Hi, as mentioned in my earlier post, each and every abroad trip was a story. Here is one of the stunning one.
I have visited Saudii many times, In Saudi there are many Pepsi plants where I used to visit.
This time I visited Jeddah, Jeddah is kind of traditional city and crowded one. It’s near to Makkah. It’s little bit liberal than Riyadh (Capitol of Saudi).
Ok. So I first went to Riyadh and did couple of installations there and left to go to Jeddah from office, When I reached Riyadh airport at check-in counter , the lady over there said your booking is canceled, “oh no..” I did correct installations, there was a little trouble at last stage but I instructed the user and left from there, This much Pepsi user can do ?, he canceled my bookings …?.
I asked her why it is canceled, she spelled, you have not confirmed , “husshhh,,,” it was not Pepsi user ..
I argued but I need to go, she told now you have to catch night flight. What else I can do ?
I agreed changed the booking, Fortunately I met one of my friend , he took me to his apartment. It was in US Colony, there are such colony’s with high security and it has a big 4 sided wall compound. So I spent 2/3 hours there and got to airport again,,
Now guess what? Flight was delayed and finally I flew to Jeddah at 3 AM in the morning. I reached Jeddah around 4/5 AM.
I managed to find where my booking was with the help of local cab driver (Although it’s another blog post how I called and communicated that I arrived in Jeddah). Finally I reached Sheraton, it was great hotel near the Pepsi plant..
Fine .. I reached to office in the morning and started my work.. I met on guy from Hyderabad, he was Oracle Admin there, He took me for lunch Pizza Hut… It’s different there you have to pay 10 Saudi riyals and you get unlimited pizza all of different kinds, tests. We can pickup whichever we want till stomach gives an order to stop.. So 4 days went rapidly in work, (Everyday I was having all different tests for lunch, thanks to Pepsi users).
Finally THE DAY arrived, This time I confirmed the ticket from Hotel, for Air India there was no on call confirmation, we have to go to Air India booking office and then confirm it. Actually I changed the ticket for one day early, as my work was finished. On the day of return I seen the ticket it was 15.00 , some how the time got transformed into my mind is 5 PM. I said ok, lets go to office till 12 and confirm everything works fine and then directly go to Airport around 1.30 – 2. Pepsi cab dropped me at airport little bit early, around 1 PM. Now I thought it’s lot of time for flight so lets go around and shop some KHAJUR, I wondered around till 2 and got board,
Then I went inside the airport after security scanning I reached in transit area, it was 2.30 in the clock. When I reached Air India counter it was not open and one person was standing there.
I asked him when this check in counter will open.
He was just looking at me as he was looking at ghost, He said “Open ?” , “It’s closed”
I said how come, I have flight at 5 PM , he was confused, he asked me the ticket, I gave him ticket and passport . He just looked at the ticket and again at me, He shouted , fool it was at 3 PM and now it’s on way to fly. He just stamped “Late reporting” on my ticket and asked me to go. I was shocked, when I saw it was 15.00 on the ticket, ohh man,, it was 3 PM and not 5.
Clock was showing 2.45 PM,
Me : Please I need to go, I overlooked it and I thought it’s at 5 PM
He – No , Flight is about to take off
Me – Sir , please I have to go , there is emergency
He – No, You are late
Me – But flight is still there right, let me go, I’ll run
He - manifesto is gone , I cant help
Me – When is next flight
He – two days after
Me – Grrrrrrrrrrrr
He – Go and ask my officer in the office,
Me – Where is it
He – Go out side and see the board
I ran out of the transit area, security stopped me, I said I missed the flight and need to do arrangements, Some how I ran to the Air India office. I tried to convinced to the officer, But no luck he was not got convinced.
Then I asked him how can I change my ticket to next flight (I was planning to wait in Airport for next two days .. ha ha ha)
He replied, you have to go to our booking office . Oh God , it was horrible.
Finally I concluded that I can’t fly for next tow days and have to go back. Luckily Pepsi office was open till 5 PM. It was 3.30.
I lifted my baggage and went outside to catch a cab,
I asked cab driver to go to Pepsi office.. ..
After a 15/20 miles I just checked my passport holder and realized there is no passport in it.
Uffffff, I shouted “STOP THE CAB”
Cab driver got the idea , something is wrong. He just parked the cab on sideways, I told him my passport is missing,
Imagine what was the situation - I was searching all over the cab, I opened my bag and put all the stuff in cab, NO, passport was not there. I was shivering and sweating badly, Cab driver now got the seriousness of it, I told him to take me back to Airport.. How Can I find my passport in that huge airport. So many places I visited right from toilet to food court.
I started praying, “GOD please help” It was Thursday, Many promises I made to god if I get my passport back.
I started my return journey to Airport. Every minute was like a year.
I jumped out of cab , paid around 80 Riyals, and ran inside, First I went to the food court, It was very hard to communicate in English, they all speak Arabic, No Hindi, only few Indians who speaks little bit Hindi (I learnt one thing if you have to survive in the world you need to know two languages English, Malayalam )
Then I searched every ware with no luck. I went to Air India office where I was convincing that officer. I cried in forint of him and told him the situation. Luckily he was knowing Hindi at least. After some time he gave me one of his officer with me, to search inside the Airport. I went inside the airport , transit area, where I visited first and shown my passport.
Can you Imagine I was inside the International Airport in Saudi Arabia that too Jeddah without passport.
Till now my prayers were not reached to GOD, everybody was looking at me like a animal in zoo. I was just running here and there.
One sweeper over there was watching all my activities unknowingly. After an hour or so he came to me, asked me in Hindi “Kay ho gay saab” ,
I said ,are yar mera passport gum ho gaya
“Kala tha kya”
Suddanly some shine in my eyes, I said yes.
He said, “Aao mere sath”
Then I followed him to the Security cabin,
There was a security person with long beard, like a demon,
He spoke to him in Arabic , then security person asked me my name , date of birth etc etc.
Then finally he put his hand in drawer and pulled one back passport from there, Yeh Hurrrree It was my passport.
I just jumped in front of him, I hugged that sweeper, tried to gave him sum riyals , He said
“Nahi sahab”
I waked away saying thanks to everybody, I Just sat down on the bench outside the airport with a big simile on my face.
That Sweeper was still looking at me, I just waved may hand … He was smiling ..
Yeh, for me he was none other than god, Thanks man, Thank you very much...