Trip to Belgaum: For my migration certificate (January 09, 2007)

I’ve been having a spate of bad luck lately. Just a few days back I missed my flight to Cochin. Then I couldn’t make a clear plan of when to come to Belgaum. And I had so much trouble when I landed in Belgaum as well. Guess there was something wrong with the alignment of the stars in my life right now.

Anyway, I left to Belgaum on January 08, Monday night. The travels guy told me that I would reach Belgaum by 8:30. It was a pretty comfortable Volvo bus, and I slept real well. Slept all the way till 8:30 and when I woke up, we had stopped at this place for breakfast. I recognized the place, I was sure I’ve been there before. But I’ve come to Belgaum only once before this. Could this have been the same place we even stopped the last time? I really couldn’t remember as my previous trip to Belgaum was nearly 9 years back. Anyway, I freshened up really fast for fear of the bus leaving me and going, and the way my luck was lately, anything could happen to me!

Then I got into the bus, and just asked the conductor when we would reach Belgaum, and he tells me that we passed Belgaum some 2 hours back !!! in spite of all my efforts in finding out when the bus would reach, waking up by that time, getting ready really fast so that I don’t miss the bus, fate would still play me. And ensured that the bust got to Belgaum 2 hours before schedule and that I would be fast asleep at that time.

I didn’t say one thing to anybody. There was no need to. This is my bad time going on, and I know no one is to blame. So I just got out of the bus quietly, told the driver I’m off and I walked to the main road. Stood there with my thumb sticking out for nearly 15 minutes, until an auto guy stopped, who was willing to take me to the nearest bus stop at a place called Nipanni from where I could get a bus to Belgaum.

So I reach Nipanni and went running around asking for a bus to Belgaum. Nobody knew where or when it would come. Every bus conductor had a different thing to say. Finally, one old Mulla tells me to take a bus to Nipanni main bus stand and from there I would get lots of buses to Belgaum. So I got into one of the regular buses, and while I was sitting inside, I heard someone shout ‘Belgaum’ from outside. But I wasn’t very sure about what I’d heard. And I just tried looking out of the window. My bus started moving and just then I noticed a bus that had just arrived having a ‘Belgaum’ face plate. I immediately got up and rushed to the driver and asked him to stop as I had to get off. With a lot of grumbling, they opened the door and I rushed to the Belgaum bus. Once inside I asked the conductor when I would reach and he told me 11a.m. well, it was 9a.m. so it was expected. And Tunu had told me to reach VTU where I was going for my migration certificate by 1p.m. itself lest they take till the next day for the certificate.

So I knew I was racing against time. Spent the next 2 hours idling in the bus, talking to the guy next to me, who’s name was ‘Rahul Pujari’ and his brother was ‘Gajanand Pujari’ and his cousin was.. some other Pujari. Man, he was just introducing his whole family, but since I had nothing better to do, I was just lending him a ear. And moreover, he told me that VTU comes on the highway itself, so I had asked him to point it out to me so that I can get off on the way itself, rather than go till Belgaum bus stop and then come back.

He did point out a university to me on the way, but it wasn’t VTU. I realized later that he didn’t really know what VTU, the university to over a 100 engineering colleges in Karnataka was all about. Anyway, he was a nice guy, so I let him be. And after we got off at the bus stop, the first thing I did was book a bus ticket from Belgaum to Bombay for that night. Wanted to confirm my ticket back to Bombay at the earliest.

Then I took an auto to VTU, the guy asked for 150 bucks and I was sure he was fleecing me. But he told me that VTU was really far and it would cost that much with whichever auto I went in. So I didn’t wana argue, plus I was really late. I reached VTU by 12 noon, rushed to the admin office and asked them about my migration certificate.

Thing was, I was one of those unlucky souls who applied for this certificate, but it never reached my new university NMIMS from my old one VTU. There was some problem en route and its my bad time right, so the certificate had to get misplaced somewhere. VTU then tells me that there was nothing wrong from their part and they have already dispatched the migration certificate on the 20^th of June itself, and its been nearly 6 months and my college still hasn’t received it. They gave me a copy of the letter that said the certificate was dispatched. So I took that copy and decided to ask NMIMS what happened.

I left VTU and came back to Belgaum town, figured out on the way that I couldn’t get an earlier bus to Bombay although I had finished my work there as the earliest one was leaving only at 9:30 and I’d booked the ticket for it. So I decided to take a room, but a bottle of beer and just chill out for the afternoon. Just when I was chilling out, my mom called me and asked what I am going to do now. I knew I have to do something. Because the fact of the matter was, the migration certificate still hasn’t reached NMIMS and my marks will be withheld until it get through. So I called Shobhit and asked him to check up from college again whether the certificate was misplaced someplace as VTU is sure they have sent it and I am, in fact, holding the letter stating that same thing. He confirmed and called me back saying they haven’t got it. Then I called VTU and asked them what is to be done now. And they tell me that I have to make an affidavit saying I have lost the original certificate and request for a duplicate from VTU.

