So! You are flying to home? Asked Joyti with an unexpected emotion
and an expected tone “Yes I do”, I said packing my stuff with a little glance
over her face. Are you sure you'll able to ? She questioned again. What’s
so difficult about it! I am not going on a war I am going home! I said smiling
“It’s not only difficult but complicated too because you are going
in a flight”, she said wickedly trying to steal glimpses of my already panic
eyes, and continued, “You are afraid of heights! Aren’t you? Higher altitude
makes you sick and rotten your brain”. Is that! I exclaimed, and what on the earth
made you conclude this theory over me? She smirked and said “I know your life’s
synopsis, I am your roomy and your ex collage mate, I am aware of every niche
of your life” and walked towards kitchen dancing her eyebrow in hip hop manner.
I thought for a while and then stood up coarsely shouting, “I have gathered enough
courage to do many things all these years, flight is just a teensy weensy
(tiny). “Ohh! Sounds good” she continued “I will nominate your name to
president for the next gallantry award ‘the bravest girl of the universe’ who
conquered unlimited sky, by limiting her fear” she giggled.
Is this your first journey in fight? Asked one of my colleague.
Yes! I said without raising my eyelashes, pretending to be busy, least he could
track the terror in my eyes. “So you are going alone or accompanying
someone? No, I am all by myself, I said still eyes on the keyboard. Soon the
entire team knew about my venture and there comes bunches, piles and zillions advises of dos and don’ts. Should I pen it down? I thought never the less I may
have to refer one of those
.
What? Why When?? Why are coming in flight alone? exclaimed my
mother. “You will be lost somewhere or will reach some nameless island”. My
mother quite observant and always had a weather eyes open for me. I chuckled and
could hear my dad‘s laughs from back ground. I said “Mom you are super cute, it’s a nonstop
flight and Bhubaneswar will be the last destination, even if I plan in plane to
vanish, disappear or lost airline crew will not allow me to do so, you don’t
have to worry about it". She said with a cold sigh “I doubt, you can do anything and anything could happen to you”. I teased "Mom do you think I will jump in the mid of air to land in some nameless
island? and laughed. She interrupted God knows where will reach Bhubaneswar or Bhutan and continued with a
firm voice I have to pick you up from airport
Are you crazy! I growled, you
don’t have to do that, travelling all the way for three hours from home to
airport just to see if am lost or reached!!. Soon I realized Mom is much
greater argumentative than me. “What so ever”,
she said “you are not coming home alone at night. After your flight trip we
both will board the train to home together and that’s final” she ended the
conversation handing out the phone to my father. Dad! I said meekly why you
people are reacting as if I am coming from
abroad I am a working woman now, not a kid!!. “I know” said my dad “but its a
high command order, do you think anyone has a potential to disobey her? And by the way how many Island are there
between Hyderabad and Bhubaneswar, and we laughed
While gazing the stars that
night a sudden fear seeped into my mind.I do have altitude sickness, what if I
start vomiting, and my head starts rotating at its own axis and I fall in
elliptical manner. But again I could remember the DEW drink caption “Dar ke
agge Jeet hai”, and started murmuring the same. Jyoti sitting beside kicked me
and teased you are such a maroon, drama queen.
.
.
Next day I hurriedly wrapped all
my work and swiftly reached airport 3 hours before the scheduled time, one of the dos
by my colleagues “ better early than to
never”(exclusively for travelling people who miss their trains and flight)
Soon I was standing in the mid crowd of overcrowded people. My
eyes were rolling all over and mind confused, “Where should I find my boarding
pass”. There were counter left to right and right to left. I kept walking with
my duppta sweeping the floor. Where should I fetch my tickets, I asked adjusting
bag over my shoulder. Which flight? Asked the man without even looking at me.
May be he is used to such kind of questions or I was not presentable enough to be noticed. Indigo I said. Take that way, he pointed
out to one of the many counter.I collected
my boarding pass and than followed the people in queue just like flock of sheep
supposedly for a security check
Don’t stand here, you silly girl! Yelping voice struck my ears. I
could see a fat lady was shouting at me as I was in a wrong queue. Cool down I
thought, it must be a daily job for you, mercy it’s my first time. After all
regular and irregular checking finally I was in.
Still I had two hours in my hand. How should I kill this time? I
walked down to each and every shop there, reading books and tried invading minds
of people scattered around.Soon the announcement: Indigo Flight No 6E 2417 will be ready for departure:
With cold feet I walked towards the final route, the plane. My heart was
throbbing and I was quivering. Soon I was inside the plane searching
my seat. Aha I got a window seat! I was delighted. I threw my bags aside and
jumped right there.
The engine ignites along with my fear. This is your captain
speaking said the Canadian pilot and after giving all weather, mathematics , Science and aeronautic information he continued “It would be great
flying with you lovely people” I thought to stand up and shout “excuse me captain!! but there are some frighten
people also beside lovely people”
As the flight started running slowly toward the runway I peeped outside
the window, and examined myself. Why I am not scared? Why my blood pressure is
normal? Why my head is not revolving? In short why I am not panic? May be I only had a false impression of fright
of flight. Suddenly the airplane took a sharp turn and now was running some 100 km
per second on the runway. Instantly I could feel everything that I denied some seconds
ago. I cuddled to my seat, I could feel a sharp pain in my ears. As the plane lifted
up I closed my eyes, wanted to shout, but the more civilized you become the
more you have to bury the emotions. I turned my head aside and saw no one
beside my seat. Horrible! Blood rushed to my auricles and heart started beating
1000 beats per second more horrible!
Soon the plane was horizontal from vertical. I gathered courage and opened
my eyes to look outside and was stunned
by the astonished beauty. There were clouds every where so many, as white as
snow. Some were glittering to light golden color due to the special effect of sun rays. I could see the horizon tinged in red.It was an amazing sight so
beautiful, hardly to be described in words. I felt like jumping out and perform skating. Wish swimming in the river of clouds, wanted to build snow man out
of clouds and was soon asleep thinking.
As the plane landed I had to witness another surprise. My brother in law was waiting for me. Where’s Mom? I asked. Ohh!! she told me to pick you as you are staying in Bhubaneswar tonight at our house, you always escape but
not this time, he said giving a smile. I had to smile back and thought” I came by
flight to reach home at the earliest, but what s the point now? Mom made whole
world at the service of her daughter”
Next morning when I reached home, Mom was waiting right to the
door. Oh dear she said, are you fine? How was the trip? she asked looking every nuts and bolts of my body. She was never that worried when I come by train Mom it
was delayed because of you, I would have reached last night itself I said bit
frowned.” I know I was worried for you honey”, she said and walked away.
I ran and hugged her. I know, you certainly, because you are a
MOM! Give me something to eat I haven’t ate since 8 month I said to bring her
smile back
