Murphy's law ;)

I don’t know whether to call this series of events a mere coincidence or a strange divine intervention or a simple sign…
It all began on the 8th of Jan 2011. I was searching for an interesting project or internship to do my major thesis. I had been looking for one (hopefully with pay for obvious reasons) since August 2010. I had written to a lot of people, contacted many companies and sent my profile to a number of contacts with the hope of hitting something hard.
The new year (Jan 2011) dawned with a hopeful telephonic interview call from GE, Bangalore (which was one of my dream places). I was quite happy. But then, I did not manage to crack it. Something didn’t work (I had apparently not convinced that lady enough to give me an opportunity). But then, I seem to be having a strangely contorted luck with interviews. This has happened now many times over. Ofcourse I have succeeded many times too. ( Still, conclusion: I need to work on my soft skills and interview facing skills. Well, point taken).
However, since that didn’t work out, I had decided I would get back home for the delayed vacation and then keep trying till I crack it elsewhere. So I booked to return on Jan 8th. My father said he wanted to come there and help me as I had a lot of hostel-room-vacating luggage. He came and the day when I was about to start, just a couple of hours before I started from my cousin’s house, one of my friends messaged saying my train is delayed by an hour. I thought this was quite common since it was biting winter in Delhi.
And then after an hour, again a message: further delay. “Well, so far so good” I thought. But after that, the third message conveyed about 8-9 hours’ delay due to fog. Ok. Perhaps not out of the ordinary, still a wee bit strange. But right then, my friend sent another message saying, “I told you not to leave Delhi. See…”. Hmmm, A small ‘ringing’ inside me. I ignore it.
So we finally boarded the train and reached Chennai after a monotonous 19 hours’ delay. So after I reached and settled back here, the very first evening: my scooty tyre tube broke (Ok. No big deal for a vehicle kept idle for quite some time). I changed it that evening. Next day I went to drop my mom. The same tyre’s tube again goes psssstttttttt… phew. Changed that too…
I kept looking for opportunities. But it was quite similar to the first tyre experience – didn’t work. Just before I left the university, one of my faculties said that a company accepted to take me as an intern. But the stipend wasn’t great. Looked like I will have to spend more than what I will earn there. But that was not the only reason I was not very keen in that offer (Given that, I had expressed interest when they first asked. Still I didn’t seem to be very comfortable). I tried to explain to the staff that I wasn’t very sure I wanted it. But they said I had to take it up.
So, I did take it up (more out of having no other choices at that time). I had booked my tickets to go there by train. My father was to accompany. But the confirmation didn’t happen till the last minute. On the day of my scheduled journey, we went to the station and came back. We knew it wasn’t going to work. And I wasn’t allowed a don’t-have-a-confirmation journey. When we were returning, I got the news that a friend’s father passed away. So I went there. I thought maybe this is why.
I had an extra day and that day, we decided to buy a jewel because of an offer going on. We chose something to buy and came back home. It was apparently for me. I took it out at home and it went pssttt… broke right in the middle. I think, “Gosh, will this ever end? “. So we had yet another task for the next day.
We tried going to the booking office early next day morning for tatkal train tickets, while people tried the net.
No luck with either… so all we were left with was air option (which I wanted to avoid, given the expense). So we took the flight (that too not to Pune but to Mumbai. Took a cab from Mum to Pune) and reached Pune finally. I began my work there. Happily, I got it at least in the department I had asked for. People were friendly and most of them I knew already, due to early visits.
Yet, there was a constant void. A kind of incompleteness. Something didn’t still fit in. So all this was going on. There was a short 3 days’ vacation after a month. So I came home that time. I mean that was the plan. I reached on Friday mid night and was supposed to board a flight back to Pune on Monday. In between I had to travel to Madurai. But Monday morning, though we reached home before 6.30, I (unlike any other day) slept for a while and got late. I missed the flight (again, unlike any other time. I have had really close calls before also).
I felt really bad. This was the second time I went to the departure and came back home. Remember? the first time for the train. So since I anyway had to go, I was told to take the next day’s flight. I felt guilty because that was very expensive (world cup was on. I even met Nasser Hussain in the airport). So I sort of convinced dad to allow me take a bus to Bangalore and then from there I would take a flight. (Perhaps not a clever decision - but at that point of time, nothing else seemed economical). So I took the bus to Bangalore.
I went to my aunt’s place there – reached quite early actually. Was talking with them and just sorted out the bag to pack a few things given by aunt. (My gran and bro were there)
I had taken out the ticket to just check the timings and had absently left it in the table. Next day, I was supposed to start very early. You know the airport in Bangalore right? So, while leaving I forgot to take this ticket. (Urgggggggg… grrrrrrr… Hadd hai yaar) Came back again. Detour from Hulimavu to Kamanahalli.
Of course one obvious reason was I was quite sleep-starved. But I have been through this kind of situations before. Even when there was no body to wake me up or drop me off, I have managed to take all essential stuff and reach the station/ airport on time before.
But somehow, this time it all had to go wrong. (Murphy’s law :P)
Phew. Finally I reached Pune the next day. But ever since I stepped in that time, it was Murphy’s Law the whole squared.
I try to make dinner. My cooker’s safety valve broke. My phone fell in water and I was out of reach for two days (I had a duos you see. So both sims locked in one phone. No spare handset). My internet connection was suddenly not working. Not that these are very big issues and difficult to sort out. But all these - in the same week that I returned – in a matter of five days. Especially since I had been in 4 cities in 4 days: Pune, Chennai, Madurai and Bangalore. As a matter of fact quite unnecessarily.
I was a little freaked out.
First, it was as if, I was stopped in every possible way to not go there. Second, even after I sort of managed through all that, I was being bombarded with little inconveniences to create diversions.
And just after two more weeks, I couldn’t continue my work there any longer (due to some other reasons better left alone) and I packed my bags back home. I continued my thesis work here and completed everything.
The notable facts here are that, I had gone twice before to Pune the same year. Once in Oct and once in Nov. To the same company. Both the trips, I had a very memorable and happy journey, stay, etc.
In fact the Oct trip ticket was also not confirmed that time. RAC. But I got through easily. Only when I was trying to go there during my internship, there were constant obstacles. First, the delay in Delhi. Second, from home I had to go to Bombay and reach that too after a train attempt already. Third, I had to go to Bangalore and then reach - also after a missed flight.
And in the end, I had to come back home without completing what I went there for.
That is what I found to be strange. Do you get what I mean? This is what got me thinking. Do these little signs really have value? This has also happened a lot of times before.
When I take my scooty out to do some task, when the bike starts immediately I haven’t had problems. But whenever the bike gives a trouble starting, more often than not, my work is never completed.
It seems like a vicious circle. Is it the negative thought triggered by the first mishap that cascades down to a lot of further mishaps? Or is it the ignorance or refusal to acknowledge the first signs that cause so many continued inconveniences? I was as much optimistic as possible (or at least I think I was :p ). I tried to convince myself that, “Hota hai yaar. Koi nai. Could have been worse”… Still… ???
Besides, there is also another school of thought. All this can just be an unrelated but unfortunate set of events with no significance altogether. But my mind refuses to accept it that way. Can’t help thinking they are linked.
Moral of the story: Har ek friend Zaroori hota hai…  (what if I had only listened to my friend earlier. Wink wink)