Naama Mahimai - Sri Gnaneshwar Bhagavathar

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February 11, 2014 - 5:40 pm 

On the day of travel…..to MOHANOOOOOR

The day began very early around 5:45 am (very early since the climate hardly allows anyone to get up early these days). Switched on the heater to get ready to the office. Finished the routine in less than 40 minutes after pressing the clothes and got out to the office to clock 8 hours @ 6:40 am.

Just before getting out to the office, ensured that the luggage are packed and travel documents like passport/tickets, all sorts of chargers, etc are packed as well. Once the mind said, nothing more to pick up, left to office. Then to save time in the afternoon and avoid mad rush, loaded the luggage in the car boot. (I should say I managed to find a space for the luggage).

Felt hungry as soon entering the office. May be due to the aroma around the lobby, courtesy to Tim Hartons. Picked a medium hot French vanilla and a zatar croissant.

Heard a noise from the pantry when landed my 12^th floor. Peeped to learn that Mohideen (our floor office assistant but company calls them office boy irrespective of their age!) has already arrived. He said his bus drops him near our company @ 5:45am and he gets allowed inside the building to work @ 6am. I was telling myself that I would have saved 20 dirhams had I knew Mohideen would have been there at this time.

Soon after starting the laptop enjoyed the hot French vanilla and croissant together. Interestingly for the first time had a croissant which was so fresh and tasty (Tim Hartons sales lady said “fresh from the oven sir” in typical Pilipino accent). It was really true.

Unlike most of the days, hardly found time to read the online newspapers. Still managed to browse couple of pages to see any major news of my interest. Found nothing much of my interest other than Kiwi’s Jessy Ryder’s probable drop for the second test against India and the ensuing T20 world cup.

As usual busy with many calls chasing me for approval endorsements and typical work related enquiries. Got rid of most of my routines around 11am and hurried to play “pool” with Pakistan’s Umar. It was my day on the table where I was having only black to pocket where Umar was having another 5 solids before the black. I was happy to win before proceeding for a short leave.  Mohammed joined us and played against both (Umar & myself). Not sure whether this is allowed as per the rules. But who bothers. It was totally looking like Mohammed’s day when he took the first table and in the next game we revenged him at the last minute. All three of us enjoyed and greeted each other before passing what went wrong on the table for Mohammed. Mohammed attributed his screw-up courtesy to the tall Rakan. It was a good break for some twenty odd minutes.

Started again with the final things to do and wound up the day with after ensuring nothing more to do for the day and left hurriedly without informing anyone. Did not manage to clock 8 hours @ work. Picked the car and called the better half with the little one to come down from 7^th floor to board the car. We eventually started after fifteen to twenty minutes after leaving office. It was sharp 13:30 in the car when all the doors were locked and I started to Dubai (from Abu Dhabi) to pick up the flight. Reached Dubai around 15:20 and in between got couple of calls to answer (of course both personal and official).

Sukanya and Kamakshi were handed over to Kavitha Ramakrishnan and Navanith respectively. I said bye to all of them and left Ramakrishnan’s home. All day supermarket came handy to pick up some last minutes requests. This time the last minute request was to get some playing cards. Happily picked up three made in USA playing cards and a lock to ensure safety to my check-in baggage.

Arrived Interiors building where my brother lives and parked the car happily and was waiting for Ramakrishnan to drop me off to Teriminal 2. Had a quick chat with him upon his arrival on luggage weight. Interestingly the ticket said 20+7kgs were allowed but he confused me that it got recently changed to 30kgs due to recent uproar by all passengers that this is too less and it is against IATA rules. So we googled Air India Express call center number in Dubai to check how much I can carry. We found a number which is someone’s home landline number. We had some fun calling the same number couple of times. Need to write to Air India Express head office in India on this apathy.

I was dropped in Terminal 2 and thanks to CV Ramakrishnan. Managed to reach the place avoiding all the traffic woes.

Picked the trolley to load all the luggage and entered the check in counter straight after getting into the airport. May be in 20 minutes or less completed the check in and the immigration clearance. As usual forgot to ask the airport staff who gives boarding pass to tell him that I want a window seat. Fortunately he gave a window seat even without asking the same. However it was row 20.

Called the family to inform that all is well and have 2 hours of idle time before getting into the flight. Roamed around the T2 and the only interesting shopping place was… of course Dubai Duty Free. It was glittering as usual and more people around the area of liquor shopping zone than all other places. I turned to the electronics section to check some good offers and found nothing interesting. Moved further to watches area where found a beautiful Tag huer with a shining blue dial. Wow it was really amazing and very heavy to even carry leave alone wearing it. Price was 14k dirham. Too big for a watch at this time when the exchange rates are really favorable to NRIs.

Got bored after 30 minutes of roaming the duty free zones before finding an empty seat near Gate 3. Opened the Blackberry and started to respond to nine of the emails to which my response is critical. Finished all of them and looked around to see what is happening. In between the a guy next to me was asked a question “machi washroom engada?” (meaning “where is the washroom”) and he got the reply “theriyalada” (I don’t know!!). To the guy in need I directed the route. Expected a small thanks but unfortunately did not get that. Thought of teaching to be courteous and be thankful to people who helped. But left him as such who was in natures hurry. Small things like being thankful are not taught at work place by colleagues or friends or well-wishers. Unfortunately this really disturbs the image of the country we are representing particularly with people from West. Family should teach values to kids when they are young is the moral behind this cry.

