After the security check at the airport, while I was waiting to pick up my handbag and mobile from the tray, my phone kept ringing incessantly. Without even looking at the screen, I knew the caller was none other than my husband.
That was the time when I had started travelling solo by air after the birth of my grandchild. I can’t say I have become a frequent flyer now, but yes, over the past one-and a-half years, I must have made a dozen solo trips between Delhi and Chandigarh. My husband is more relaxed now, but earlier he used to be quite anxious whenever I had to travel singly. He would drop me at the Chandigarh airport and wait till I entered the gate. He would call me at least four times till I finally boarded the aeroplane.
Coming back to my story, I was rushing towards the boarding gate at IGI Airport when my phone rang yet again. As expected my concerned husband was on the line. I rummaged through my hand bag to retrieve my phone. In the hurry and flurry, I didn’t realize something had slipped out until a passerby pointed it out. Guess what! It was my boarding pass.
Thank God, I was saved from harassment and embarrassment. Yet again, I was lucky to have escaped huge botheration when I messed up at the airport at another time. However, this time I was not alone but travelling with my husband. After collecting the check-in baggage from the Carousel, baggage conveyer belt at the Delhi Airport, my hubby was in no mood to immediately rush out of the airport. The Delhi-Chandigarh flight time is barely thirty-five minutes, but it takes more than an hour in maddening traffic to reach the destination from the airport. Thus, as the luck would have it, we decided to have a cup of tea in the baggage reclaim area before leaving.
While we were merrily sipping tea, my husband got a call from an unknown number. Immediately, he got up, checked the suitcase, and started towing it towards the conveyer belt, just opposite the café. Within two minutes he was back after exchanging the baggage with an elderly couple who was waiting for their suitcase. He had to apologize for my stupidity, for I was the one responsible for the faux pas. Too engrossed chatting on my mobile to check the ribbon tied on its handle to mark our baggage, I picked up someone else’s suitcase of the same make, size and colour. Of course, I felt embarrassed, but I shudder to think of the scenario if we had left the airport immediately after collecting the luggage.
Imagine discovering the blunder at the venue before getting ready for the function! It was sheer luck that the old couple was vigilant and we were still around so that the bags could be exchanged without much of a hassle within no time. A crisis averted!
Since I happened to be twice luck, I can merrily end with a cheerful note ‘All is well that ends well’. However, this doesn’t undermine the need to be careful and alert. In Hindi they say ‘Savdhani hati, durghtna ghati’, implying the moment you stop being careful and alert, you are likely to meet with an accident. Becoming wiser after two near misses, I resolved to never let my guard down, especially at an airport.
(Published in Woman’s era July 2024 issue )
You are absolutely right Ma’am. These type of incidents happen with many people on the airport. We are so occupied with our mobile phones at times that we don’t pay attention to our things properly. This could lead to loss of our essential items. You have given an important message through your writing. We need to be aware of our belongings anywhere we go.
Yes Khushneet , this is the problem. We know how much harm mobile addiction can cause , yet we continue to be glued to our mobile all the time . We need to be careful.
Thanks Khushneet for reading and leaving your comment.
Very interesting, humourous,madam.
It is exactly my story.I also have to travel alone,since my grandchild is born (between Lucknow and Guwahati). Frankly,I am not confident and not enjoy much.I miss train journey,aloo sabji and poori, watching change lifestyle of my country.I cannot even take homemade desi ghee and sarson ka tel for my children.
I enjoyed your article a lot,madam.
This is really interesting..grannies seem to be sailing in the same boat, I mean travelling solo by air .
I am sure you enjoyed reading my story as much as I enjoyed reading yours .
Thanks Garima .
Rama, I used to wonder why my wife and my in laws tie funny waste cotton strips, nylon ropes, packing tapes with names and address written with marker pen while traveling to JFK from IGI. Aim was to save their own precious baggage from such confusion creators. First time after Marriage, my elder daughter travelled from SFO to IGI and after gruesome encounter with Air India staff she could manage to retrieve her baggage from an American who had mistakingly taken and was doing check in the Hotel. There are numerous such instances and Rama you are no different. We Indians experience says if you travel alone , be prepared to give OK report to your entire kutumb. I start this exercise immediately on touch down and certainly before reaching the conveyor belt.
Yes, the baggage exchange at airports is not uncommon, happens everywhere.
Narinder, your narration is always very interesting. The beginning is so amusing.. all kinds of tags to identify the baggage . And the ending is equally funny . We Indians have to inform everyone in the family of safe landing … and you complete this obligation before reaching the conveyer belt .
