Owing to the eternal length of this post, I would be posting each chapter in some intervals of time. Dont worry readers, I hope it wont be too much ineteresting as "Da Vinci Code" or "Angels and Demons", but I'll try my best to keep the suspense.
Prologue: The story revolves around a guy named "PENTAPADU VENKATA SAI SUBHRAHMANYA SARMA" (Lets call him Subbu for short, too long to type). With eyes filled with Dreamz of the "land of the oppurtunites" and all the ambitions flowing down his nerves, he is waiting for August 19th. Its the day he is leaving to USA. Knowing that he wouldn't return anyway, he candidly lied to everyone that he would surely come back after his masters as he was inspired seeing the movie "Swades". Lets share his journey vicariously enjoying the seat beside him on board the airbus. So fasten your seatbelts readers!!!The Missed-Flight experience
The rush at the airport was floating. No one was allowed inside the airport owing to the attempted terrorist attack on the British Airways. "Subbu chuck out the toothpaste, deodarant ad the lip gel from your cabin bag. No gels allowed on Board!", shouted Dad. I immediately tucked them into my other overflowing bags. I wasn't embarrassed to open them, as many of them were doing the same at the airport. To spend the last few precious hours with my family and everyone who came to gimme a send off, I switched off the mobile and gave it to my sis. She waited for this moment from an year. Finally it was my turn to check-in, with watery eyes, I waved my hands to everyone out there as I could hardly recognise my parents due to the haze in my eyes.
I started talking with some of my co-passengers who were also going for the first time to USA. After a long wait, we boarded the flight and mine was a window seat. Every girl who boarded the flight, I wished she would sit beside me, but luck never favoured. But soon, thanks to my stars a damn hot chic came to my seat, looked at me, then to my seat number and said "Hello! Excuse me, you are sitting in my seat.", with a fluster I was looking for my ticket which I tucked deep down in my trousers. Soon the air hostess came and cleared the confusion by saying that her seat was the one behind mine. The girl turned away leaving behind an air of arrogance.
Within a few minutes the flight took off with a big roar and as the flight started loosing its contact on the ground, I was feeling as if a child being pulled away from his mother. I closed my eyes tightly as water dripped from them. Suddenly I heard voices inside the flight deafening even the roar of the flight engine. I strained my ears to figure our what they were exclaiming. I thought I heard that word sometime before...
"ZIHAAAD"...yes OSAMA BIN LADEN. Oh my GOD, the flight has been hijacked....
With a jerk I opened my eyes and saw an elderly person right before my face. "Had a good nap?", he asked dusting off his coat, I was actually resting on his shoulder till then. "Yeah! I am sorry about it" I said, for which he just smiled. For an instant I thought that I was actually in a theater and was dreaming. "What a nerd am I? Its dark outside.." I told myself, happy that I have boarded the plane. A bumpy Volvo bus ride from Hyderabad to Vizag would have been a lot better than this. It was like arresting with my limbs tied up to the seat. With some slight conversation with the person sitting next to me, I killed time and landed in Frankfurt, Germany.
Frankfurt, Germany. STILL 19th August
It was 7:00A.M when I landed and the bad breath from my mouth forced me to shut my mouth so as not to pollute the air and also reminded that its time for brushing. So I immediately headed up for the restroom. I was searching for the toothpaste in the front pockets of the bag but in vain. Now people started giving weired looks at me. I deserved them as I was making a mess ransacking my bag in the restroom for toothpaste. Then I remembered that I took it out owing to security concern. Left with no other choice, I bought another toothpaste for 8Euros only to leave it back safely in the trash bin as I was not allowed carry any pastes or gels in my cabin bag. Calculating the cost of toothpaste back in INR (INDIAN RUPEE), I felt brushing my teeth for one day is not worth it. But for the sake of co-passengers, not to frighten that I was carrying some poisonous gases with me, I had to go for it.
