The (First) Solo Trip – Prologue

25^th July, 2017

7:30 pm

"Hello, Appa! Are you busy?"

"No, tell me"

"I'm going somewhere tomorrow..."

"Again...um...did you just say 'I'?? No Kevin?"

"Nope. Just me. Solo trip to Bhutan! You tell Amma, okay? Bye!" 

There. It was done. Whenever I go/do something I'm sure my mother wouldn't approve of, I'd take the easy way out and let Appa know instead. Telling her becomes his problem. He would get the initial heat and I would get a slightly mellowed down version a little later.

This time I was off to Bhutan for my first ever solo trip. Yes, I'm married and 30 is just two more trips round the Sun, but I don't think that changes a thing for Amma.

Kevin is cool and he helped me with all the travel arrangements. "Do it, please and get it out of your system," he encouraged. His mom was amazing too. Though she sounded a little apprehensive about me going all alone, she wished me a safe journey.

26^th July, 2017

1:30 am

Kevin saw me off at the Bangalore Airport with a tight hug. I had to fly to Kolkata first, and then to Paro at 6:30 am. Since I have this amazing history with phones that I kept losing, I was armed with two this time, only to wake Kevin up at 5:40 am for this:

“Kevin!”

“Hey…are you all set to board your flight to Paro?”

“No!!! The flight was delayed, the Paro flight is in 50 minutes and I still haven’t got my check in bag….What do I do?”

I was the first person to reach belt 1 to collect my bag. Only no bags were on it yet. I kept looking from my watch to my phone to the belt frantically, hoping it would start moving and that I’d spot my red bag.

This was my first time at the Kolkata airport. I had to get my bag, figure out the way to the International Terminal, collect my boarding pass, go through the Immigration Counter, get my cabin bag scanned, go through security check and get in the flight, all in 50…no, it’s 40 minutes now.

When I finally saw my bag, I could literally hear the Hallelujah chorus in my mind. How I reached the international terminal dragging it along, only my feet know.

I saw “PARO” on a counter and shoved my e-ticket to the person there.

“Ma’am, this is not your airline, yours is Drukair. Please check for the right counter from the display board,” he said pointing. Of course. I should go to the Drukair counter.

At the right counter, the Drukair official was mildly scolding two other girls from the same Kolkata flight I had been in, for reaching late at the counter. I saved them, because all his words were for me now.

6:10 am

“How can you plan to reach so late? What if we had closed the counter? Do you know what the time is?” he went on and on, like a concerned uncle.

I stood there meekly, without a word and grabbed my boarding pass as soon as he printed it out.

“Go straight to the Immigration counter and get to gate 11 quickly!” he said, as I bolted.

“Kevin, I’m in the queue to the Immigration counter, I think I might get in!” I had to let him know.

“Good! Now let me know once you land in Paro.”

I wondered if I had a window seat by any chance and was reaching for my boarding pass, when I realized I didn’t have it in my hand.

“Kevin, I’ll call you back, Bye!” I said, as I hung up quickly, hunting through my bag and papers I held.

I had it in my hand, I did not have enough time to put it in the bag. So it should be…As I looked towards the Drukair Counter, I could see something on the floor, and I ran out from the queue towards it.

“What is it, Ma’am?” asked the official who was chiding us for reaching late. I couldn’t look at his face as I picked up the boarding pass from the floor and ran back to the Immigration queue, but I sure could hear him shouting.

This time there were 10 people ahead of me.

6:15 am

“Drukair announces the departure of its flight KB500 to Paro. All passengers are requested to proceed towards Gate 11, I repeat gate 11 immediately, thank you.”

“Sir, that’s my flight, please can I go ahead?” I asked the person allocating counters for people at the queue.

“No, no, it’s okay. There is time.”

I inched along.

6:20 am

“This is a paging announcement for Ms Reshma Raju Emmatty travelling to Paro on Drukair. Please board the aircraft from Gate 11, thank you!”

“Sir! Sir!” I called waving my hands up in the air this time.

“That announcement was for me! I need to go now!”

Somehow that worked. He let me pass. Bag scanned, security check done, I ran past it all to Gate 11. And guess who is at the counter? The same person who has been scolding me all morning.

“You’ve been running all morning, Ma’am, now please just walk through slowly. Take a break” he smiled

At 6:31 am, I was the last person to board KB 500 to Bhutan. But I did board that flight. With that happy thought, I sinked into my seat, hoping to wake up happy at Paro.