children. Once this is done, the general boarding begins with reverse order of seating rows. As I am in row 26, it takes some time for my number to be called and at 8 pm, I am sitting at my seat. I speak with Shyam and Sarang. Sarang wanted to know all the details like which airlines, where are you right now, how long is the flight, I can see your flight, please wave your hand etc. I also call up home and inform Aai that I have boarded the airplane. We take off at 8.30 and I can feel a sense of excitement that I have not experienced in quite some time. The excitement of going home. Just another fourteen and half hours and I shall be in the city of dreams, Mumbai. The Captain informs us of the path we will be taking. We will be flying northwards to Canada, then touching Greenland and Iceland before crossing the Atlantic and heading into Scandinavia. Then into Russia passing over Moscow. Across the Caspian Sea into Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan before entering Indian Air Space in Rajasthan. Then via Gujarat, we enter Maharashtra. We fly over Dahanu and Boisar before heading towards Panvel. A sharp turn at Panvel puts us onto the descent into Mumbai. Soon as the flight takes off, we are provided Dinner. Its better than the one served in British Airways. With a full stomach, I settle down into watching movies.
I had flown from India to US on 1^st September, 2007. That day had lasted for 33 and half hours (24 + 9.5 lag). It was by far, the longest day experienced by me. And now on the reverse journey, 14^th December would be the shortest day for me lasting about 13 and half hours. I know I might experience jetlag on landing. So I take the decision of not sleeping for more than 4 hours on the flight. After every movie, I monitor the flight map on the monitor and check our progress. In 6 hours of flying, we have reached Scandinavia. Soon we are flying over Caspian Sea into Turkmenistan followed by Afghanistan and Pakistan. At 8 pm IST on Dec 14 (9.30 am EST), we enter India. It’s a fantastic feeling and makes one feel proud to be an Indian. At 10 pm, we land at Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai. Once we depart from the plane, we head into Immigration. The Immigration officer asks me what am I doing in the MS. After Immigration, I head towards the baggage claim. I am finally in India and very very excited. However even after almost an hour, my baggage is yet to come. While the thought of Continental forgetting my luggage in Newark does come to my mind, almost all the passengers have some or the other luggage still to come. Finally after waiting for more than an hour, I get my luggage and proceed to Customs. I pass through the green channel and finally almost two hours after I landed, I am ready to come out of the airport. What I see when I come out is a mass of humanity. With security and renovation going on, everyone has to wait outside and there is total chaos. However I spot Baba in the front row and wave out to him. But either he didn’t recognize me or wasn’t paying attention in my direction. As I move out, I bump into Bejoy. And soon, I get to meet both Aai and Baba as well as Sujata Aunty. I feel very very happy on meeting everyone. As I and Aai wait for Baba to get the car, a taxi honks loudly at another taxi. And a taxi bumps into a car. Now I feel I am really back in India. One surely misses the horn while driving in the United States. A 15 minute ride in the Honda City brought us to Goregaon. But I get a surprise. Fluffy growls at me and refuses to recognize me which of course disappoints me. But then, he was seeing me after a gap of fifteen months and they don’t have that sharp memory in their childhood. Leaving Fluffy aside, after brushing my teeth, I join Mama for a sumptuous dinner. Chicken curry and Kala Vatana Amti make a great combination along with Varan and Bhat.

An epic journey...

