I found that the door of my room was locked from inside….
Color of my face changed when I tried to open the door of my room and I found that it was locked. I remember very clearly that, while going for swimming, I had not locked the gate from outside because there was only one key which was provided from the reception and that I had kept over the cupboard. So, I was sure that I had not locked the gate from outside and all my personal belongings like camera, mobile phone were lying intact on the sunbath table, so there was no point to perceive that, some has trespassed into my room.
But how the room got locked, was biggest question running inside my mind.
It was a glass door and I tried to peep through the glasses, to see if anyone was inside my room and for two minutes, I kept on observing any activity inside my room but the result was nothing.
I was clueless at that point of time but I had to find the way out and I started thinking of the alternatives available.
First, I made sure that the door is locked and there was no chance to enter from this point. I tried to rotate door handle to every direction so as to ensure that there is no mechanical glitch. Having convinced, about the door is locked, I moved towards the bathroom gate which had an entrance gate from balcony. I tried to open the gate but the result was negative because it was locked too from inside, which was obvious, since I had not used the bathroom till that time.
I started thinking of the other options. It was not the moment of panic but I had to find out the solution, as I can’t spent entire day outside my room.
I thought of another option, which was to enter water again, swim to the shore and than again climb to the ramp from the shore. This option was good, but it would not solve my purpose because I clearly remember that I had locked my room from inside, so even if I manage to reach to main entrance gate of my villa, I will not be able to enter inside and than I had to go to the reception without cloths. I kept this option as last option.
Then I started looking for another option.
I found that a small hand receiver was hanging at the corner of the wall. I picked up the receiver and it was working, which meant that there was only dial tone. Now, I was having some tool to get out of problem but I had no contact number list to contact the reception. There was no display of important or emergency numbers near the phone. So, I started searching someone staying in nearby villas, who can provide me number of reception. I wasted another ten minutes in search of someone staying next to my villa or who can be called for help but the result was not in my favor.
So, I decided to use “hit and try” method.
I still remember that, I tried 2-3 standard numbers, which are commonly used to contact reception in all the hotels like number 9, 0, etc. and out of them one got connected. As soon as I heard voice from other side, in soft tone, I asked whether I had connected to the reception of the resort. I was soft in my tone because I was not aware of the recipient of the phone call and whether I had contacted right place or not. But my luck favored this time and I was told that my call was connected to the laundry section and they asked me to contact on the reception number which they also provided.
Without wasting any further time, I disconnected call and called on the reception number.
I informed reception of my room number and informed them about my situation, of being stuck at the balcony of villa, which is locked from inside and requested them to send someone to help.
The receptionist asked me not to worry and informed that any staff will attend my problem within 10-15 minutes.
Having completed the conversation with the receptionist, I was hopeful of getting out of this situation but one burning question was still running inside my mind, who locked the gate, how did this happen?
The staff took almost 10 minutes to reach to my villa and I was continuously watching from the glass door for his arrival.
As soon as I heard sound of someone opening the main entrance gate, I was relaxed and I waived my hand to signal him my location.
The main entrance door and balcony door was facing each other, so the sea was visible from the entrance gate of villa. The staff saw me and unlocked the balcony door.
As soon as he unlocked the gate, I was relieved of all worries and relaxed, but the question was still alive, who locked the gate??
I apologized resort staff for trouble but I asked him to answer my question.
His answer gave me a most important information of my villa, that, “you must always carry key of your villa with yourself as balcony gates don’t open from outside without use of keys from outside”. This meant that the gates will get locked automatically, when it is shut and it can be opened from inside villa without use of keys but from outside, it can only be unlocked through keys.
Above feature was a strange and unique feature of the villa room because it was my first experience with such type of arrangement. I further asked him reason for such type of locks, he answered that keeping in view safety of villas, such precautions have been taken. I requested him to inform such details at the time of check-in, since ignorance of this feature lead to wastage of time and efforts. The resort staff replied that it is a protocol to provide such details at the time of check-in and it might have been conveyed to me as well but may be I had missed this part. So, before leaving, he again requested me to carry keys every time, whether I am going to the balcony or outside my villa.
Strange but above conversation provided answer to all my questions and relieved me of my doubts on presence of trespasser/s. Practically, carrying keys everytime is not possible, especially when the movement is within the closed room area but this villa has been designed in such a style only.
After this incident, I was vigilant enough to carry keys, whenever I was stepping outside of my room, but on few occasions I forgot to carry keys and it was a near miss situation for me.
Two such incidents I remember, when there were situations like a near-miss.
One such took place on the next day morning, when I prepared my coffee and moved towards the balcony to enjoy the morning breeze and sip of coffee.
It was morning time, so I was relaxed and forgot all the protocols of villa, I opened the gate of balcony and stepped outside without the keys. As I stepped outside, I realized that key is still inside and the gate was about to get locked, so in fraction of second, I inserted my fingers in between the door and the door frame and stopped it from getting locked.
Another incident took place, when I moved to the balcony and forgot to carry the keys and door got locked. Luckily, door of my bathroom was open this time, which I left it open mistakenly after taking bath, post snorkeling. So, when I realized that the balcony door is again locked, I first checked my bathroom door and found it to be open. So, without waiting any further, I stepped inside my room though bathroom, took the keys and then again came to relax on the balcony.
Is this a luxury villa or a mental torture????