I have been really busy for the past couple of days. We had scheduled a Live Chat on Monday morning, and realised that Murphy's Law (or Sod's Law) was alive and kicking.
Despite a week of testing, a crucial link in the chain suddenly developed a fault. That the problem needed technical intervention in London didn't help much. That we have a 5 hr 30 minute ahead of London was a worry too. That we had scheduled the chat at 10 GMT made me sweat.
But thanks to my colleagues (especially one, whom I have woken up previously in the middle of the night for such problems) things were fine and working as originally planned.
On the personal front, the washing machine is still in need of attention.
After tens of calls, "one Mr Saleem, our Senior Engineer" visited our house on Saturday. He looked at the washing machine and decided it was beyond repair. The Chinese manufacturer had put in the weakest bit of plastic to support a button that has to be pressed to open the lid.
It has been pressed a few hundred times (depending on my landlady's assertion that the machine is a year or two old) or more than a thousand times (depending on our view that it must be at least four years old). Whatever be the case, the solution is the replacement of the entire front panel - and the company doesn't make such panels any more.
Mr Saleem looked at it studiously and then suggested he make a jugaad (temporary fix).
The jugaad is a piece of electric wire, which needs tugging at for the pull mechanism to open the main lid. "This will work fine till I make a more permanent arrangement," Mr Saleem said. I asked if he was sure this would survive the dual pressures of cheap Chinese manufacturing and untrained hands managing the jugaad. "Don't worry, Sir. This will last till Monday or Tuesday, when I will come to make the more permanent arrangement".
A few practice tugs from Mr Saleem, me and my better half assured us that it seems like a good working arrangement and that we can wear some clean clothes for a while.
The first washing cycle and the machine started spewing soapy water. The second attempt at washing and the jugaad came off.
Unsurprisingly, there is no sign of Mr Saleem and the machine is back to the state it was before Saturday.
"Sir, a Mr Sanjeev Arora will come tomorrow and fix the problem," the Helpline guy said. Is there no way I can get Mr Saleem? "No, sir. It will have to be Mr Sanjeev Arora." Does he know what needs to be done? "Yes, sir. He will be able to deal with it".
The good news is my PAN Card was delivered without any further problems. My Dad had to wait an entire day, plus a few hours more - but the delivery guy didn't insist on the identification checks that I was warned of.
Poor guy must be smarting under the loud behenchod (motherfu***r) that his boss said when he lied about my parents not being around when he came to deliver the package. He most certainly hadn't, but didn't bargain for a pissed off customer and an agitated boss.
The shipment seems to be on the move too. After writing to people and complaining of utter incompetence, the company "decided to not wait for the train and move my container by road instead". It should arrive sometime this week, I am assured - and should reach my house sometime early next week.
Gotta run now. I have started learning the ways of Delhi. Had told a colleague about 50 minutes ago that I will see her "in 10 minutes".
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