I had no indication that my journey would be so long and I would be writing about it when I started the journey. The plan was pretty simple. Catch a Greyhound from Cleveland to Columbus and then a flight from Columbus to Philadelphia. With such a simple plan, I started my journey. Kashmira and Sriram dropped me to the Greyhound terminal in the morning. It was 8 in the morning and my bus was scheduled at 11.45. With plenty of time to spare, I decided to explore the downtown area of Cleveland. The biggest attraction of Cleveland is Lake Erie (it was definitely for me). And so I made my way to it. It was great fun. It looks like a sea and if you didn’t know it, your question will be which sea is this? After spending some time at the lake front, saw the Great Lakes Science Center. Unfortunately it was still only around 9 in the morning and so, the museum had not yet opened (either that or I missed the entry). Returned to the main downtown area and went to the Public Library. After spending a few minutes there, went to Public Square. By the time I had finished my mini exploration in downtown Cleveland, it was already 10.15. I made my way to the greyhound station. On reaching there, found out that the boarding would begin only at 11.30 and I had at least another 45 minutes to spare. Boarding began at 11.40 and we were soon on our way to Columbus. While the greyhound is comfortable for a short journey, its certainly crampy for long journeys. There isn’t much leg space available. The journey to Columbus was along I-71 which is a picturesque road. Without much traffic, we reached Columbus on time. I finished my lunch here. Anda Burji and rotis packed specially by Bala Mami were fantastic. After lunch, proceeded to the airport. A 20 minute cab ride got me to Port Columbus International airport. The word International here is a bit misleading since the only international flights are the ones coming from Montreal on Air Canada. I had reached the airport at 3.30 and the flight was at 6.45. With some time to spare, got a seat and started reading the novel I was carrying. Around 4.30, went to enquire about the flight departure and to my absolute shock, found that the departure was at 10.20. Well, the flight was supposed to come from Orlando and hence the delay could be expected. But what surprised me was that the flight from Orlando was arriving on time. This could mean that there was some problem in Philadelphia. But the United Airlines and American Airlines flights departing at 6 and 6.15 were on time. Thus there was total confusion. I went and enquired at the check in counter and they informed me, that due to stormy weather in Philadelphia, we have the take off time at 10.30. However if the weather improves, then we could take off earlier. So don’t stray too far from the security gates. Well next was a long wait. After clearing security, I was left in an interesting and weird position. Here was the plane in front of me. The weather was just perfect. No clouds in the sky. And yet, we couldn’t take off because the weather was not good in Philadelphia. Updates were given every half hour and it was the usual. Weather is yet to improve. I asked the flight captain whether there was a latest time slot that we would take. His reply was even if its late like 1 in the night, we will still take off. Well that was good, cause I wanted to be in Philly before 7 in the morning. All the flights to the east coast were delayed. Most interesting was the case of the flight to Baltimore. They started boarding passengers inside and then realized that the airport at Baltimore had closed down. Thus every one had to disembark once again. The flight eventually did leave at 10 in the night. Around this time, we got the much dreaded news. That our flight was cancelled. And since it was due to weather disturbance, the only concession they were giving us was booking us on the morning flight. That flight was supposed to depart at 7.10 and reach Philly at 8.40. We had to reach the check in counter by 6 in the morning. So I had to spend the next 7 hours at the airport. And then I found out that my cell phone had completely exhausted its battery. So here am I at a new airport and I cant call anyone cause my cell phone doesn’t have battery. So there was nothing to do but wait. Found a nice place in the corner of the baggage reclaim area. Well time for dinner. As I had some food in the evening, I wasn’t that hungry. And then it stuck me that there were some gulab jamuns that Bala Mami had given. Trust me, to have gulab jamuns at that place and at that time in that scenario was simply amazing. I trust I must have been the first person to enjoy gulab jamun at Columbus airport. J.

