June 21st 2013.. Friday… last working day in
office for my US trip 2013 in Merrimack NH. Best time to clear off loads of tasks
on your checklist J.
Twist 1: Previous night, like any other, I thought, I shall
sleep early and go to office early to clear off all tasks.. taka taka taka!! …
What happens? I end up going to office 1 hr. late. So now its 1 hr. less.
Twist 2: My previous team mates had previously decided to take
me out for lunch. Enthu was super high, everyone told they’ll join for lunch.
Sounded awesome. I had planned for this and skipped my breakfast :). In office now. Normally I go to cafeteria with
Mohan (The Nepal King) for coffee after our morning meetings. Winding up all meetings,
and my team asks me to work in the team room whole day. What?? Yes..Entire team
should sit in the team room and work together. Video conference was rolling
full day to keep the team in other site also to be involved. They started this
new style of working. Poor chap Mohan is waiting for our regular coffee meet. I
somehow bargain a break and come out. Coffee break done!!
Twist 3: Walking back to team room and I meet few of my old
team mates. Today I have an important meeting; can we skip lunch today and go
for ice cream at 2 pm? Oooops… I end up
preparing Maggie for my lunch. J.
While all folks are busy in meeting, I decided to clear of my
payments to enterprise car rental guys. So I inform these guys that I’ll be
back in 20 mins. (Well 20 mins for a desi is never 20 mins .. lol). I head out
to the nearby enterprise store in Nashua from where i had rented my car..
Twist 4: 12:45pm..Hey Nathan, how are you…. Doing good.. How are you!!
We both greet each other. Am here to clear of my payments towards you guys, can
you let me know how much I need to pay you guys more? Sure says Nathan. He takes
my car keys, looks at the number and starts playing harmonium on his computers keyboard:
P. 233$ is the pending amount sir he says. Ok.. Here is my card take it!! J. Nathan takes my card
and swipes it on his system. Oops…“for some reason the card seems not to be
working.. lemme try once again”.. He swipes again and same result. “Do you have
enough balance in this card sir”… I say.. Oh yeah definitely should be there.
He repeats the same word.. for some reason the card seems not to be working.. Do
you have any other card with you? … NO!!
J
Twist 5: ok, lemme do this, I’ll come back tomorrow morning
and swipe it again, I say. Nathan says sorry sir, once the card goes through an
invalid swipe; it is blocked for 24 hrs in our enterprise systems. Aaaaaaah!!!
Why Aaaaaaah?? Two reasons, 1) since it was Saturday next day I
had plans to roam around , hence did not want to waste time being in Nashua 2) Enterprise are open only half a day on Saturday
till noon and they are closed on Sunday. Now what does that mean? I can’t go on
Saturday and Sunday and also not on Monday, because my flight back home was on
Sunday evening.
Twist 6: I had some 200$ cash in my pocket, still 33$ short.
So I decided to withdraw some 40$ and clear it off by paying him cash. Nathan
says.. “Sorry sir we don’t accept cash”. Again aaaaaaah!!! J. Ok now what do I do?
Nathan says that he accepts money orders. What? Now where do I get a money
order from? There is a 7-11 store opposite and they would give you a money
order. Ok now I decide to go there and make one. Keep in mind that the 20 mins
permission I took is already over J
dint I tell you 20 mins is never 20mins lol..
Twist 7: in 7-11 store and the owner looked like a desi. So,
some confidence that he would not cheat. Hey I need a money order for 233$. Sure.
It’ll charge you 2.5$. That should be fine I say and give my card. Our desi
owner with a big smile on his face says “sorry sir we do not accept cards.. Only
cash” aaaaaaaah…. Awesome!! J
Twist 8: Hmmmm ok I’ll give you cash… remember I had some 33$
less with me? So asked him about nearest
ATM.. Thankfully ATM was nearby. As I approach
near to ATM, I realize that I do not know my ATM pin number.. aaaaaaahh
hahahhahha J..
and even best part is, I used to carry that envelope which has the pin number daily
with me, except on this day.!! J
Super... Almost a check mate stage.
