It was drizzling in Mumbai, when I reached Domestic Air terminus.. Mumbai's Domestic Airport looks much similar like Netaji Subhas (Kolkata Domestic)..untidy, uneven flooring, luggage belts are not so advanced (they make metallic sound while revolving around). But I was in a new city .. for me any time, it's a good feeling. After long time, I saw Hindi Advertisements and Notice Board around me, people shouting, laughing, chatting in Hindi…Came out of the airport.. It's very common to me now, whenever I need help, people whom I expect to be helpful will suddenly disappears. Anyways, friends in need, seem to be not so much like a friend indeed. So, people/relatives who have been in Mumbai, I tried to call up, just to ask about prepaid taxies..no one picked up. Lastly I decided to go ahead n talk to the counter boy. Then one of my school friend called me back and asked to take a meru/ prepaid taxi. The counter boy was munching pan..with his stuffed mouth he managed to ask my destination, name and 170/- and gave me a voucher… Next scene was the taxi. It was dark inside the taxi, our two huge suit cases were "dumped" on the roof and some old hindi songs were coming from the cab radio.The taxi driver was staring at the back, where two of us were sitting..it was 12O' clock almost…I was praying hoping to reach International Terminal soon. As soon as we arrived near terminal, he asked "kaun sa gate madam?" ..I searched for the air-ticket..now I hate my over-stuffed bag (don't know hw much ever I try to keep everything handy,it appears to be too much clumsy to find out right thing in right time ). "Madam.." he asked again..as I managed to find the ticket , but no gate number mentioned on it. "Ahhh..bhaiya..Turkish Ailines k gate mein chod do"..I requested..He gave a disgusted look "madam, ya ha pe sab kuch A B C D karke gate hota hain, ap log utar jaiye aur puch lijiye"..he commanded. I could not take it easily, "hum peheli bar Mumbai International pe aye hain bhaiya, ap kyun hyper ho rahe ho, saman nikal diiye , hum chale jaenge" I kept the ticket inside my bag, by that time , he literally threw out bag in the middle of the bay..which we managed to shift to the footpath somehow. Now , here comes my typical thoughts, if I would have been a boy, so easily I could have fought with that rude moron and that much easily I could have lifted the 31+22 kilos of luggages..sigh…….
I am sitting on a bench, it's 12.30..another 3 hour to go, after that only we can check in our luggage. Viraja is sleeping balancing herself against the trolley..someone should be there to look after the luggages and announcements..so here I am…thank God, Vodafone Connect is working..I browsed gmail and facebook for some time, sent few sms s ..now I am alone, in this crowd …thought of calling Viraja, so that I can sleep for a while, but did not..walked up to the coffee shop,took a strong Cappucino and waited for another 1 hour.. Our luggage are checked in,heading to the immigration..so many people from so many countries are there , waiting in 10 queues. I was asked to stand on queue 5. My number came, I was ready with the passport and Visa. Was arranging the answers which normally they ask while leaving the country..suddenly the person asked "Kolkatae kothae bari?"..with a emotion less voice..I was surprised, to come out of the initial shock I took few seconds and answered in Bengali "Sodepur". The interview followed with some light conversation like where I work in Bangalore, how did I reach here(not working in Kolkata in spite of completeing my schooling n graduation there) etc. Such a small world..round world.
Next 2 hour,it was boring and tiring..nothing to mention much. TK721 Turkish Airlines: I missed the window seatL.. It was drizzling at Mumbai when I boaded the airbus. Light blue seat , with soft thin quilts and a tiny pillow. After take off, next 30 minutes was all about watching the sunrise silently..the air-hostess came and closed the window but after she left I opened to see the beautiful crimson ray, just waking up from the bed of white clouds……will never forget the shades of Orange and Red I saw that day..I slept, I woke up to see everyone around me is sleeping, again I slept,woke up to find the pillow fell down from the seat, picked it up..turned to the other side..again slept. Around 10 A.M (I am not sure what time it would be on Turkey Standard Time), breakfast was served. Poached mushroom and green chilly,salad with a special kind of bread stuffed with lightly fried egg and spinach , coffee, with chocolate cake. Ahh..it was refreshing, atleast to get rid of the jet lag..was feeling like vomiting, slight headache and strain. Went to washroom, had breakfast and I was ready for another 5 hour of flight. Arrived Istanbul 9.30A.M of T.S.T. 12PM for I.S.T. People outside India seem to be so lively. As the flight landed safely, every single person clapped out of relief (or to thank the pilot) !!Istanbul airport looks much like Arabic the shopping mall I have seen in T.L.C. If you have a thick wallet to splurge (and the patience to clear the custom duty) , numerous options are there. Did some window shopping, took some photos..observed the people around, how they speak(specially the accent ,much like Russian accent) and most importantly enquired about our connecting flight. Splashed water on the face for few minutes, tied up hair, put cream on lips as it looked poorly chapped…now once again, ready for Transit immigration interview. Following the transit interview, security check in was dome smoothly..
