Who wouldn’t like to visit a foreign country and watch a live match played by the top football teams of the era?
Out of the blue, I got information from Tally Nakshatra that our organisation would be sent to Russia to watch a World Cup 2018 match. This was on the last week of May and there was no other information like which match and at what venue etc.
What an event! What a coincidence! Is there any possibility another partner can be included in the trip? How much it will cost? All these questions arise and I keep on enquiring Mr. Muzammil Passa, the tour operator guide of Cox and King. While an opportunity comes into sight we back off because the price is unreasonably high (maybe for us). The price of the match ticket itself cost INR 60000, and the tour another INR 200000.
On 21st June, we boarded Astana Airline at 1.10 a.m. in New Delhi. It took four and half hours to reach Astana (Kazakistan) only to get us transferred to another flight on the same airline to fly for another four hours to Moscow. When we reached Moscow (Sheremetyevo Airport) it was already 9.10 am at local time. Having onboard without much sleep we were happy to have been received by a charming tour guide Ms. Irena Pervukhina. She handed each of us a paper bag of snacks and juice as our breakfast.
I was particularly very careful about my passport. On my shoulder, I always carry a bag where after every passport and immigration check I put my passport folder in. The folder includes two passports, one football ticket and a photostat copy of the Fan ID. As we walked towards the door of Moscow airport my travel partner wanted to have a look about the stamps that were made in my passport. In front of the arrival gate of the airport we were to wait for our bus to pick us up. Hungry and tired people started munching the breakfast. A little later I too open the breakfast bag. Here I made a big mistake which I will never forget in this lifetime.
As I open the breakfast pack I just lay my passport folder on my luggage instead of putting it inside the shoulder bag where I usually keep it. When the breakfast was over I crossed the small street to throw the leftover bag in a dustbin. Soon our bus arrived and we loaded the luggage and boarded the bus. A couple of minutes later I checked my bag and suddenly realised I had no passport. Immediately I alerted my guide and driver.
They said the bus couldn’t stop anywhere on the highway but at some defined stoppage area. Further down the highway the driver found a pedestrian overbridge and stopped there. I rechecked the luggage kept inside the cabin at the side of the bus and it was not there too.
I was never so careless and I felt so embarrassed.
To get back to the airport I had to cross the overbridge and get a cab on the other side of the highway. I know I have to keep calm and with a little prayer I plan for the recovery mission. I called my travel-mate Mr. Bidyut Chakraboty to go along with me as he had roubles whereas I didn’t do the currency conversion at home.
On the other side of the highway, we were waving our hands to stop any vehicle plying that way. A few more minutes were lost when a cab stopped and asked for the destination. We said airport, he demanded 500 Roubles, we bargained at 300 and he agreed. Meanwhile, we found out he didn’t understand English at all. His mobile did have a translator app even then we found so much difficulty communicating with him. As we approached the airport we learnt that we should have taken another lane to get into the position where we were. Another round was made and as we presented a 1000 Rouble denomination he asked for change and said he would charge 500 Rouble.
As he had no change we said we would get back and go back with him to the address we were given to come after our work is done.
He wants me to come back within 10 minutes. I let Bidyut stay in the cab and ran into the airport. I enquired to whoever I found at the place I was there. Everybody replied in the negative. I searched around and found nothing. I came back to the cab.
While negotiating for the return journey we learnt that the cab driver was a crook. He wanted to grab the whole of 1000 roubles he had taken. Taking advantage of our situation and in trouble he insists on charging another 3000 roubles for the return journey. We decided to get down and search for another cab and let him have what he wanted – to seize hold of the 1000 Rouble. This time the driver was quite humane and dropped us at Azimuth at a decent fare of 1300 Rouble. The distance was forty-something kilometres.
Our team bus hadn’t arrived yet. Bidyut called and updated Irine about us. I prayed a little more. I made further plans as to what to do if I couldn’t find my passport. As soon as Irine came I insisted only she could help me. She called at least five people when she asked me about the appearance of my passport folder. She said they found a similar folder and further gave details for confirmation. Phew !! Found my passport !!
Irine said she would instruct one of her assistants to fetch the passport and asked me to hand her a photocopy of the passport. I straightaway handed a photocopy of my passport which was in my bag. I felt more relaxed and had my lunch. Her assistant came and straightaway gave her the 3500 Roubles that she asked. No bargain here, finding the passport is the most important.
The city tour of Moscow was on the itinerary. I thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon. In the evening we arrived at the Moscow railway station. From here we would be transported to St. Petersburg by the Sapsan High Speed Train covering a distance of 800km in just 4 hours. Now “Where is my passport ?”. Just as I was about to enter the pass-gate of the railway station I saw this lady with my folder. She entrusted to me the prized possession. I shook her hand and said, “Thank you so much”. I thank Irine again. I saw Irine hugging her assistant which made me feel I too should hug her, but my upbringing in a conservative society came in between and so I didn’t.
Before midnight we arrived at St. Petersburg and I witnessed the white night. It was still not dark. While we transited from the station to the Holiday Inn I looked up at the sky and saw it was dark.
If my passport was not found I would have ended up staying in Moscow seeking return documents from the Indian Embassy. I might not have the chance to see the glorious football match between Brazil and Costa Rica. If my documents were not ready I might have to stay back a few more days and buy another flight ticket. But all that luckily did not happen. In this near ordeal experience, I kept myself calm and poised because I believe something good will always happen to me by the grace of God.