May 16th, 7:19pm - “Sir, please... please, make way for me.” I was wading through the crowd in front of me before the check-in counter. It took me some time to reach the check-in counter of Jet Airways with fewer people in front. I gave him my e-ticket and I-card. He worked on his computer and announced, “739 is closed, sir.” I was taken aback and then asked dumbly, “What?” “Your flight, sir - 9W 739… Check-in is closed. I’m sorry.” It took some time for the truth to sink in. ‘Oh, crap! What am I gonna do now.’ I told myself. “Is there anything that could be done?” I asked dumbly once again. But I knew the answer to that question.
Rewinding...
It was 5:43pm on the 16th of May and the Delhi bound train stopped at the cantonment station in Delhi. It felt great to be on my way home after a tiring semester back at college. Me and my friend Keshav got down with my entire luggage. It definitely was a pain walking around with all four bags weighing more than 35 kilos put together. With one suit case that could fit a 7 year old inside, a smaller one with stuff more than how much it can handle, a travel bag with one of the shoulder straps snapped still stuffed with a million things inside that made me carry it on just one shoulder, and the bag that had my laptop I started walking down the platform. I tried different orientations of the baggages so that they did not interfere with each other and also not trouble me, but in vain.
We came outside the railway station. There was no sign of a cab. I had to get to the airport to catch my 8pm flight to Chennai from terminal 3 of IGIA. It was almost around 6:30pm by the time we got an auto-rickshaw. We had to pay a hundred and fifty bucks to get to the IGIA from the station. We tried to bargain, but the auto driver would not budge. We got on and reached the airport at around 6:50pm and we had to take a bus from outside to get into terminal 3. I was already getting tensed since time was running out.
The bus dropped us in front of international terminal 3. The worst part was, I did not have my ticket. I was relying on taking a print out from the terminal itself. I had to wait for a couple of minutes before I could give the person over there my ticket details and get it printed. Then I got Keshav’s call, “Man, where are you? I am waiting inside. Come on in. We still have time.” His flight was at 8:35pm, but mine was at 8. Probably, HE still had time I thought as I looked at the clock showing 7:15pm.
“Sir, please... please, make way for me.” I was wading through the crowd in front of me before the check-in counter. It was 7:19pm and my flight was at 8pm. It is common knowledge that the check-in counters close 40 minutes before departure. It took me some time to reach the check-in counter of Jet Airways with fewer people in front. The person in front of me walked away and then it was my turn. I gave him my e-ticket and I-card. He worked on his computer and announced, “739 is closed, sir.” I was taken aback and then asked dumbly, “What?” “Your flight, sir - 9W 739… Check-in is closed. I’m sorry.” It took some time for the truth to sink in. ‘Oh, crap! What am I gonna do now.’ I told myself. “Is there anything that could be done?” I asked dumbly once again. But I knew the answer to that question.
But, suddenly, like a bolt from the blue, he said, “Oh, we still have time, sir. There is still about a minute left.” ‘Thank, God! That is the sweetest thing I have ever heard!’ I thought. I kept my entire luggage except for the laptop for checking in. He pressed some numbers, checked the weight of all the baggages together and announced, “It exceeds the limit by 7 kilos.” Yes, it was showing 26 kilos with some decimals I do not remember. ‘Seven kilos! Merlin’s Beard! What am I, walking around with more than 27 kilos.. A porter or something?’ While this shock was sinking in time was running out and he told me that I had to pay a fine of a thousand bucks. Generally, they allow us to take two hand luggages if they are fragile or small. “Well, then.. I shall take this small suit case too with me as hang luggage.” While I was telling him this and was ready to take the suit case away as I told, he told me, “I am afraid I am not wrong this time. The check-in has closed now.”
Then something weird happened. The guy who checked me in ran ahead of me with my boarding pass almost until the security check. He stopped there, looked around and then told me, “Pay me the fine here and go quickly for the security check. Boarding is at 7:20pm. Go fast.” So, I gave him the money and ran helter-skelter. I got past the security check and ran towards the boarding gates. It took me sometime to find out how to go to the boarding gates. I started running like I was mad. My boarding gate was 42.
I saw a sign board saying gates something to something, but it was definitely way too far from 42. I ran once again, ran and ran until I came to gate number 42 puffing and panting. The security people over there stopped me. I thought I was late. ‘Oh my God! What is going to happen now?!’ Then in about a couple of minutes, the let me in. I thought, ‘Oh, I must me the last one in.. There is no one around.. Will I make it or will they shut the gate on my face and shoo me off?!’ Then I saw the air hostesses coming behind me.. ‘Weird!’ I thought. Then, I reached the gate and had to wait there for sometime, when I realized that I am going to be the first one in! ‘Again, weird!’ I thought.
I was feeling proud of myself as I seated myself inside the plane. Well, it takes some guts to check-in as the last person and board as the first one, doesn’t it? My phone was ringing and I answered it, “Ya, mom.. It was fine.. Ya.. Security, check-in all were fine.. Well, all except for that I almost missed my flight..”
