Trip to Garhwa

So, another trip to somewhere...what is such a big deal about it? If only you had known how
sudden and at what time it came! Going to join in a new company, searching for a new house
(that too in mumbai), running for last minute approvals in a company which is as good as a
govt. organisation....phew!! And if this was not enough...there was a hardly any time in
between...2 days and half in maximum...so let us start with the news....

All of a sudden..when I was jumping between places and running for approvals..the news came
Your cousin sister's marriage is fixed and you must be there at Tilak Ceremony...and you have
only 10 days to go...start!! Well...well...well...start I did by first calculating all the combinations
to get it right...searching the flights...what is the best way to handle it...man how can such an
important thing be fixed in such a way...I wish things were simpler and more manageble...

Hardly left with any other option and finally finding some way to handle it..here it is
Reach Ranchi on 24th November...relax for 20 odd hours(thank god!) and then off to Garhwa
and return back almost immediately..catch flight without any rest and back to Bombay...
If it was not enough...complete all the last formality in the company for the next two days and
join the new one the next day...no rest..nothing...you are not supposed to!!

I do not know whom to blame and what to say....

To reach Ranchi by AI flight from Mumbai is a pain(no matter what people say). Below is why...

The plane timing is 8 AM ( but they always start at 8.30)...You must reach airport by 7 AM
It takes around 1.45-2 hours from my place to be there...So I should start at 5.30 AM!?
So, I must get up around 4.30 AM...If not your flight is gone...Well better not to sleep and start
a little early and then sleep at plane(if you can manage)

So, I reached airport at 6.30 AM...although fresh but with red eyes(u know why) and the took
my boarding pass..surprised to see that I can go for security right away...did that...now reached
the required gate number and sitting on a really good chair...why good?Because it invites me to
sleep but god forbid I can't...just asking my brain not to sleep I sat in a relaxed position.

Now it is 7 AM and still 45 minutes to go..before they start entry...I observed the situation there
. In Mumbai there is always crowd...no matter where you are...even at odd times...I saw people
with different backgrounds...middle class people...high class people..all waiting...

I managed to sleep for some 15 minutes...and then the time arrived...the announcement was
made...I just took big steps..show my pass..took my place...windows sit always..

Only this time it was not to be...one gentleman arrived with his family and since they were late
were provided odd seats...now the hostess and the gentleman were requesting people to make
arrangements...it was weird and took some 15-20 minutes..in the process I lost my prized seat
for the first time..sitting in a D instead of A or F? And since it was close to the passage...it is
almost impossible if you are not disturbed by people moving...and then there is always one or the
other refreshment coming...result? I hardly managed to sleep...too bad.. :(

I was surprised to see one hostess. The first time I saw someone again. She was middle aged
and it is quite common to see old or middle aged hostess in Air India. The services offered
by these hostess is good by the way. They don't throw attitude and are quite dutiful. Also
for the first time this aircraft was piloted by a woman. A first here also!

Reached Ranchi almost an hour late..at 2 PM and by the time I reached home it was 3.30 PM..
The rest of the day was passed in arranging for the next day journey and talking to parents...
In the evening I took my food...after a month..again...Maa ke haath ka khana...wonderful!
By the time I could realize it was night and I slept...finally...it was a deep sleep...thank God

In the morning...i hurriedly did everything and the driver too arrived( since the journey was
long, a special driver was send by my uncle)...We started at 11 AM...

I observed again and found out that the driver has never drove a car..all his life he was driving
a bus or a lorry..but never a car...and he to drive for such a long distance...well!

I sat at the front and hence followed an unsaid rule...I am not supposed to sleep during the
way...Nobody is, who seats beside the driver...else god save you...

The driver struggled to understand the nuances of Maruti Alto...and I struggled to sit in such
a small car...

It was an election time and in the way there was a motorcade coming with bikers in the end..
Father asked the driver to get down from the main road and give them the whole way...he
forgot he was talking to a police driver..he just gave a little space...one of the biker was drunk,
so all of a sudden, thought to get ahead of all the bikers, take a sharp 90 degree turn, scratched
one of the car's door and its glass and moved away breaking the back dumper a little.
After that the driver heard an earful from father...for almost the whole journey...and thanks
to this incident..he was very very careful from then onwards..u win some..u lose some..

The journey was exciting and painful both at the same time. There were good scenery and the
road was horrible. For the first time I saw potholes at regular intervals during the way and
sometimes it was only potholes and no road...or some potholes and some road. Often it required
a master to manipulate the steering to avoid them...but often it was impossible...The result..a
tired body...Some 6 six years ago I had passed the same road..but back then it was a beauty...
now...a disaster...Now I understand how easy it is for naxals to attack at will at highways..they
have this beautiful helper which forces the driver to move at very slow speed..nobody dares to
pass this road at night..not even policemen! And you can not even fix this? You are not supposed
to..if you did...be ready to lose your life!

During the way we crossed a town..i observed there were huge crowd at main chowks and people
were discussing something....I was puzzled..Last time there were no such thing..I asked father
what it is all about...he said they were discussing whom to vote...and after the consensus arrives
that party will get the mandate. No independent minds here...That's why they suffer...Votes
can be influenced and even bought...

We reached the place...it was 6.30 PM and the sun was set..we could feel the cold...quite cold...

Driver struggled to park the car at the place pointed out by father...and heard the comments..

I was surprised to see the hotel. Quite beautiful for this place and there was a red carpet till
outside..even inside it was quite arranged and the room was quite clean. They offered evening
snacks and those too were of good quality. I really never expected this.

Even the mobile network was good there..I managed to connect internet in my laptop...
After normal greetings to my uncle and elder people...they started the talk with philosphy and
spirituality...and I silently checked the net and responded only if something interesting popped
up. Then they moved to naxal problems and office problems..I left the laptop and joined the
conversation..the end result was..if you want to solve the naxal problem..give police the free
hand and spare them from human rights people and right to information act..they said when
punjab problem can be solved..why can't we solve this..after all this is very similar...local people
influenced by outside forces. Interesting enough! And in office if you want to succeed, don't try
to do anything...the more you do something..the more trouble will come..at least in govt. office
this is how things are....

The ceremony was at 11 PM...we started to move to the place at 9 PM. Fortunately it was
quite nearby. After some good coffee, food was served..which again was fantastic. Again the
surprise was that non-veg was also served..that too mutton!!

I moved directly to the pandal for the thing I came from Bombay. They informed that I, infact,
was the most important person for today. Dressed like a simpleton, I smiled as all were wearing
very good suits. Everything was done almost perfectly and the pundit was chanting
the mantra perfectly, only at the end I did something unknowingly..but then it helped all to
smile and laugh a lot. I had threw the rice on the ladies when I was supposed to throw them
at the tilak offerings!!

Moved to my room directly after that...and slept for an hour or two..before I left for Ranchi.
Since it was morning the journey was covered an hour faster. I managed to go to my home and
rested before I left for Bombay. Surprise again as there were more security checks in Ranchi
than in Bombay and the flight reached Bombay airport 5 minute before time. It was not until
10.45 PM when I reached my room and then after some time went to sleep...

The journey was complete and must say it was worth it. Don't know when next I will be
taking the same..maybe never...