Now what, should I call someone from office asking for
money? Everyone are jam packed busy at office, no one would come this far and
also give money J
Idea, I had my old BoA card which had exactly 50$ remaining.
And fortunately remembered its PIN.. chakaa chak I withdraw money, make the
money order rush to Enterprise give him the money order. Matter solved!! 45
mins up J.
Twist 9: back to office after almost an hr.. Straight into
team room, my team was ok, they bothered less as they were busy fixing their
own problems. J …after
sometime I come out of team room again.. Why? For ice cream treat!! . We all go to the ice cream counter, all smiles
and laughs just to see the store closed Hahahahahahah J
.. The store closes by 2PM. We all knew
it, but somehow forgot J.
We all end up having coffee from the café!! J.
From lunch to ice cream to coffee J
Twist 10: Back to seat, winding up things, 3 weeks and
office, I start meeting everyone for one last time. Its past 5 most of them had
left. I too packed my bag, cleared off my shelf, rolled over my jacket, all set
except one thing. Office laptop J.
Whom should I give it back to? The lady, who gave me this laptop here, had
already left office.. aaaaaaaah!!
Twist 11: Let me hand over the laptop to Mohan and will ask
him to give to that lady. I go Mohan’s
desk just to see him missing from his desk. Where’s he? Friday evening and he has already left for the
day J. Aaaaaaaaaaaaah again!! J
Twist 12: I carry the laptop with me to room. That day
evening I was invited for dinner at Mohan’s place. Chaka chak, I get ready and
reach Mohan’s place by 8PM in Concord some 40 miles North. I have super duper
dumplings at his home, met my old friend too at his place. 10PM, I start back. I
come some distance only to find out that I have not handed over the laptop to
him.. lol.. What a day isn’t it!! J
I reach my room at 11 and then head on to Wal-Mart with my
friend for last minute shopping .finish up everything and come back to room b
2AM Saturday. Started packing. I did not want to sleep that day night. What to
do? Chaloo to Hampton beach some 60 miles away, for Sunrise. Yes.. If not now,
donno when. Pick up the car keys, passport, charger, jacket and vroooom!! Picked
up a coffee on the way and drove till Hampton. Reached Hampton beach by 4AM.
Twist 13: parked my car and got down. It is very cold
outside.. All the coffee and water I had while driving till here had an effectJ. Started searching for
restrooms.. I see one and just rushed towards it just to see a note “operating hrs.
from 7.30Am – 10Pm” lol … I asked a security guy and he asks me to go to route
1A, which is almost 6 miles back.
Twist 14: All fine and back to beach now!! J 4.30Am and I start to
see some pink streaks of sun rays.. Feeling happy that I will be seeing one of
my best sunrises over Atlantic ocean.as per google expected time on sunrise was
at 5:05Am. At 4:45Am, my good luck continued, instead of sunrise, I saw cloud
rush J
covering the sunrise scene!! J.
Aaaaaaaaaaaah!!!
Twist 15: ok now is something left here? I take the pictures
of sand sculptures there on the beach, head on the Dunkin for brk fast and have
it.. 6,30Am I start back to room with a coffee from Dunkin. Expected arrival time
on m nexus 4 with 4G speed data was 7:30Am. And yes at 11Am it was a trip to
Boston with other folks.
Twist 16: FM radio on the highway back was bad, hence I decided
to listen to some desi songs via YouTube. I was getting 4G speed all my stay of
3 weeks in US. Just until this moment!! My 4G plan expired and started getting
2G. The super-fast buffering drove me into sleep mode :). And I did!.. Pulled over
into a nearby exit.. Saw a McDonald’s restaurant and parked my car and thats it. The last
thing I remember is rolling the windows up and ignition off. Thusssssssss… Slept almost for 2 hrs in car J … dint realize at all J.
Get up, reset the gps, finish up the hot coffee which had turned
cold J
and drive back recollecting all the above twists in past 24 hrs!! J
Moral of da story: Whatever
happens, it’s all for a beautiful story!! J..
Love your life!!!