After my dinner, thought of going off to sleep. But sleep wasn’t coming that night. After trying to sleep for an hour or so, went for a walk on the concourse at the airport. At 3 am, the flight from Philly arrived. This flight was supposed to arrive at 10 pm. Though it was late, it was good news for me. Because that meant that Philly airport had started operating. And hence our flight in the morning would be on time. After this, I don’t know whether it was due to the exhaustion or due to the happy thought that we would take off, but I went straight to sleep and the next thing I knew was 5.45 in the morning. I am thankful to a few elderly people who were sitting nearby and were booked on the same flight as me. Due to their voice, I woke up at 5.45. Otherwise its very much possible that I might have missed the morning flight. Checked in and got my boarding pass. Cleared security for the second time. Again no hassles. It was pretty much a formality. And then waited for the boarding announcement. The flight was overbooked and Southwest were looking for volunteers who would take the next flight reaching Philly in the afternoon. The incentive was a voucher for $200 plus the air fare. That would have meant a cool $300. I certainly don’t earn that much in a day in Motorola and was considering that option. But within minutes, my considerations went down the drain. Because they had found their volunteers. I guess when some thing is available for free, you should better hurry up. My neighbor went to volunteer and he was refused. Flight boarding started at 7 and we were ready to depart at 7.15. The gift for my patience was a window seat (a rare chance since I went in after the first 100 people went in. Total no of seats were 140.) The flight to Philly was uneventful except for a small patch of turbulent weather. We touched down at Philly airport on time at 8.40. And as if to mock me, the weather in Philly was clear. The sun was out and shining bright and three was absolutely no indication of the storm that had left me high and dry in the night. By the time I got my luggage, it was 9.10. Just in time to catch the 9.15 train to Center city. Reached 30^th street station at 9.40. Entered home at 9.55, just 12 hours after my expected arrival and 26 hours since I started. A quick refreshment and I was on my way to Motorola.

Thus was my 26 hour journey. It came exactly 2 years and 363 days after another 26 hour long journey. That was a lesson in itself as was this. I learnt many things during this journey. First and foremost, I know what to do and how to pass time if I get stuck again at the airport. It also taught me that one can make the best of the plans, but the weather can always play a spoilsport. It also gave me a chance to explore Columbus airport and I suggest they rename Port Columbus International airport as Adil International airport at Columbus.

For all those people who were worried about me, and I know there were many, it wasn’t that bad. I certainly look upon it as a lesson in life. The thought of writing this memoir came after talking with Sunil Mama, who suggested I write a thesis on waiting at the airport. Sorry for the long memoir, but I hope you enjoyed reading it. Looking forward to your comments and brickbats.

The day Mumbai drowned...

It was a usual Tuesday morning and as I made my way to my college, the dark clouds over the horizon gave little indication of the things that were to happen on that day. Tuesdays used to be looked forward to with great anticipation as we would be done by 2 pm as compared to 5 pm on other days. As we were going through our classes, it started to rain. No one was particularly bothered as rains in Mumbai in the month of July are more of a rule than an exception.

At noon, my friend Nikhilesh, who lived the farthest from the college told me that the local trains, the lifeline of Mumbai were on the verge of stopping and we should leave for home at the earliest. But being the most sincere student of the class (at least that’s what all the Professors thought so. I know the truth is different), I thought it was my duty to attend the two lectures we had from noon to 2 pm. And so it was at 2 pm when I started for home, relaxed to know that I will be home by 3 and then rest the entire day with pretty much nothing to do.

As I reached Vidyavihar station, I found that Central Railway local trains had stopped due to water logging in Thane area. Well, one should always have a back up plan in hand. And my plan was ready. Catch bus no 322 to Santa Cruz station and catch a Western Railway local from there to Goregaon. This plan was seconded by Shreyas, who lives quite close to my house. And so we are waiting for 322 which comes after a wait of 45 minutes. Being a frequent traveler by 322, I know that it had a frequency of 15 minutes and a delay of 45 minutes means that there should be some problem on the way. But the mind gets really excited and doesn’t think of such things when you know you are going home early. As we start towards Santa Cruz, the rain has continued unabated for three hours now and there are signs of flooding. But the advantage of traveling in a bus is that it can easily wade through a foot of water without any problem. So we move at a fairly good speed till Air India Colony in Kalina where we come to a complete stop in a traffic jam. The wise conductor, supposed to be the wisest person on the bus, declares that there is a small traffic jam and we should be able to proceed in an hour or two. There is absolutely no reason to panic.

