How some things become an imperative part of your world, possess the power to make your world upside down. Have you ever wondered what will happen if you lose it? Have you been through any of such situations? I have been, recently…
Do you own something that has lately become close and meaningful to you? Things that you actually depend on so much that if you lose them, you will be dragged a step back in your life. Somethings are so precious that replacing them can be a huge task and… sometimes you might never be able to replace them.
This story is about me losing my phone in Dubai, does not seem a big deal but meant a great deal to me…
9:50 am
It was the last day of my tour in Dubai, my flight was at 08:50 pm from terminal 1, Dubai International Airport. I was having an awesome time, away from the office but still working. Being a travel blogger, you need to work more during your holidays.
Shopping bags in the cabinet, some clothes hanging in the bathroom, and I am still in the bed. It’s 10 am and I am late for breakfast! I have to pack my bags before 12 pm and more importantly, reach “My Square” for breakfast before 11 am.
I had already snoozed my alarm, my only escape to laziness was my phone, connecting me to my readers and to this amazing world. Like every morning, I routed for my phone, scrolled through my e-mails, messages, and all my social media accounts.
15 minutes of browsing and I was ready for the day. Threw all the stuff in my bag, collected the passport from the safe and now the most important thing, taking a quick picture before I leave for the day!
Enjoy a tour of this hotel in Dubai – Doubletree by Hilton, Business Bay
10: 50 am
Stepping in “My Square”. I was happy I could make it to the breakfast. With a plate full of good food, glasses of juice, and my phone, I was planning my day.
A shopping trip to the Dubai Mall, which is like 10 minutes away from my hotel – Doubletree by Hilton, Business Bay, then to leave for the airport around 5:30 pm.
11:30 am
I was super excited to pick-up a pair of sunglasses that I saw on the 1st day of my tour but I left it then thinking that I would find a better one but I didn’t…
So, with a couple of more things on my list, I checked out from the hotel and stepped into a cab. Like most people in Dubai, the cabbie knew Hindi and we got into a conversation.
I noticed a beautiful building, it had that Arabian touch. It was then the driver who told me that it is another mall “Bahar Al Souk” which is interconnected to the Dubai Mall. I couldn’t believe I was going to miss it. Well, I didn’t. I just can’t stop myself from clicking pictures when I see beautiful buildings like this…
12:30 pm
Entering the parking of the mall, taking out money from my bag. It was a nice ride and a good conversation. All set for shopping but before I had to make a quick visit to the VR Park.
Yesterday, I had missed clicking some pictures for my article so I quickly had to visit it again to capture a few more. This was a new drop off for me, to the mall and I was struggling to find the entrance to the shopping area.
Finally and luckily, I reached just near the VR Park on 7th floor. I loved this park, the entrance to it is so cool. Felt like clicking more and more pictures. So, what the hell, I will click the 101st picture with this entrance now.
My eyes glittering at the sight of inverted Khalifa, my hands searching my dress for my phone…. can’t find, can’t find… I must have kept it in my backpack. Kept my backpack on the counter, literally took all the stuff out of it and then the horror struck me.
I did not have my phone with me!!
The horror of losing my phone was not that big a deal as compared to losing all the important data stored in it, all the work done during this holiday for my website was on my phone!
All horrified, I just didn’t know what to do… All my hard work, just gone. It felt like working on a project for long and losing it just before presentation.
The lady at the VR park ticket counter was kind enough to accept my request to call on my number but I only knew my Indian mobile number and there was no ISD facility on this landline.
Among the happy people, excited to enter the VR park I was the only one sad and worried. Recalling the series of events… breakfast, cab, talking to the driver, taking pictures of the mall and paying him…
“Taking a picture of the mall…, I remember keeping my phone back down on the seat after the picture…
I never picked it back!
Keeping my spirits high, I reached to another lady standing nearby. After listening to my problem, she confidently said, “If you have left your phone in the cab then you will get it back, just call the cab company.” It was good to hear that but my fear was different, “what if the next passenger in the cab takes my phone along”?
I requested her to call on my number but she couldn’t connect to my number. Anxious to know if the phone is with the driver or not, I ran down to the same drop-off from where I entered the complex, just praying that the driver comes back to return the phone.
It was 7 floors down and every second escalated my heartbeat. Half of my stuff was in my hand, my backpack open, sweating, worried… he was not there… Another cab from the same company came, I hopped in and made my way back to the hotel.
My hotel was the only place that could help me in connecting with so many numbers. Unfortunately, everything was going the wrong way this time, the short route to my hotel was not accessible through this particular exit, the driver took like 22 minutes to cover a distance which could have been covered in 10 minutes.
With every second the hope of getting my phone back was diminishing. I spoke to the current driver about the incident and he said the same thing that the lady said, “you will get it back, we have cameras in the car.” But he also said, “If no passenger takes it along!”
Every person carries a phone these days and I couldn’t use even one of it today.
1:30 pm
Finally, I arrived at the hotel. I ran to the concierge for help. The person at the desk used his personal phone to dial my phone number while the other person was making a note of my details to pass on to the security.
The bell started ringing, I became hopeful, desperate for someone to answer the call. It kept ringing… still…
It went unanswered. As if my last hope just died. I gave all my details to the security and they ensured me that as and when they receive any information they will pass it on to my Indian address.
I turned back, hopeless, regretting and cursing myself, “Why can’t I take care of my things?” All my plans went down the hill, I just didn’t feel like going anywhere now.
“Excuse me, Madam, Madam…”
Someone shouted from the back, he was running towards me. I was confused for a moment, he had a smile on his face and a phone in his hand.
Madam, I tried calling your number again and someone answered!
I was ecstatic, that was my happy moment. I literally felt as if my trip was saved otherwise it would have been a bad ending to a very good trip.
Some passenger found it on the back seat and handed it over to the driver. The driver was in the Dubai Festival City when we called. He took another 30 minutes to come back to hand over the phone. We paid him for the distance he covered and he dropped us at the same entrance of the mall where he left us earlier.
2:15 pm
We (My mother & I) were back to shop our list and we actually did find everything we wanted though we were late for the airport in the evening.
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