By now there was a seat empty next to me until Senthilnathan decided to fill it up and give  a company to me. He by profession an ECE engineer (2011 Annamalai varsity BE grad), started narrating many things without even asking for the details. Just showed him that I am listening to him seriously and that’s  it. He started to pour things and in less than fifteen minutes I came to know enough I should know about this guy who is quite enthusiastic in learning about the interesting technologies present in his field. I left him when he got a call after giving him a strawberry drink. He happily acknowledged thanks sir. He never returned till the end of journey even after finishing his call.

After spending a long time in the waiting area, finally boarded a bus which dropped me next to the small air craft. It was Air India’s Boeing 737-800. While getting into the plane, the airhostess stopped us getting into and made some final arrangements. It was extremely windy outside and too cold for a person with a T-shirt. Peeped into the aircraft cockpit and to my surprise a good gesture from one of the pilots saluting me in right hand after sipping his tea. I was able to clearly see both the pilots sipping a drink from the paper cup and the dash board full of lights and different meters calculating whatever I do not know on mother earth.

Asked the airhostess “is this the flight going to Trichy?” and she said irritatingly “obviously yes”. A typical national carrier response. I was puzzled due to the fact in all my previous travels, one guy checks the boarding pass at the doorsteps before boarding the flight. Anyways left her and moved ahead to find my window seat and finally sat in row 20 which was hardly comfortable to anyone. No cushion at all. The seats were red in color and I believe it is was previously leased by Kingfisher. I was not worried seriously with reference to the comfort, as the travel is scheduled for less than four hours. Heard and saw the safety announcement video in Hindi and soon after English started fell asleep.

Woken up suddenly when evening snack was served. That’s it. A vegie guy like me can hardly think of having anything which was offered. Did not have most of the items given and returned everything except a cup meant for coffee. Alas latter I checked with a airhostess whether they would provide any dinner and the reply was a big NO. Started to sketch my plans for food soon after getting out of airport in Trichy.

Everything in the window seat is awesome except when you drink more water. Disturbed the sleep of my fellow passenger to my left who was snoring at full vigor which was audible more than the wind blowing sound coming from the outside.

Awful turbulence while travel not letting me type this and hearing an announcement from the airhostess “please wear the seat belts and be seated since we are running across a bad weather”. Looked like the weather was really awful because this announcement came up every twenty minutes. As and when the seat belt sign were off, I was able to see a long queue to the washroom.

Kept on looking at the newly bought Swatch watch and adjusted the timing to IST. For some reasons I was eagerly waiting just to get out of the plane to feel natural and comfortable. By now I am really hungry. Thirty more minutes to land and another 30 minutes to clear the luggage. OMG!!! Heard from the playing kids behind my seat that we are going to land soon and one of them started to show some landmarks of Trichy to the other. 

Welcome INDIA.

See you soon!!!

CA. Kumar Sitaraman

Who is the Gang???

A serious note:

Who is the Gang???  The choices to pick are endless. Nevertheless here are the few.

(i)                  6 men or

(ii)                Great INDIAn Citizens who saw the girl naked for approximately 50 minutes to offer a shawl till police reached the spot or

(iii)               the law makers (politicians) who wrote toothless provisions to curb assault against womanhood  or

(iv)              the ruling Government which said NO to conduct a session in the Parliament to bring up a law to protect womanhood or

(v)                usual 5^th choice… not able to decide and can’t say

Honestly I am confused like many of you due to multiple options above… WHO should be blamed for WHAT, HOW and WHEN? Deep thoughts within however conveys that we are like this today because of our own attitudes. I am not here to start a blame game. But let us be honest in accepting being selfish, worried about own family and their safety. But time has come to change ourselves, stand united and fight for the justice for the society by and large.  

Unfortunately we are from a country which is “Over legislated and under enforced” and where nothing happens in time. The Prime minster comes out to address the nation after a week of the incident. We have leaders who lack leadership qualities and all they do are only atrocities of varying nature. It is quite timely to recall our ex-president accepting clemency petition and letting a rape accused go without capital punishment (despite the raped victim being just 5 years old).  

Let me stop here and put forth the suggestions.

1.       The trial in the court of law should happen only once.

2.       When proved in the court of law, the only punishment to the accused is death penalty.

3.       Court verdict is non-bailable and not appealable in any other court of law in the country.

4.       Make the law having a retrospective effect from the day of independence.

This will result women getting the respect they deserve to lead a normal life and prevent from being raped morally in the work places and elsewhere daily.

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa once said, society is like a bird and it requires two wings to fly, one being men and the other as women. British have left the country but their rules still remain. High time to change the rules and punishments. Stand united wherever you are, who is opposing and supporting the cause. At the end we all are one and having one agenda in mind – “the change”.

Almighty is great in picking fantastic souls with him very early. Many thanks for taking her soon and not letting the girl suffer anymore. Also thanks again to the almighty for showing us a real leader in-absentia.

Jai Hind!!!