Easter worries

Today is Easter. And it was probably the most excited I've ever been on this day.

Shanu called Daddy on the way to church in the morning to wish him. I was in a foul mood because of having had to wake up early. And because of the back pain I'd picked up playing cricket during the team outing. And because the church is so far.

Any way, church over, we come back home. Shanu lays out lunch & I'm just about to dig in when Jolly calls - Dad's mobile is not reachable. Since the last 1 hour. And no one's picking up the land line. Hmmm, this don't sound good.

Try calling him about 10-15 times. The same result each time. Call up Bunty, maybe he can go & have a look. He doesn't pick up. Call up Anurag, he doesn't pick up either. Am beginning to get worried now. Anyway, decide to continue with lunch. Tasty, from Shanu, as usual.

5 minutes later Anurag calls up & apologises, he was having lunch it seems. Ask him to go & check out the house. He says he will. I am somehow not assured. Soon, Papa calls up - asks when was the last time we talked to Dad - give him the details - he says he'll go & check out the house with Vinni. I'm beginning to pray silently now.

Half an hour later, Z Fi calls - she sounds really worried. From what she says, the entire relatives network from Tata to Patna to Bombay is abuzz. God! Dad, what are you upto? I'm sitting on the bed sick with worry. Try to calm myself down. Think of alternatives - go down some if-then-else lines of thought. Think of looking up the flights out of Bangalore to Kolkata today.

Jolly calls up numerous times - no luck whatsoever. It's been about 4 hours now. Papa & Vinni couldn't find anything at home.

Around 4:30 in the evening, Shanu's been trying Dad's mobile for 10 minutes - suddenly a new message - the number is busy - some relief - didn't get through, but at least it's not out of reach anymore! In another couple of minutes she gets through - can hear Dad's voice - he'd gone off to Chandil on a test ride of his friend's new Tata Safari and hence was out of the network area for all this while. Relief all around.

Call everyone else - most already know. Call up Vinni after dinner to get all the juice from her first hand. Poor girl & Papa went to the house, to the neighbour's house, the government hospital & were just about to go to the Police when contact was established. The especially intense summer heat made her sick by evening. Thank God for people like her. The feeling of helplessness one gets sitting here so far away from the scene of action is just too overwhelming. Call up Y Fi in Bombay - she's scolded Dad like in anything. Just goes to show the bonds between them.

All's well that ends well then. But it sure was scary. Happy Easter!