Thanks Narinder for sharing your interesting tale in your amusing style.
A very interesting article, hilarious too at times. We all have gone through these incidents but the way you have expressed it is too good. Our suitcase was exchanged at Heathrow airport and a flight was cancelled last minute at Beijing airport, spilling coffee at Goa because of too much rush, buying Vada pav at Delhi airport and running to catch the bus upto the plane, I was reminded of everything. You have a knack of writing about everyday life incidents and touching a cord in all of us.
Alka ,you are truly a frequent flier with so many airport anecdotes . The most amusing is the one when you ran to catch the pickup bus upto the plane .
Hope to read your interesting airport tales in detail .
Always grateful to you for your words of encouragement.
Rama dear loved your brave write up which is always relevant to our daily life experience. Every one can relate with your experience. Love you dear. Keep it up. God bless all.
Neelam dear , I can never thank you enough for always encouraging me. Thanks dear for being my support, my cheerleader. 🤗🥰
Dear Rama it was sheer delight reading your honest and frank scribble ! I have had dozen such experiences lurking or luckily due to goof up by airlines people during my International travels. Most annoying one was when i was bringing bridal collection for my daughter in law for her wedding and dresses for each occasion for the wedding functions . All classified and planned , stacked in suitcases. To my horror both the suitcases were found missing at Kingsford Smith airport Sydney. I did report about that to the airlines but was freezing list what would i wear at the Prime occasion in my life . With wedding just a week away it was not possible to get Indian dresses stitched . I was feeling embarrassed how to convince the bride to be that i did get all the dresses for her ! . I had sleepless nights for four days and luckily two days prior to wedding i got the two suitcases delivered to my residence with a note that they were left at the transit stop over by mistake ! It has always been a rocky road for me and i have always thought WHY ME !
Well done Rama ! Keep writing
Omg ! Vini , I can understand what you must have gone through . All dresses made for bride and then the bags carrying the dresses go missing. Thank God your suitcases were delivered before the wedding.
Vini , we were saved of a similar embarrassment when our suitcases got exchanged at Delhi Airport. We were to go straight to the hotel for my daughter- in- law’s baby shower. My sari, accessories were all packed in the suitcase that was exchanged. You can imagine my embarrassment, had it not been recovered in time .
Grateful to you Vini for always reading with interest and posting your interesting comments.
Enjoyed thoroughly the interesing tale of every single woman of our age during domestic or international flights….. Most of us can so well relate to your misadventures. The point is your pen has the magic of creating extraordinary out of ordinary….keep it up dear Rama….continue regaling us with your creativity👌⚘
This is very sweet of you dear Mrs Dhawan.The way you write and appreciate my humble writing fills my heart with joy .
Always grateful to you for all your love and blessings. 🙏
Dear Rama ji
Well written article.
Keep writing more such incidences.
All remember but you have meticulously put words and turned into a wonderful write up.
Thanks Vibha . I am humbled. All I can say is ‘ Beauty lies in the eyes of beholder.’
Husbands love n concern… Your true moments.. N honesty in boldness…. Enjoyed reading every word… Curosity n satisfaction is woven in between words… Reminds my one trip of hard struggle without lifting arms rest n once reached window seat realized with finger touch a big space could have been created much to my foolishness…..
You reminded of all those funny moments resolved finally in our favour…
Congrates.. One more leaf in your collection..
God bless you.. ☘️💞
Thanks Anjana di for your delightful comment. True , sometimes one struggles with small things … even lifting armrest , reclining the seat and unfastening the seat belt can be a struggle for the first time flyer .
Thanks di for all your love and encouragement.
Remember in one of my trips to Australia..
Prayed God please bless me vid one moment of YOUR Divine presence. 🔥
Wheelchair holders as they exit plane in d last.. I was last in that group as well… ☹️
Two rows of claimants had already been waiting..
To my surprise only single chair available at Singapore Airport was given to me. 😊
Tearful eyed paid gratitude to God for that prayed MOMENT n blessed my son also who suggested to take along only one cushion instead of 6..7..kg.carry bag.. 🌺
We discover ourselves in journeys.. 🙂
I am so happy my article has brought back so many of your airport memories .
I am amazed how you express gratitude for every small little thing -whether yo do with getting a wheelchair at the airport or carrying just a cushion in the airplane on the advice of your son .
Rama dear,words fail me to commemnt on your talent of writing. This article is a candid expression of your thoughts and experience and leaves tge reader in a cheerful mood bedides conveying a messge about air travel
Thank you so much ma’am. It gives me immense joy that you found the piece a delightful read . 🙏🌹🙏