Beyond Weird…

I laughed out loud when I learned,  anything that a common man considers simple, easy and leisurely would turn out tough, hard and even sometimes into a nightmare for me. It sometimes makes me think on my power of thinking as I might be thinking of things that I am not suppose to think, given the situation. Nevertheless, I choose to welcome it with a secure sense of humor which I believe is a much better way of treating the situation.

The idea of blogging on this topic hit me when I was watching Air crash Investigation in National Geographic Channel. Those images of Airport lounge, immigration and crew members indeed took me to those atrocious memories.

In total I have traveled 7 times in and out of Kingdom of Bahrain, 4 times India – Bahrain, 3 times Bahrain – India.  Unfortunately, I had some sort of weird experience either it is an agitating one or a speculative each time I traveled. No matter what you call it, my lack of luck or destiny, that “thing” made it sure, that I spent the entire day at the airport where I am landing and be it Bahrain or India.

Let me share my favorite 3 out of the 7 incidents.

Incident 1:

5th July 2008; I am traveling to Bahrain from Hyderabad for the first time, from the newly built Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad; on a high note, I should tell you, this is “THE” airport, a must see mega structure of developing India. I waved to my family and walked into that massive building. I produced the same 4”x4” receipt paper which was given to me by my company to the check-in counter of Gulf Air when the guy asked for Visa. I was certain that the guy got suspicious and asked his manager to assist him. The manager scrutinized my passport to find that I had been to Bahrain before, so he asked me.

Sir, Is this what you have as a Visa copy? , he queried

Well, this is what was given to me by that name. I replied.

Then manager asked me for No Objection Certificate, which is also called as VISA.

I said, Yes, I know, that’s what I carried last time. But this time they said this is enough, since there are some rule amendments in Bahrain.

Okay Sir, Abhishek issue him the boarding pass. He left the counter after ordering the staff.

It was 0820 hours Bahrain local time, when Gulf Air touched down at Bahrain International Airport. Bahrain is at its apex of summer, temperature out side read 44C. I waited at the immigration lounge for my turn to go out of the airport. I showed this receipt that I was carrying to the Bahraini officer sitting at the counter. He started squalling something in Arabic and sent me back to the lounge but not out of airport. I had no clue what he was telling. I went back and stood on another line following another immigration counter. Now this officer also started shouting at me, then I said to myself “you got f***ked up dude”. I waited there 3 hours then an old man turned to me and inquired about why I am sitting there. He said this is no actual Visa and is just the cash receipt of  visa application when I showed him the piece of paper that I am carrying, he also added that my company is yet to collect the issued visa  and being  a weekend, today it is not at all possible from the Bahrain Immigration office. Later this old man helped me with a 100Fills coin with which I made a call (I got that 100fills back from the counter and I still have it with me) to my office and asked them do something and gave my number which had zero credit to make a call. I waited there for 4 more hours without food and water until I got out of the airport with a 7 days Business Visa.

Incident 2:

30th June 2009; The direct Gulf Air flight in which I booked my ticked back to Hyderabad,India is no longer in service due to Global Financial Crisis.  So the beautiful lady in blue at Gulf Air Bahrain office rescheduled a Bahrain – Mumbai- Hyderabad flight for me. First part of my flight is going to be with Gulf Air and the second half with Jetlite, one of India’s renowned domestic service flights.  I think Gulf Air’s treaty in India is only with Jet Airways. The lady in blue didn’t give me many options to choose the flights or transit station. So I accepted it or rather had to and fly.  I was pretty confident about landing in Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport since I knew Mumbai and the airport a lot better than any other in the world.

After the customs clearing at around 0600 hours I was asked to take a separate path which will take me directly to Mumbai domestic airport. I walked in with my ticket to the most beautiful of the ladies standing at the Jetlite check-in board, I was in a bit hurry since the flight is scheduled to leave to Hyderabad within 2 hours. Little did I know, what is coming, the beautiful beast informed me that I cannot travel in this flight since the label on the ticket is a sticker stamp of gulfair which gulf air issued is not of jetlite, don’t worry,  neither did I understood what she was trying to convey. But I could make out that I cannot travel soon. She then guided me to the Gulf Air office which is just outside Mumbai Airport. Before leaving the airport exit I checked up with a police man standing near to confirm whether I can enter the airport through my exit way. Without any kind of hesitation he said “NO“. Aha, Lucky Me! I went on to ask the same to another officer and “YES“, I’ll have to talk to the inspector. RAY OF HOPE.

