Episode 312 : Omens

The year 2008 and what happened before the journey to Uttaranchal-

I booked a Bangalore-Ahmedabad ticket instead of Bangalore-New Delhi and realized the mistake while printing the e-ticket. I had pressed PgUp and caused the destination to change, instead of scrolling up the page. I paid the penalty for cancellation, and promptly got myself another ticket.

A day before the flight, a text message informs that my flight is advanced (or pre-poned as we say it) by 3 hours. I find myself at the airport one hour before the check-in counter opens for my flight. I spend the next one hour dawdling. Ten minutes after checking in, I find a few missed calls and a text message that said that my flight would be delayed by an hour.

That flight delayed itself till its actual departure was only 10 minutes before the initially promised departure of 2030 hours.

The year 2011 and the story so far-

I book a Bangalore-New Delhi-Bangalore flight on a GoAir flight. A couple of days later, I am unsure if I would have enough time to pack the bike off to Bangalore and then reach the airport on time. Temporary insanity ensures that I cancel my ticket, thinking I would book another flight later.

One hour later, the friend tells me his flight leaves two hours before mine and that the bikes will be taken care off. I ended up having paid cancellation charges for a valid ticket, and paying extra for a ticket on a SpiceJet flight.

The day before yesterday, I find a series of missed calls. Thinking that someone out there is trying to sell me a credit card or a loan, I choose not to call back, till I get a text message that my return flight has been cancelled. I call up SpiceJet, and book myself on a flight that will leave 2 hours later on the same day. But I still get a couple of missed calls.

A few minutes later the phone rings. It is GoAir. My flight to New Delhi has been advanced (or pre-poned as we say it) by 3 hours.

I am sure this flight too will delay itself.

* * * * *

So I get those two weeks I had promised to the motorcycle, the camera and to me. Like I have been telling myself, being patient probably pays off just as well.

If all these are omens, then maybe this journey will be just as enjoyable as the last one.