The North East work adventure – Hasimara
Day 21 – 12 March 2020
Today was a lesson in waiting. How a 2 hours job took more than 8 hours to complete.
We were ready by 8 am for the driver, who arrived by 830am to pick us up
By 845am we were at the first airforce gate, but they wouldn’t allow us in because they wanted confirmation from the other gate or they asked us to get an airforce officer to come to the gate to escort us inside.
The driver dropped us off and went to pick up Rakesh the BEL engineer who would sorry this out
We went with him to the main gate, he was asked for a request letter for letting us in. That letter was given to them yesterday, but they wanted a new one for today.
We waited for another hour in the mosquito-infested waiting lounge of the security gate while Rakesh got the required letter and an airforce officer to the gate
While making our entries, Rakesh got a call to go to the site for inspection. He left promising to send the vehicle back for us.
A 45 min wait and the car arrived to pick us up.
Dropped off the airport officer somewhere, and we proceeded for breakfast to the airforce canteen
Breakfast was utthapam, dosa and a samosa. Followed by chai. Then we reached the site by 1145 am.
The promised generator was missing. No labourers in sight for moving the compressor.
We finished tightening and rechecking everything by 12.45 pm.
Rakesh then helped us get a forklift from the airforce maintenance team.
While the forklift came to the site, we both went to another site to see another generator if it would be suitable for us. It was in a site far far away, and while it looked like it would solve our purpose, I thought it prudent for him to take Y or J to assess it’s suitability for our job
The forklift duly arrived and with the help of a JCB we were able to get the compressor on the forklift and shifted into the right position within 20 mins.
By then it was 230 pm. Rakesh suggested we go for lunch as we will not get anything after 3 pm anywhere in the airforce base
We had lunch of alu paratha, while Y and J had idly, vada and bread pakoda.
Head back to the site, while J fixed the compressor parts, Y went to see the generator and I twiddled my thumbs
By 430pm we were all done. Luckily we had Y’s non camera phone with us, and we were able to call Sandeep enterprises, Siliguri for 3 items that were missing from the consignment.
It would reach us today by 11 to the dealers address
Rakesh said ” with in 10 mins I’ll be there”. That was a long 90 mins wait.
We left by 6, met Sumit, the dealer at Hasimara.
A young 32 years old guy, working with 4 of his brothers in various businesses, a govt supply business, a mobile phone business, an FMCG distribution, a pharmacy .
Had the best chai ever at his shop during this entire trip
He dropped us off to the hotel. By 9 we regrouped downstairs at the restaurant, I had beer while they polished off half a bottle of royal stag barrel select.
Called it a night by 11 pm
Tomorrow will hopefully be the last day here!.. fingers crossed!!
