Inception

It took me 6 Hrs and 23 Km to get a BSNL SIM

It took me 6 Hrs and 23 Km to reach the correct BSNL office get a BSNL prepaid SIM. That's a lot, "a lot" of hard work for a SIM, when one can get it from private players easily at every nukkad. The irony is, even doing all this, i could not get a 3G SIM, as the document that I have submitted for address was an ICICI statement, and sadly it is no longer an India Bank.

It is not that I stayed very far from BSNL office. There is a BSNL office in Ameerpet (close to begumpet, where I stay) and in Hitech city (close to my work place). However, my residence area falls in the Secunderabad circle, and I am supposed to go to "THIS" office.

11:30 AM, Distance traveled from my office: 1 KM.
First I went to Hitech City office, there is no 3G SIM available there.

12:15 PM, Distance traveled from my office: 7 KM.
So I went Ameerpet office. There they checked all the required documents replied they cant give me SIM because my residence area does not fall in their area. (as if they have to dig a line to my residence in order to provide me a prepaid mobile connection). They asked me to go to Secunderabad office. TIME: 1:15 PM

LUNCH Break

2:35 PM, Distance traveled from my office: 18 KM.
Secunderabad office is a big but sleepy office. And the usual problem in big office is that one does not know where to go. Strangely there was no watchman/peon/helpdesk. I dared and went inside a big cabin to ask for help. Thankfully, an kind BSNL employee (actually a big manager there) gave me directions to the correct office. What??? Yes, although it was a big building, but the customer service center wasnt in that building.

3:15 PM, Distance traveled from my office: 20 KM.
I reached the Customer Service center. Was a very neat and tidy office, and there was no queue. No queue??? Is it that I am the only person in the world who is looking for 3G SIM?
Ofcourse not... It is because there is no SIM available there as well, so I should go to another office. OK, as I have come this far, i thought, "let's go"...

4:05 PM, Distance traveled from my office: 23 KM.
Now come the worst part. BSNL has laid out a new guideline for 3G SIM, wherein they can not accept statement of any non-nationalized bank as address proof. And ofcourse, My application was rejected because of this clause. But wait, My documents was already checked by a person at Ameerpet office. He should have told me about this. Yeah, "should" is a word that can not be used for govt employees...

Time 04:30 PM, Distance traveled from my office: 23 KM.
A local mobile shop walah told me "Sahab, apko 3G SIM hona to thode din wait kijiye. Sept se baki sab companies 3G services start karti."

Wait continues...