To the Moon and Back - The First Step

"Oh what the Heck is this...I cannot get relieved on 26th July for my 29th Flight to the US" I was shouting at my manager, not literally, but actually I was shouting. This was when I went back to bangalore after the nice visa episode. My manager was telling me, that he will release me from the project on 26th July, and I should be reporting to the new project in York, PA on 31st July. I was in Bangalore then. Finally after an hours discussion, where he gave me essays of Managerial BS..I told him straight on face..."sirjee, What you are talking is the usual manager talk. Don't Give that to me..please. See I have to go to chennai, plan for my first out of country travel, and then travel. All I can say is I can be here till 19th July".

It was on Monday 17th July morning, when all this talk were on the air. The bargain went on like a sine wave, not like a normal curve. This made me feel like, bargaining with my sabziwala is easier. Finally we agreed on 21st July, that weekend. He gave me a huge list of things that I need to do KT on. It will take almost a month to just read the list. Somehow, I dont know how, that week was gone, and I realized that when my friends actually lifted me from my seat, when I was in the middle as usual troubleshooting the Siebel Server. That was for the farewell party, cake cutting and the leather jacket gifting. I was just standing there, and just realized that that was my last day there. I did not take any backup of any of my stuff. I stayed late that evening, for finishing the signoff. All Done...and I am on BENCH.

The next week was one of the fastest of all in my entire life, not as fast as the week of my sister's wedding. It is 29th July 2006 and I was standing there like, all IT clerks, wearing my new leather jacket, and 2 huge suitcases, that would exceed my height if kept vertically, and a cabin bag. My Mom, Dad and Sis were there, my mom almost in tears, but did not show explicitly as I had intimidated her, that if you cry when I travel, something bad will happen to me. Poor lady, even to this day she remembers that.

"This is the final check in call for all the passengers travelling to Mumbai in Jet airways flight XYZ", woke every one up, for the brisk ta-ta bye-bye. At the counter I asked if I can check-in directly to Philadelphia, but the answer came.."No sir, you have to personally carry the baggage to the International termial in mumbai. Have a nice flight.." and that lady was looking over my shoulder for the next one in line. With that look I understood that she was almost shouting at me.."Move away jackass. Your turn is done".

In the Jet Airways flight, when the flight was at the crusing altitude for that 2.5 hrs travel to Mumbai, all I was thinking was about my Mom, Dad and Sis. What would they be doing now? My mom crying? I could not answer, but I heard my mom telling me, "call me when you reach Mumbai airport, dont forget call me". I was waiting for the time I will reach to give her a call.

Mumbai Airport....there it stands, on that day, it was 10 times worst maintained compared to Chennai Central Railway station. I collected my stuff, and was completely blinking as to what to do next, when my dad slapped on the back of my head and shouted at me "Ask someone what to do...dumbo". I was loooking around by reflex, and then realized that he is stiing inside my head. All these days, he was standing above my head, now he made himself comfortable by sitting inside. I asked the "May I Help You!" desk. They were not as helpful as they said, but I got what I wanted. Went out, and was waiting for the Airport Bus to the International Terminal. Just after an hour, I was there, after successfully travelling 4 Kms in 1 Hour, at the Mumbai International Terminal. Went inside the terminal, and stood in the tail end of the multi mile long queue for the xray baggage scanner, which was that only working one, among all 10 of them. It was a busy night at 11 pm, and my flight is at 2:30 AM to London. I was waiting there for 1 hr and 15 mins when my turn came, and the work was done in 15 minutes. Boy! they were standing there and almost interviewing me on what all I have in the bag. I gave them the list that my mom prepared, listing the contents of the bag, for my remembrance. They saw that list, and I cleared the interview. I got selected to enter the "High Security International Terminal" which finds its place in the first page of Times every fortnight for an attack.

There was another multi mile long queue at the BA check-in counter, where the guys at the systems were busy flirting with the lady crew. I asked the BA personnel standing there, "Is this queue for the BA flight to London?". He was shocked, and he was like "That flight check in will be closed in another 5 minutes. What were you doing all along?". I dint say anything to him, but just pointed towards that XRAY scanner queue. He understood, and he started shouting to his people about the same. After that, the sluggish flirts started to work again. And my checkin was done in 2 minutes in the Business class counter and I was there at the gate within the next 45 mins. God save Mumbai.

As soon as I entered the gate, the scene was exactly like the bus terminal at Hospet, a remote village town in north karnataka. People were shouting, kids crying, oldies chatting, young ones sleeping, people on the floor and their luggage on the chairs...the unusual airport gate lounge. The BA flight was getting ready, and we were waiting. Ofcourse there were a horde of posh looking people who were sitting on the chairs precisely as they were supposed to with Jeffery Archer or Arindham Chowdary or someone else in their hands. There was also a group of people in a corner, cribbing about he haalath of Mumbai, and the incapability of politicians and how wise they are by not casting their votes. I found myself a place near to the crib corner, and the looks on their faces yelled at me "welcome...start cribbing now...". I was actually searching for a telephone booth to call my mom. It was almost 1AM, but I wanted to call. I found the telephone booth corner. Went there, and surprised to see that it was a free call booth. One can call from that booth to anywhere in India, for free, but a single call is only for 60 secs. After that you have to dial again if no one is waiting for the phone. Actually there was no one near that. I called my home, and surprised, it got picked up within a single ring. Ofcourse thats why they are Parents. I remember that I called my home 7 times from that phone. Another series of ta-ta bye-bye!

One of the ground crew announced the start of boarding of the flight, at 3AM. The flight was supposed to be 2:30. I was actually nervous, if that flight already left and if this is the next one. I confirmed that this is that same one, that I am booked for. Boarded the BA flight, and was able to see the bit bright horizon. It was almost 4:30 AM when the flight hit the runway.

I never knew, when I fell asleep. One of the flight attendant wake me up, and he offered me my food. Ate that, and slept again. Again, after a nice sleep, this time an airhostess woke me up for my food. She was telling me that we were nearing London, and I have to eat in that next 30 mins or she is taking the food away. I was looking at her for a minute, to realize where I am. She gave me a warm smile, that said, "I know, you are confused of your whereabouts, but eat". I asked her which way is the rest room, and she pointed out an empty one. I was fresh in the next 5 mins. Came back to my seat and finished eating in 10 mins. The same airhostess was surprised at my eating speed. God I was hungry and it wasn't a rat racing in my stomach, it was an elephant. I asked her if she could give me 2 more breads, and some butter, which she did, with a care of a mother. Nice Lady!

There I was, the flight landed and the flights captain read the pre-written welcome message after filling in the blanks with the current fact, about the time and weather. In the next 15 mins or so. I made the first step out to the Motherland of India...LONDON.