I'm back after my week-long holiday. Hyderabad - Pune -Panchgani -Mumbai - Pune - Hyderabad. So much has happened in the past 10 days:
I lost my camera. It really is gone, and I still can't believe it.
Mel got married. It was the most amazing wedding I've attended.
I learned various lessons, etc.
Well, to spill everything out, I lost my camera after Mel's wedding. It was a fantastic wedding, first a gurudwara wedding, a Roce ceremony, a church wedding, and a very nice reception at the Juhu Hotel (Razz Rhino, where we've had loads of gigs - it is quite a special venue, and quite symbolic, and the sea was glorious.)
Anyway, so after the reception, we were all to go to the room the newly-weds had reserved for them at the Taj Land's End. I decided I wanted to go with Gary on the bike, and handed my bag, stuffed with everything - camera, phone, clothes, accessories, etc. to a friend who was coming to Taj by ric. I told him my camera was there and that he should not forget it.
Well, he did. Put it in the back of the ric and forgot to take it out. I was so shattered when I got there and asked for my bag and saw the shock on his expression. We did everything we could think of. Went looking for the rickshaw guy, went to the police, tried calling my phone. Most likely, the chap didn't know that the bag was there at the back of his rickshaw.
It was very difficult. It really killed me. I've been a lucky girl so far, and have had no tragic losses in my life. And this camera was my first most precious possession. So new... I can still feel it in my hands and hear the perfect mechanism click.
After it had sunk it, and I was crying slowly, all I could think of was, I'll get it back if the guy who finds it is nice. It all depends on him. He had my phone, and Mel's wallet, with his visiting card. He could get in touch with us if he wanted. He still can...
I felt as if I'd lost a person.. a best friend. Everyone assured me it was OK.. after all, no one was hurt, and it was only a material thing. I'd also lost my house keys, and oh God, lots of small but important things. I had to break into my house the next day. I really felt alone, rotten, horrid.
But then I had my friends comfort me. They all felt my pain, and I could see that they were hurting for me, and that was a priceless feeling... I felt comforted just to see their pain for me. And Mel had just gotten married, it was the happiest time of his life, and I wanted to share that.
The next morning was the worst ever. I had to call and inform people, and really hope that our search would prove fruitful. A friend did a sweep on radio. Nigel tried getting the Hutch people to trace the location of my phone. But they don't have technology to support it.. or maybe they wouldn't be bothered doing it for every misplaced phone.
My parents called me to Pune on the last day of my holiday. It was comforting just to see the whole family and their compassion. Everyone says I should get another one.
Of course I will. I have to start all over again, and the most painful part is the wait. I was so used to my baby. And the other annoying part is going to be the complexity of making the purchase. I have to find someone coming down from the USA who can buy it and bring it down for me. Quite a shame.
I've learnt a few lessons.
The value of people.
The value of money.
The need to look after your things. Very carefully.
The most amazing thing that came out of this was that, for the first time I saw that when my pain and sorrow was shared among my friends and family, how quickly it vanished. I feel as if the weight that I had for the past three days is now gone. And its only because of the people in my life.
Everyone says that everything happens for the best, and for a reason. It's hard to believe in many cases. But I hope there's some truth to it. I'm lucky, it could have been much worse.. and I'll get a new camera soon. A better version. (The dollar price is dropping.)
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