Home Coming

Have you ever heard that Mitro..... Mere pyare Bharat desi vasiyo on TV and after that did you get a  mild heart ache, oh yes I too had that, not a mild but a major heart ache after Modiji announced lock down.

Being a Goan and that too IT Person I know the difficulties of working here in goa, which was the main reason for me to switch from Goa to Bangalore, given the amount of opportunities its obvious that anyone will get attracted to the pay check and quality of work in Bangalore but yes being a Goan it will also make you visit every month Goa, similar thing happened with me, I am still not quite adjusted to the city so I often travel back to Goa once a month (I am a home sick person) and when Modiji announced lock down I was having a big night mares of never ever seeing Goa and my people again. After the announcement of 3rd lock down I could not hold back any more.  On 1st of May  one of my Goan friend told me that we can apply on Goa government website to come back. This was for all the people who was stranded in out of Goa. My first milestone was to apply on sevasindhu website which was for the people in Karnataka to go back to the other state and second milestone was applying on Goa government website. BTW let me tell you that its not that easy to get confirmation First of all we were not getting confirmatory permit for the Karantaka state. In order to get permit one should have Karnatak registered SIM then only you will get OTP or else you will not get any OTP , we got that permit instantly then for Goa government permit we applied through the category in which Goa govt would arrange for the  transport for all the stranded Goans but hang on we had to wait almost till 8th may for that we were not getting any confirmatory message. Finally on 8th my friends application got confirmed and mine did not, done I was almost in tears thinking gone are the days when I sued to chill with my family in goa . But later  I got to know that only south Goans applications was confirmed and north Goans did not get any confirmatory mail. but our names were in the list of passengers where in we would be safely taken back to Goa(They had some issue because of which only North Goans application did not get confirmed).

All goans were supporting at least on facebook saying get the stranded goans back I felt so good to be goan but wait twist is still remaining, Its was not that easy . On 9th our bus was confirmed for Goa return they gave us time saying sharp 3.00 pm we need to report Kempegowda station . We packed everything and were ready for the call and here comes the twist we get to know that bus reached 8.00 am in Bangalore and it will go to tamil nadu . There were some stranded passengers in goa from tamil nadu and they were sending them back since bus were coming back we got confirmatory mail so late.
Now they told us our bus will be leaving on 10th may morning 8.00 am I left all my hope . First of all I was not having confirmatory mail so I knew ed that I will be stranded in Bangalore forever.  Finally my friend sent me phone number of Paresh Rivonkar who was involved in getting us back I called him, finally told me that my name is there in the list and I need not worry. We left our house at 6.00 in the morning so that we can reach Kempegowda at 8.00 we finally reached bus stand.
we were waiting for bus but there was no sign, it was 9.00 and driver was still staying I am just 10 minutes away finally bus arrived at 10.15 am we were relieved. I was in dilemma whether my name is there or not but it was there, I was so happy finally driver guided us inside the bus, we were made to sit each on a single sit with masks, almost all people were from Goa. I can imagine how everyone over there might have been feeling, we were in total 44 of us tehy had arranged 2 buses for us.

Every district boundary had a checking in karnataka and when they got to know that we are heading to Goa every one was giving a judgemental looks(common people dont go there to booze and party every time some of us have our home and families to in goa). Bus halted at one of the roadside restaurant but surprise, surprise , surprise we were not even allowed to use washrooms , although we could tell the guard to get delivery packets from the restaurant (they were following their rules , we cannot even Judge them time is such that we are ) . Peeing for girls is always a night mare in India and it always will be. Okey so we finally reached Goa border with all the hard ships at around 12.00 in the night , There too so much of drama we were not allowed to cross the border. our screening would have been done so many things were there, We were asked to wait, one by one of us were called for screening and our temperature was noted. frankly speaking I was dying there in the hunger. I hardly had anything in entire day and on top of that waiting just a step away from entering Goa border, at 3.00 pm in the night everyone's screening was done and we were separated in the group of North Goans and South Goans. finally we get to know that we will have to wait till 7.00 in the morning, This was my life worst day and night ever , realisation what the life is I got to know in those 4 hours. So at 7.00 am in the morning we get to know that staff has changed and new cops are on the duty and now no one knows about the people who came at 12.30 in the night and whose screening was already been done. finally our driver interrupted and spoke with the authorities to allow us enter Goa. sharp at 9,00 am after lot of more arguments we were allowed to enter Goa.

Wait this is just a small sight of relief struggle is not over yet. after reaching Margao we were sent for refreshment at Margao residency and we were given breakfast there, that simple poha and tea never tested so amazing before I was having food after so many hours. Finally we were taken for testing. at Margao Hospicio we got to know that we will not be tested there since we are from north goa. we waited there till like 1.00 pm in the afternoon . can you just imagine the number of hours we waited here. at 1.00 pm we were told that we will be taken to Mapusa for testing we finally headed to north. at agasim they again halted our bus and finally we reached mapusa azilo hospital at around 4.00 pm in the everning, again we were made to wait there finally at around 5.00 pm our tests were done. we were sent for quarantine at calangute residency. My hunger and thirst were literally doing wrestling inside my body and tiredness judo. I was feeling sick , finally after reaching Calangute residency there was some relief , Around 20 of us we were in that centre 10 ppl got their result and we did not get we were made there to stay till next day 3.00 pm we got our results next day only, condition of the qurantine centre was not 3 star but we cannot expect a free government quarantine centre ot be some 5 star hotel also.

Once we were stamped for the home quarantine we were allowed to go back home, Since we have many people at our home I decided to stay in one of the guest house near my house, i was cooking there with limited items  on an induction, so yup for those 15 days life was hell

Now coming back to what was good and what was bad. We cannot judge government or any one else for that matter we are in such a crucial time that if we help someone else than that will be great. While waiting hungry in the bus so many people distributed their food and water. everyone was ready to help each other. once I came back I could see many people posting in the facebook saying , please dont get stranded goans back and all but my question here is are we firstly with humanity or against the humanity, that joy of seeing your people you will not understand sitting in one room and posting on the virtual walls, it can be only understood when someone is away ,