The Day That Was Bad

The day that was bad .... this is the most apt title for this post. Not sure how much luck defines and dictates our daily life but surely it has definite part to play.

I was coming back from Kolkata to Mumbai, this time - alone, as I had already expired my vacation balances and Soumo still had a few more days before coming back to Mumbai.

I was traveling with Air India with 1 checkin luggage and one hand luggage.My hand luggage was a 8 kg standard VIP box. As I boarded the plane, I neatly packed my luggage in the overhead bin.
To all the young fashionistas, nails are always a canvas of freedom and expression. Bright nails in sporty hues was my flavor that day.

Air India reached Mumbai on time, I was supposed to go to office directly from airport. When the pilot turned off the seat belt alert, most of the passengers stood up for retrieving luggage from the bin. I too hurried and in the process damaged my right index finger. Half the nail got uprooted and it was bleeding profusely. I almost cried in pain. With my nail profusely bleeding, it was a challenge to pull the luggage, but somehow i managed. Almost with a teary eyed face, i reached luggage conveyer belt. I was not sure, that whether i can pull the heavy luggage, but thanks to a fellow young man.
I was supposed to head to office directly, but tremendous pain was confusing me. I was not able to decide. Just then a fellow gentleman intervened. He directed me towards the first aid counter and he helped me by pulling the luggage. The staff there did a basic dressing of my hand and was able to arrest the bleeding. Finally i proceeded towards the exit. And just when this hassle is getting over i entangled myself in another one.
Normally whenever we come back, we usualy head towards the prepaid taxi counter to reach home. This time i completely forgot about the counter itself. i stepped out side the airport building with luggage in one hand and a bandaged hand hanging from the other side. Seeing me like that, a taxi driver approached, and i started blindly following him completely forgetting about the many touts that lurk around mumbai airport. I boarded a private taxi which was more like a hired car. And instead of asking him to drive towards my office in vikhroli , i asked him to head towards my home in nerul. And then he dropped the bomb. "Madam aapko yahan ka rate malum hain na?" I said yes. "1100 tak ayega madam", i said "what????" this is when a drive from santacruz to nerul used to be around 450 bucks.
"haan madam tourists ko har din leke jaate hain". I said "i am neither a tourist nor a fool,  i am here for the last few years. if u r not ok with it drive me back from where u hv picked up. I am not going to pay u a rupee extra." "Nahi madam i helped u", .... i said - "soooo? that does not amount to that much amount of money". And then bargaining started. he was reducing his fare but i was not ready to oblidge. But i was not able to argue much, courtesy my hand. If he stops the car - i would not be able to proceed much without a taxi stand near by. I forced him to drive towards a taxi stand, threatening hime with the chaos i can cause with traffic police nera by. Some how we reached a taxi stand, and i shifted in that. and finally reached home. In this entire process i spent around 600 which was 150 more than the usual. And i was bitter about it.
Dumped all luggages at home and decided to get into a train instead of a taxi to reach office. I thought i need to save money as i have already wasted some. I went to the near by station and decided to board the second class instead of the usual first class. Remeber i want to save money.  And in this process I kocked the door of the third problem.
The compartment was overflowing but i managed to push a little here and there and got some place to stand. My hand was still aching and i was  part preoccupied in that. Many in the compartment noticed that and i even shared this broken nail story with a few sympathisers. A few co passengers were a little fishy but then i thought why bother with all these. In Ghatkopar the compartment became quite empty and in the next station vikhroli i got down.
Just outside the station i got a park side autorickshaw. I was quite happy that after so much of ordeal i finally reached office. As i got down from the auto near godrej suddenly i realised that half of the chain is open in my hand purse .... and serach search search my wallet is missing.  I started panicking, searched again and realised that i am the latest victim of pick pocket. But where, is it in the auto. But i am the only passenger. It couldnt be that in a traffic signal some body picked it up. I was trying to travel back the memory lane. And oh .... it must be at ghatkopar. i now remember a group of women almost circled me at ghat kopar, i was trying to save my injured hand from brushing against them. Yes, it must be them , .... thats why nobody else in the train noticed it. I have heard of group of women gangs travelling in kurla ghatkopar line famed for robbing train bound passengers.
By this time auto driver realised what happenned and he offered help - "madam u need not pay this fare". However i had some coins in side pocket of my purse, i paid him with that and headed towards  office.
And then suddenly the impact of this whole stolen wallet issue endowed on me. I realised that not only the money - all my cards were there and those were now in unsafe hand. I was petrified with the thought of impending money loss. I dont have the card details with me to block, neither i have money to travel back home to search for the diary with the numbers. To top it all, my husband is out of town and i need to stock up on food and groceries as  i am just back from vacation. Even if i manage to block the cards then how will i get the money to reach home or to buy the ration. By this time i was utterly confused and lost all senses regarding what needs to be done.
Slowly I entered my bay and ultimately shared that with a colleague. He sensed that i was totally puzzled. He lent me some cash. and advised on calling up my husband. So I called up soumo, I can sense tension piling on me, my head is already on fire. Along with the instruction to block cards I passed on my anxiety and frustration over the phone  to Soumo, my mom and mashimoni. Finally they sourced the details from a backup and then one by one i blocked all my cards.  Once when all these where blocked, I took a sigh of relief. Repented and called back to say sorry for this untimely temper I showed. I had some water and started deep breathing. I needed to cool down else i ll make more mistakes. I packed up rest of the day nicely. Went home and ordered for food from outside. Going out to buy some veggies, was out of question.

The result of these series of terrific experiences...... My husband cut back on his vacation and landed in Mumbai the very next day. Its been almost a year but i still cant forget that single day in Mumbai which taught me so many lessons in one single day!!