Lost in Big City

I was a wanderer since childhood and there were a couple of episodes when I got lost while playing and the grown-ups would then be looking for me.  However today's post is of an incident when I had just arrived in this city (Mumbai). 

When I was in the final year of college I was chosen by an MNC through the campus recruitment program to come work for them.  The office I would be working out from was located in Mumbai (I had studied in Goa). So this company provided the outstation recruits a free two week stay at a nice hotel and in the mean time we had to find a place for our stay.  Imagine this - you're in new city for the 1st time and have a deadline of finding a new place withing 14 days (that too after work hours).  We (my batch-mates) were divided into two groups or it was more like I was singled out from this group to work in a different shift.  While in college I had assumed I would be doing a night shift job and was prepared for it.  However, I was the only one from the outstations recruits from my batch who was selected to work for an 'Asia shift' i.e. 6.00 am to 3.00 pm shift and the others were going to do a night shift.

The office folks (morning shift guys) were really nice there were a couple of girls who were from other cities as well and they helped me by suggesting names of hostels, PG (Paying Guest) accommodation and apartment brokers. One lady from my team told me about this PG place that was in her area and volunteered to take me there. We took the BEST bus from office to this place, after we were done inspecting she dropped me back to this one bus stop and asked me to board a particular bus number and told me where to get off to get back to office (the hotel would send a car to take us back to the hotel only from the office).

So I was waiting for that bus and it arrived after about 25-30 min.  That day I noticed something about buses in this city... They don't really halt at the bus stop, they slow down, people run and get in and they start picking up pace and leave.  So I had to leave the first bus as I was unable to get in through the crowd (it was 6. pm and people were returning home).  I prepared myself for the crowd and getting on the next bus that comes. 

The second bus arrived after another 45 min.  This time there was some commotion happening and there was a lot of traffic so I had to move ahead about 20 steps.  By the time I had spotted the bus it had started to leave! I ran after it bit but was an useless effort.  Now the time was almost 7 it was getting dark and I was still at the bus stop... Waiting... Growing worried and tired.  I had no idea which part of the city I was and how far away from the Office.  I decided to take the Rickshaw but none of the drivers agreed it was apparently quiet far away (I realise now it would be about 1.5 hours if I had taken the rickshaw). I did not have the phone number of the lady who had dropped me there and I thought I was doomed! All negative thoughts were clouding my mind I felt like the wave of ambition I was riding had crashed on the rocks. I was lost and would not be able to get back to the safety of my hotel room. I felt I had enough of this city, I had proved my mattel when i got this job.  I just wanted to go home to my family, back to my town. I thought of calling home and telling my parents but decided not to as it would be of no help and they would be worried as well.

Two hours past this way and I was really afraid for the first time in my life it was past 8 pm.  A bus had just halted in front of me and I read the destination it was the name I had read on the office envelopes I quickly boarded the bus and bought a ticket to the last stop. I felt better as the bus started taxiing, I was at least moving to somewhere.  I got off at the last stop and asked a couple of people about this supermarket building that was infront of the office. One lady told me she knew where it was we got into a rickshaw, she then dropped me at the superstore.  I had called the hotel staff for the taxi to pick me up and it had arrived by the time I walked back to the office entrance. 

I had never before felt so relieved to find my way back somewhere as I did that day on reaching the hotel room.

I know I did not really get lost but felt much worse... First time I experienced fear when I was sort-of lost.