Flight took off 10 minutes late because of the air-traffic. One group was sitting next to us, they were carrying musical instruments, amplifiers..must be going to some music concert in Israel. They were humming a tune, not together, but a piece of tune was suggested by each of the band member, as they were trying to select which one to keep in the song. After an hour, lunch was served,almost same as the lunch except the addition of smoked chicken breast. It was yummy. Viraja did not touch anything after smelling each of them and judging their taste by look. So after finishing my plate, I took her veg plate and gorged on the veggies. In return I offered my chocolate cake, she accepted after insisting her twice. People always go by my thin (slim) figure, don't know how much I can eat when I am hungry :P. Ahh..10 hour long journey came to an end..Tel Aviv Airport seem to be less crowded, more quiet and the perfect gateway for a very small country with population half of Bangalore.
We walked for 15 minutes , to collect the baggage . But didn't know another immigration interview was waiting for us!! This was the toughest. What training will I do in Israel, when will I go back to my country, what testing I do as a test engineer…even I was asked to show the return flight ticket and the hotel voucher I was going to stay in Tel-Aviv. It went on for 15 minutes. I rattled and rushed to the baggage belt as it's already 30 minutes we have arrived here and they would have dumped somewhere unclaimed!! Now the next job is to find the guy who will come to pick us up. We waited for him sometime. Airport authority people came and asked us not to stand in between the exit and go outside the airport. And we don't know where to search that fellow. I took a risk. Tried to make an ISD from my mobile as it already got the "Cellcom" signal through International roaming. Someone picked up the call "Hi, this is Satarupa, working for ECI, have arrived from India and we are searching for the cab"..Itook a breath before I can hear the reply "Oh hi,how can I help you ?". "Can you please convey our message to the cab driver to wait for us in the exact landmark written in the mail", "Surely, I will tell him, don't worry". "Thanks" I hanged up just checking my balance , Rs-350 gone. We rushed to the 1st floor with our luggage, before that I exchanged the trolleys as Viraja was struggling with hers. I asked her to stand and look after the luggage..look around every possible counters, lift, stairs and side –walk hoping to find out someone with a ECI hoarding..now I was feeling the right side nerve on my forehead was tickling. I came back to Viraja, sit in my suitcase for a few second and…. Opened the mail print out "Shit, I could have saved my 350 balance..what a moron am I!!" I ran to the same counter where I was searching for the driver, checked the names of the agencies, Yes..I got it…..no one will come, it was the pre-assumption by our India office. In mail one agency name is there, I have to find out their counter here…and I got it. They guessed by my Indian face..welcomed me and next happening this was we were in a big, posh car..the driver tuned into a local radio station…
Not again..I am sitting on a round stone made slab, just infront of our would be apartment..noone is there to receive after the cab left us there..I spent another 150bucks from my Vodafone balance to call up the flat owner..according to him we should have informed him 15 minutes before reaching here..all my energies are drained out..not a drop of water in my bottle. Don't have patience too to listen to the nagging…... One monster has arrived..he lifted my suitcase upon his shoulder and viraja's on his head. Opened the key..switched on the A.C and I sat down on the red velvet sofa..I am here. In a new country.In a new apartment. Into a new routine. I didn’t cross Bengal border, except while travelling to n from Bangalore. Now I have crossed 6 countries, 2 oceans and 8 international boundaries. Donno what is waiting next. But as of now…I am what I am now, was like never before..