Those who know Mumbai city also know the Air India Colony, Kalina is one of the worst flooded locations of the city. In fact it needs only an hour or two of continuous rain to flood this location. So you can imagine what happens when it rains continuously for eight hours. Soon, the water from outside has started entering the bus. And with it, has come another problem. Water also seeped into the diesel tank and since diesel is lighter than water, it has seeped out of the tank. So now, we are in a bus, which is surrounded by three feet water and has no diesel to run. And top of it, its raining quite heavily and its just a matter of time before the three feet of water logging becomes ten feet. So a decision is made between all the passengers that we need to climb on top of the bus before it becomes too late and difficult. One by one, with the help of other passengers, all the passengers evacuate to the top of the bus. Once I reach the top of the bus, I get a shock at the view I get to see. Water is seen every where flowing at high current with only the top of small cars being seen. And top of it, its pitch dark and raining very heavily. As the rain got heavier, these cars have drowned and there is a real possibility of the bus now being drowned in water. A few people of our bus then decided to swim to the nearest house in Air India Colony and get some help. Some swim to the nearest house belonging to Mr. Ramakrishna. Now the trouble is to get all the people (which total around 200) of the two buses into the house. Fortunately Mr. Ramakrishna has a floating sail which is inflated and slowly, in batches of three and four, every one is shifted from the bus into Mr. Ramakrishna’s house which is on the second floor. The first floor of the apartment is completely submerged. I was one of the last to leave the bus and as I leave, I look around. Water is seen everywhere. In fact, the bus behind me just has the front panel (at a height of fifteen feet) visible. By this time, it’s already ten pm and I have not been able to contact any one at my home. I know every one will be worried, but I can’t help it.

So we are about 200 people in a two bedroom apartment. The best thing about Mumbaikars is that in time of adversity, people are always ready to help. So few people help in cooking food and it is shared between all the people. Once most of the people have eaten, every one just sits down in complete silence. But then we realize another problem. The rain hasn’t stopped and there is a possibility of water starting to enter the second floor apartment. And the Air India Colony apartments have been designed such that to go from that house to any other house, you have to go out first. There is no direct path. Fortunately, as we are contemplating the next plan of action, the rain abates and people’s hopes rise tremendously. As the rain stops, the water level comes down slowly. I go and check at 9 am and find that while there is two feet of water on the road, there is still fifteen feet water inside the colony. And the only way to go to the road is by swimming to the main road.

So I take a decision of swimming on to the main road. As I reach the main road, I find police coming there to help us out. Slowly, all the people are brought back to the road. Of course, with water still on the road, there is no transportation available. So I walk nine kilometers from where a person driving a Getz gives me a ride. He drops me in Jogeshwari from where I catch an Auto and finally reach home at 12.30 on the 27^th of July. As I am on the last 100 feet of the epic journey, I am literally dancing with madness. In fact if people saw me at that time without knowing anything about the floods, they would have definitely thought I had gone mad. Thus ends my journey from my college to house. A journey which generally takes an hour that day ended up taking twenty two and half hours. Only after reaching home, did I come to know about the figures. It had rained 944 mm in ten hours on 26^th July 2005.

This was the story of almost every Mumbaikar who was stuck in the rain on that fateful day. The rains also brought a familiar helpful face of Mumbai. Throughout my journey, I found total strangers helping each other out. There was an article in Reader’s Digest a few days before this incident showing Mumbaikars to be rude. Their basis was that Mumbaikars don’t greet each others in shops, restaurants etc. But when the real calamity comes, Mumbaikars have always shown to be quite helpful to each other. A few days after this, Hurricane Katrina stuck New Orleans. While there were many reports of arson and looting in New Orleans, there wasn’t a single incident of looting and arson in Mumbai during the floods. Mumbaikars are known to be helpful in face of adversity and this incident has just confirmed that belief.

Mumbai remained almost shut down for the entire week. Our college officially started classes on the 3^rd of August. In a week, the city was back to normal.

On other note, my friend Nikhilesh finally reached his home at 4 in the afternoon of 28^th July. It took him full two days to get home and he had a story to tell too. Hopefully, I will be able to convince him to pen it down some day.