Making an affidavit and giving it to VTU with another request form for the migration certificate along with a DD for 250 bucks seemed like a lot of work. It was 1p.m., the VTU office would be open for at least another 4 hours. Shall I give it a shot and try and apply for my duplicate now itself? Well, I was already in Belgaum, I really didn’t want to waste time sipping my beer, although that is what I felt like doing! So I got up against my better judgment and rushed to the court to get my affidavit. The lawyers there tell me to get a Rs 20 Bond paper from a bank. I come outside to see a SBI right opposite the court and was so pleased at its positioning. But when I went there, they tell me that Bond papers are not given here and I will have to go to another bank about 2 kms away. So I take an auto, run till there, and on reaching this bank, I see a long line waiting for this exact bond paper. How many people could really want to make an affidavit exactly when I wanted one??

I asked the auto driver if he could do something and he tried asking some people who were already standing in line to get me a paper, and I gave the money to one of them. It was 2p.m. and the back was to close at 2:30p.m for 45 minutes. I waited and waited and the guy who was to give my application for the paper was just 2 people away from the counter, they shut it down. Dam my bad luck!

So this time, I decided to wait myself in the line till 3:15 when they opened and get my certificate. I tipped the auto driver for anyway helping me out and waiting outside with me. And I stood in the queue now. Thankfully, they openend the counter by 3p.m. itself and I ran to the court with my bond paper. I meet the notary public lawyer there and tells me to get the affidavit typed by the court typist. I meet this typist who is a revolutionary guy. I just tell him about my migration certificate being lost and the names of the 2 universities involved and my own personal information, and this guy types 2 full pages on it. All sorts of things “I solemnly take an oath… my certificate is truly missing… tried my best to find it… will return if I ever find it again… blah blah blah..” but some pretty good and fast blah! And he only charged 20 bucks for it. Then I went back to the lawyer. Now this guy was the only notary public officer at the moment. He had all the control with him. He could charge any amount to sign the affidavit and people would pay it, because whatever affidavit they want signed, can only be done by this one person. So he’s got a lot of power, and mom told me that lawyers would charge around 400-500 bucks. I had a 500 Rupee note ready with me. And after he signs it.. he asked for 20 bucks!! ‘is that like the going rate in the court? Everyone only takes 20 bucks’ I felt really bad and wanted to give him some more cash. So I gave the Rs 500 and asked him to give me whatever change he’s got. Such a sweetheart, he actually gives me Rs 400 back. Man, people in Belgaum are really nice.

Ok, now I had to rush to SBI again to get my DD made. Went there, took the chalan, didn’t know half the stuff to fill in it, but cashier guy was really nice and he only filled it for me and asked me sign at one place. And before reaching the cashier, there was this one guy waiting in line who I had to get past and I told him the story of my life about having come all the way from Bangalore and running around all day for this. So he let me pass and I got my DD pronto.

Then I asked an auto to take me to VTU, but this guy hadn’t heard of the place. I told him that I would find another auto, but he insisted I sit with him. So I just sat inside and we asked our way to VTU. It was 4:15p.m.

We reached VTU by 4:45 and by that time I had asked Sin to find out till when the office would be open and she messaged me saying 5:30, so I did have 45 minutes to do whatever I can right now.

I rushed in, told them I had DD, affidavit, request form and an attested copy of my PDC which I just decided to bring for the ‘in cases’ and asked them for another migration certificate. The lady there was really nice and wrote out my certificate. I confirmed from people in college the exact address to send the certificate to this time as I didn’t want it getting misplaced again. And she takes it to the registrar at 5:15. Would he sign it now?

I just waited outside. And just after 5:30, when most of the staff was beginning to leave, my certificate reached the dispatch section. I was overjoyed. They gave me copy of the certificate and told me that the original would be posted to NMIMS.

I just left the place praying that this time at least the certificate reaches college. On the way back, I was having a nice chat with the auto driver. And I realized I haven’t had anything to eat the whole day. So I asked the auto guy where I could find some Belgaum special food, and like a true muslim, he stops near a biryani joint saying I would get the best Biryani’s here. He was a really nice guy, tipped him 50 bucks more that what he charged. Then bought 2 chicken legs from the joint, went up to my room where my beer from afternoon was waiting for me. Treated myself to some lukewarm beer and tasty chicken, and left at 8:30 for my bus that was leave at 9:30. Was just waiting there and at 9, the guy tells me that the bus has already arrived. Half an hour early? I was beginning to doubt my fate again. Asked a lot of people in the bus if this was really the bus to Bombay, and all of them, who actually looked like runaway convicts, assured me that I would reach Bombay by 8:30 next morning. I kept the alarm for 6a.m. and went to sleep. Really wanted to make sure I’m awake when I enter Bombay this time!

Glad I did that, because I managed to get off at a stop much closer to home by 7:30 itself and got back in time to get ready and leave for my first class of the 3^rd trimester at 9a.m.

Another blast of a trip done.