By the time I came back to join my queue for the terminal C, I was shocked to see so many people ahead of me. I can no way make it to my flight as I'm left with just 30mins for check-in, but it would take atleast 1hour to make it through the queue. The security screening was very tight due to some suspicious terrorist activity in London flights. I felt like Nostradamous for my bloody dream come true. So successfully I missed my flight to Philadelphia, USA. Tension pented up in my mind. I didn't know what to do or where to go. I was shaking in my shoes...
As I always say to myself," you are never alone in this world", I garnered some friends just like me, who missed their flights. One angry young man among us, lead us from the front just like some scene from a Bollywood gangster movie. With full rage he started blasting on the ground staff of the airlines blaming them for missing our flight. Out of them one fat lady stepped out, I immediately backed off fearing the worst. She shouted "Calm Down! Sir. The airlines is not responsible for you missing your flight." I was saying to myself that this man is going to screw my chances of taking an alternate flight with his temper. I stepped forward and said "We are sorry maam!", just like we apologise to our lecturers in college which I've done for 4 years. Instead of she being polite to me with double the anger, she said "Step back Sir. I'm having a conversation here, dont you See!!". I thought had enough, I might have to spend the rest of my life in Frankfurt.
But after a proper brain wash, this lady issued us tickets to some alternate flight. This time I waited in the queue for boarding for almost 3 hours ensuring that I'm not missing a flight again. Finally I boarded the flight to Philadelphia chasing my "WILD AMERICAN DREAM".
In-flight to Philli, Time: ...variant :-)
Luck is just not with me. Even this time I was not privileged to have a hot chic beside me. After the flight took off, the food was served. Not having seen that dish in my lifetime, I enquired with the hostess what was it. To my horror that was meat. I said, "I am a vegetarian and can you please replace this with something Veggie for me". She said, "Sorry Sir. You have to let us know about your meal when you confirm your tickets". Ugh! Now I understood that I haven't just missed my flight but also my Asian Vegetarian Meal, AVM as it is called. Then came a striking suggestion from that young lady. She said, "What you can do is, put the meat aside and eat the rest." and smiled sweetly. I smiled back to her, handed the tray back to her and smiled "Thank you". With a scorn she walked away.
But within minutes she was back with some raw lettuce, onions and tomato salad. "All that we have for vegetarians is this. This is the food provided for one of our air-hostess, but she wanted you to have this instead." I thought..wow...who is this air hostess so caring to me. But as soon as I started eating, I soon realised this is no better. But I was in such a tight spot that I can't even throw this as it might offend the air-hostess who sacrificed her food for me. I was forced to push that raw food into my mouth. For the first time I felt myself like a goat.
It was such a boring day flight. There was sun light for more than 9 hours with us for we were traveling towards the west. And for us to enjoy the stupid dramatic in flight movie, we had to pay for the headphones too. So I had no option other than forcing myself to sleep all the time. Finally after all that wait I was in Philadelphia...."Welcome to USA!", I said to myself.
Since Philadelphia was the first place I've landed in USA, that becomes my port of entry. That means I have to go for the customs clearance. Which means I have to pick up all my luggage and go till my gate as it cannot be connected. When I wanted to take a luggage cart, what caught my eyes was the $3 sign board. "Do I have to pay for luggage carts?". It is free in India isn't it? My desi brain, known for its Math, quickly calculated the equivalent amount in Indian rupees and instantly dropped the idea of a cart. I've decided to drag the bags myself.
Soon people were talking about the congestion at the Gates 11-13, terminal C. Subbu strikes again. Yes it was me who was the cause as I was trying to drag those large suitcases in between the queue lines, crushing few feet, dashing some carts. I was actually getting delayed for my connecting flight to Boston and caught up amidst all this mess. Out of frustration I tried to pull my bags that were stuck in between. Suddenly something just popped out. Oops they were my bag's stroller wheels. As already expected I was to miss my flight to Boston also. But guess what...This time I wasn't afraid. I probably got used to it.
(To be cond.....)
