I was in office in Chennai, Tamil Nadu that day. My wife was at her home in Changanassery, Kerala. We were awaiting our baby :). It was in afternoon that my wife called up and said that she has started feeling pain.. I had to make quick decisions to find a way to reach hospital on time. Well, I called her back and came to know that, she is already booking flight ticket for me with the pain!
We were lucky enough to get the ticket for flight scheduled for 6.10 pm. It was 4pm already. I drove with the maximum speed possible back to apartment in Chennai to pick up my bag. Since I knew the two places where the speed guns are placed enroute from Siruseri to Thiruvamiyur, I slowed down and revved the car below 60 Kmph on those two sites. While driving, I called up 'fast track' car service and booked a cab to pick me up as soon as i reach our Chennai apartment. Back in home, the cab driver was on the way; 10min late and I had to run to the main road taking the bag so that I can catch him on the way. It was 5.30pm when we were 5-7kms far from airport. In heavy traffic of Chennai, car was just making its way like a snail and I was getting uneasy. I called up the customer care of airlines and came to know that the flight was 30min late. That time, I really thought that the flight has been delayed by god for me to catch it.
When I landed in Kochi, I grabbed a cab and told him that my wife is hospitalized for delivery and have to reach there at the earliest. It was 7.30pm then. He understood the urgency and started speeding in the heavy evening traffic of Kochi. In seaport-airport road, we were hit with an unexpected block. Some tanker has turned causing gas leak and there was evacuation in progress and roads were blocked. We had to take an alternate winding root and that included a railway crossing also. Well, the crossing was closed and we had to wait for 30-45 min there. Even after this delay, the driver of cab was determined enough to drive me to the hospital. I recognized his promptness in a decisive way apart from the fare.
When I reached hospital, it was 10.15pm. The delivery has happened already and my wife and baby were healthy. When I saw Ritika for the first time, I cried. Tears of happiness. God gifted us our princess that day :).
It wasn't much of an ordeal to get to hospital from Chennai that day. God has just eased it a lot - in form of ticket availability in last hour, delay of flight and finally in form of the cab driver.
We were lucky enough to get the ticket for flight scheduled for 6.10 pm. It was 4pm already. I drove with the maximum speed possible back to apartment in Chennai to pick up my bag. Since I knew the two places where the speed guns are placed enroute from Siruseri to Thiruvamiyur, I slowed down and revved the car below 60 Kmph on those two sites. While driving, I called up 'fast track' car service and booked a cab to pick me up as soon as i reach our Chennai apartment. Back in home, the cab driver was on the way; 10min late and I had to run to the main road taking the bag so that I can catch him on the way. It was 5.30pm when we were 5-7kms far from airport. In heavy traffic of Chennai, car was just making its way like a snail and I was getting uneasy. I called up the customer care of airlines and came to know that the flight was 30min late. That time, I really thought that the flight has been delayed by god for me to catch it.
When I landed in Kochi, I grabbed a cab and told him that my wife is hospitalized for delivery and have to reach there at the earliest. It was 7.30pm then. He understood the urgency and started speeding in the heavy evening traffic of Kochi. In seaport-airport road, we were hit with an unexpected block. Some tanker has turned causing gas leak and there was evacuation in progress and roads were blocked. We had to take an alternate winding root and that included a railway crossing also. Well, the crossing was closed and we had to wait for 30-45 min there. Even after this delay, the driver of cab was determined enough to drive me to the hospital. I recognized his promptness in a decisive way apart from the fare.
When I reached hospital, it was 10.15pm. The delivery has happened already and my wife and baby were healthy. When I saw Ritika for the first time, I cried. Tears of happiness. God gifted us our princess that day :).
It wasn't much of an ordeal to get to hospital from Chennai that day. God has just eased it a lot - in form of ticket availability in last hour, delay of flight and finally in form of the cab driver.
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| Our Ritu on 10th of Jan 2013 |
