Delhi Airport Saturday 18th December 2010

Delhi Airport Saturday 18th December 2010

Indhira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, appears to have undergone a remarkable transformation since I last saw it. The white stone-washed walls and symmetrical array of windows glimmer in the sunlight as our shuttle bus approaches it. I take a minute to bask in the warm Indian rays just before entering the terminal building and absorb with satisfaction the faintly pungent air, reassuringly familiar, bringing back heart warming memories of a childhood in this incredible country.

We made it out of arctic Europe. Well done, old girl.

The calm and tranquility of the Arrivals Hall is a sharp contrast to the mayhem and disarray of Frankfurt. A heavily moustached man at immigration takes eternity peering at our passports and far from reprimanding the girls for poking fun at him, I join in. Being in Indian soil is liberating, albeit 3000+kms from our final destination. 

Our turbulent experiences of the past 30 hours has rendered us insensitive to the fact that we have just missed our connecting flight to Calcutta. 

I don't care. I've had enough anxiety to last me a lifetime - just want to take it easy from here on.

"Lets not rush or stress, girls, we'll take the next available flight to Cal as and when". 

They agree whole-heartedly.

And so we are in the baggage hall…. 

My eyes alternate between Remi sprawled lazily over our 2 empty trolleys and an equally empty conveyor belt going round and round. We have just watched, with envy and infinite patience, our fellow passengers pick up their bags and exit the terminal. As the unthinkable dawns on me, I fervently pray that I find an answer to this latest development before the girls catch on. Too late - from the corner of my eye I notice Zoi chatting to another family - the only ones, besides us, who are left in the deserted belt area…. and she is beckoning at me.

There has to be a simple explanation why our luggage has not come out. Surely its just a little mishandling error because of the change of route - I'll enquire at the Lost Baggage Office and they'll sort it out. After all, the staff at the Air India desk in Frankfurt assured me that our luggage, which had been held in their system, had been loaded on this flight to Delhi, with us. 

Not knowing what to expect, I walk over to Zoi and am introduced to a young family - a couple, Jay and Kate Miller and their 8 year old twin daughters, who appear to be in a similar predicament. Further chatting reveals that they have been caught up, incredibly, in exactly the same ordeals….. from London to Frankfurt and now Delhi. My feelings are mixed from one of sympathy for them, to relief that the girls and I are not alone in facing our latest tribulation.

I feel a renewed charge of life - I have support, and surely, together, we can get to the bottom of this.

Armed in numbers, we proceed to the Lost Baggage Office, and are not surprised to find it unmanned. Waiting around bears no results, and Jay marches off in search of an official whilst I keep vigilance in the office.

Worry, confusion, uncertainty - emotions I thought I left behind in Europe rear their ugly heads again. My mind goes over and over again to the time I had that final exchange with the Air India staff member back in Frankfurt, just before we board the plane for Delhi. 

"Your three pieces have definitely been loaded on your flight, madam", I am assured after having checked on her system the second time on my insistence.

So where the hell are they?

Sighing, I let my eyes wander over to where my girls are keeping the Miller twins entertained…. sliding easily into big sister roles. I watch the four of them race around and playfully bump each other using the empty luggage trolleys…. acts that would, under normal circumstances, warrant a telling off, but nothing has been normal for us so far. 

It is another waiting game. The Lost Baggage Office is now filling with irate passengers from other flights. Finally, the officer emerges after what I can only assume as having enjoyed an extended lunch break followed by a siesta. Now I am being rotten. Perhaps I've been away from my country of origin far too long, and no longer used to the way affairs are conducted here. 

Taking no account of the fact that I had been the first one in the office, the officer brushes past me and is immediately jumped on by half a dozen other complainers who happen to be a lot more outspoken than I. Getting a word in may call for different tactics on my part, but not being a pushy sort of a person, I wonder if I will ever get attended to.

I survey the scene in front of me…. a sudden wave of weariness and loneliness hits me, and I totter on the verge of breaking down. Every step of our journey so far has been a real effort and plagued with hindrances. Why me?

I feel I have reached my limit of endurance - the tears are brimming as a sense of unfairness of the whole situation engulfs me.

But - in the background I hear the squeals of delight from the Miller girls as my girls entertain them. My heart swells with pride at the way Zoi and Remi have handled the arduous journey so far….. taking all the disappointments in their stride with good humour and ever so supportive, cheering me on, and I realise that even at my age I still have a lot to learn from them. Being a mum of teenagers, one expects the worst - tantrums, sulkiness, whining and complaining. However, they have not disappointed me so far….. and I know I cannot disappoint them. 

Taking a deep breath, I plunge in, elbowing my way through. In Rome do as the Romans do. I raise my voice as high as I dare, and the officer finally takes notice. 

He pushes a piece of paper at me, "fill this". 

It only takes me a couple of minutes to fill the lost baggage form and I hand it back to the officer, who places it at the bottom of his pile without glancing up. I cannot help but admire the speed with which he works his way through them, re-affirming my opinion that Indians, as a race, are very efficient - when they want to be, that is.

As I patiently await my turn, a harassed looking Jay turns up and declares that his little girls are starving, it is imperative that they get something to eat very soon. But he has only just started to fill his form, and I know that it will be a while before he is seen. His frantic desperation tugs at my heart and I swap form positions with him, and he is seen next. The look of sheer gratitude he throws my way as his family exits the area tells me I have made friends for life.

Soon enough, I watch the officer peer at my form and punch in the luggage tag codes in his system. 

Please let him have some good news for me, God knows I need it.

"Your luggage cannot be traced. However, I have put a search out for them, and when found, they will be sent to Calcutta and you will be informed". 

There is nothing anyone can do anymore at this stage. 

I'm not completely satisfied and still quite dubious regarding the whole matter, but I know that, sometimes, making less noise is more effective and I reluctantly depart the Baggage Office, leaving our three suitcases containing laptops and other peripherals dangling somewhere in the airlines baggage system between London, Frankfurt, Delhi and Calcutta. 

"At least we don't have to lug around any heavy cases" I attempt to lighten the somewhat somber mood as the three of us leave the area. 

But no one is laughing. 

We manage to get on the 8pm flight to Calcutta. Checking in for this flight, for a change, is relatively hassle free, perhaps partly due to the fact that we have no luggage to check in! (another unfunny joke) I am happy to see the Miller family checking in with us. An unspoken bond in adversity weaves us together. We join forces, and even with the unpleasant aura of our missing luggage hanging over us like an unwanted third wheel, we shop, eat and wait at the gate together, finding a strange, mutual comfort in the similarities of our travel ordeals. 

"We should write travel blogs, our experiences have to be shared" was a joke to start with, but I have acted on it - I believe the only one amongst us.

Our flight to Calcutta is delayed by 2 hours (surprise), which had me wondering whether I jinxed every plane I flew on. As we take off into the Indian skies, I cast a lingering look at the Delhi city lights and my last thoughts are with our missing suitcases, where in the world they are at this time and if we will ever be re-united with them……