I wandered around building outside the airport looking for the office of Gulf Air, now that’s called over f**king confidence, of having the belief of knowing Mumbai airport. After 1 hour of mental turmoil I am at the door steps of Gulf Air office. Since I had no idea of why I was not allowed to board Jetlite , I asked the lady sitting there to get in touch with the Jetlite staff who guided me here. I sat there gazing at the control monitors, cockpit look-like office by hoping the soul. After approximately 2 hours of cat fight with the Jetlite staff the lady at Gulf Air issued me a fresh ticket for a flight at 1740 hours to Hyderabad. Gosh! I thanked her,  and walked back to the airport cursing the airlines.

I went directly to the exit to take entry, yes I did that. The police inspector standing there literally took his gun out while talking. Oh damn! He is aggressive, harsh and tough, just like any other Bihar cops that one would see in Hindi movies. I must tell you this that, even I was also not ready to give up being an Indian, so I stood on my grounds. Suddenly this officer raised his hands to beat me, this ticked the devil in me off and I did that one thing any other human being with an average IQ would do. Yes, I walked back since stepping back is one of the wise strategies in war front. Well, I like to put it that way.

I went back to the Gulf Air office, and asked them to let someone accompany me till Jetlite security checks. As luck would have it, they did so.  The wait at domestic terminal was really exhausting as I waited for a total of 7 hours and 30 minutes excluding my 2 hour wait at Gulf Air office  by gazing gadgets and 1 hour of Mumbai Airport “Darshan”. Last thing I remember was having a Latte when the Jetlite staff woke me up from the waiting lounge to board the flight at 1645 hours.

Hyderabad touch down at 1910 hours was refreshing with the beautiful spotted lights view of the airport. I was waiting at the conveyer for my baggage and was happy with the thoughts of family meeting, but as time ticked, people started leaving  and conveyer stopped , but my baggage was nowhere in the belt. I went on to check up with Jetlite counter. The lady there guided me to the first floor of the airport where baggage with brittle-inside is handled separately. I was wondering who stick that tag on my baggage. Finally around 1945 hours I am out of Hyderabad International Airport.

Incident 3:

04th Nov 2009; This time the travel is to Bahrain, but I made sure that all my documents are perfect and all my travel pre-requisites are met. Since my travel is Hyderabad-Doha-Bahrain with the Qatar Airways the margin for unluck is more as there is a transit stay involved, but my conscious effort paid off. Neither had I had any issues at Rajiv Gandhi International airport, Hyderabad nor at Doha transit.

Bahrain Touchdown 0845 hours. I was asked to be with a separate queue of LMRA (Labour Market Requlatory Authroity) at the immigration as I am traveling to Bahrain on a fresh project visa. Every new visa candidates are supposed to stand on this queue so that authorities can capture their finger prints and photographs for the purpose internal security. I had every reason to feel good since I am standing at number 5 on a 25 some person queue.

While on the queue, I was constantly thinking of the to-dos at my office and my wife who couldn’t accompany me during my travel. Now I am the second next to give photograph and fingerprint. Suddenly for no visible reason the Bahraini officer at the counter left the cabin, I thought, WHAT? I turned back, to see some 20 people standing behind me. We stood there for 10 minutes until a man came forward to tell us to be seated as it will take some time since the software which captures photo and fingerprint is DOWN.

I hollered out within myself, WHY ME!!!!….

In a nut shell, that wait, lasted for 7 hours without food and water, I had no energy to accept the fact that my accommodation in Bahrain is not arranged when I came out of the airport after 7 hours.

I had no option but to laugh out loud at me, the one I was talking in the beginning.

This came free :

Twice I got flat tire, during my Hyderabad-Cochin travel, one on my way into Hyderabad Airport and the other on my way out of Cochin International Airport. Thank God, this time I am traveling domestic.

I had problems boarding the flight on the same Hyderabad–Cochin flight because the cops at security check stamped my boarding pass with a 14-Nov-2009 stamp when I am traveling on 13-Oct-2009.

~Jithu

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