Hsssssssssssssssssssssss. Do not tell my wife about this!!!!!!!. Before I narrate the story, I just want to know, whether have you ever shared a bed with two to three unknown fellows. I did once in 1989 at Calcutta (Kolkata).
Do not worry; it is nothing scandalous.
During that period, I was posted at Kohima as Regional Assistant Director, popularly known as RAD, Nagaland, NSSO(FOD). I was to take a flight from Gauhati( Guwahati) to Calcutta(Kolkata) to catch a train from Howrah to Hyderabad to attend All India Training Conference for 45th/46th NSSO survey. I came to Guwahati one day before my plan for departure. My flight was at 8.00 AM from Guwahati. A day before my departure, Indian Airlines announced that my flight would depart at 5 PM only; thanks to 10 hour( From 6 AM to 4PM) Bandh Call by All Gauhati Students Union. From here onwards, my ordeal started.
During that time, a Bandh call by ASSU/AGSU is like imposition of curfew in a city. Though, many of friends and family members had cars/scooters, none could muster the courage to drop me at the airport by their cars/scooters. Finally, I decided to stay overnight with my wife’s uncle’s family who lived at University campus. Thus, I reduced the distance from airport by 8 km. On the fateful day of departure from Guwahati, I started walking to the airport at around 11AM.
I reached the airport by 2 PM with some helping hands from a airport staff( he gave a lift for 5 km) and an ambulance( I did not fall ill, the driver, on request, gave me a lift for 2 KM). I thought, I would be the only person who braved the Bandh to reach the airport. On reaching the airport, I saw a swarm of passengers who slept on the floor of airport or elsewhere. No flight from Guwahati was cancelled and all passengers were accommodated by adjusting flight timing.
My flight actually departed at 7 PM instead of 5 PM as earlier announced (true to the colours of AI). As flight was late, AI was kind enough to provide coupons for snacks to the passengers. The restaurant was crowded and I managed to get a seat alongwith three other unknown passengers (ooops! No female passenger!!!). As a matter of luck, all four of us, were going to take the same flight for catching trains from Kolkata( precisely from Howrah). None of us was travelling by air for comfort or for luxury but for Majburi (compulsion).
Without any hassles, we reached Kolkata and took a taxi to Howrah. We rented a room and shared a bed for the night and left the hotel, one by one, to go to our destinations.
When, I recall that day, now, I feel I did a grave mistake. Nothing had happened that night, it is our luck and fortunately, all of us were real and honest passengers. Now a days, we read many stories, how people are robbed/murdered after befriending with strangers. Whenever, I say about that night, every near and dear ones scolds- but at back of the mind, I enjoyed the incident very much.
Chapter 11: A Twist To the ‘Dilemma of a friend’ Story