I arrive in Singapore at 7:30 in the morning and it's rush rush rush to the first meeting in town at 9:30. I barely manage to get a prepaid sim before rushing off to Prashanti's for a quick bath and catching a taxi to town. After that, the day is a blur of taxis rides and meetings. In between, I send a quick message to Atreya telling him that I have arrived and that we should fix a place to meet. He doesn't respond, but that doesn't bother me- I know that he is in another camp for yet another exercise.
At around 6 in the evening, after all meetings are done, I begin to get impatient. By now I have called Atreya a few times but in vain. I have also sent a couple more imploring messages reminding him that we are to meet for dinner. When I get no response, I engage in Singapore's national pass time- shopping! In between, I keep calling him, hoping he will take my call.
By 8, I am at my tether's end. I have shopped more than that I had any plans of, I am hungry and tired, but mostly, I am angry. I have travelled thousands of miles to see him and he hasn't even bothered to send me a message, leave aside return my calls. I send a message to him expressing my disappointment.
It is then that I panic- what if he is sick or hurt and nobody knows how to contact me? I call the emergency number I have, but the young man who receives my call tells me he is no longer in National Service. I then call Rahul, Atreya's best friend and get a landline number for Atreya's camp. From there, I am directed to another number and finally I speak to someone who tells me that Atreya Sir has just left the camp. He then adds, "Actually Atreya Sir lost his phone this morning"!
Then everything falls in place. He has no phone and no way to contact me on my temporary phone. And here I am sending angry messages to the poor boy! So I decide to go to Prashanti's house and wait there- where I am staying is thing Atreya knows for sure. And I was right- that's where I meet my boy finally.
Here our a couple of pictures showing how the tone of my messages changed over that frustrating day! Really ashamed of that last one! LOL!
At around 6 in the evening, after all meetings are done, I begin to get impatient. By now I have called Atreya a few times but in vain. I have also sent a couple more imploring messages reminding him that we are to meet for dinner. When I get no response, I engage in Singapore's national pass time- shopping! In between, I keep calling him, hoping he will take my call.
By 8, I am at my tether's end. I have shopped more than that I had any plans of, I am hungry and tired, but mostly, I am angry. I have travelled thousands of miles to see him and he hasn't even bothered to send me a message, leave aside return my calls. I send a message to him expressing my disappointment.
It is then that I panic- what if he is sick or hurt and nobody knows how to contact me? I call the emergency number I have, but the young man who receives my call tells me he is no longer in National Service. I then call Rahul, Atreya's best friend and get a landline number for Atreya's camp. From there, I am directed to another number and finally I speak to someone who tells me that Atreya Sir has just left the camp. He then adds, "Actually Atreya Sir lost his phone this morning"!
Then everything falls in place. He has no phone and no way to contact me on my temporary phone. And here I am sending angry messages to the poor boy! So I decide to go to Prashanti's house and wait there- where I am staying is thing Atreya knows for sure. And I was right- that's where I meet my boy finally.
Here our a couple of pictures showing how the tone of my messages changed over that frustrating day! Really ashamed of that last one! LOL!
