A small affair
“The passengers to Calcutta, flight no. 642. Please proceed for security checking.” announced the pubic announcing system in the domestic air port lounge.
I took my hand baggage and proceeded for the check.
“ Will you please place your hand bag for the x-ray test and proceed to that cubicle.” Said, the security personnel standing over there.
I was bit reluctant to put my hand bag as I was carrying some cash and jewelry in it.
“Don’t worry, I am here to look after you proceed.” I looked behind the voice talking to me in my mother tongue. He smiled at me. I reciprocated with same smile and proceeded without a hitch.
The security woman run the metal detector through out my body and let me go.
I proceeded to board the flight. Instead of a bus it was a tunnel attached to the flight and we could easily board the flight without any fuss.
The air hostesses, with a strained smile, welcome us on board. I settled in my seat comfortably. It was a window side seat. I could see the entire runway from there. I was completely submersed in my thought.
“ Hi, yet again…ha……ha..” He occupied my side seat with a huge smile.
“ Oh! Sorry after that security check in, I completely forgot you. I should have said you thanks.”
“It’s ok” He said with a wink.
I smiled.
The pilot’s voice resonated in the announcing system.
“Welcome, on board. I am Capt. Apte, commanding the flight along with co-pilot Capt. Bhatia. Please fasten your belt and listen carefully about the safety instructions.
The airhostesses started demonstrating along with the announcements regarding the safety and emergency exit.
“So you are staying in Mumbai?”
“Yes.” I tried to answer in short.
“Going for some official tour to Calcutta or what?”
“Yes……… And my parents stay there.”
“ Oh! I stay in Calcutta, with my parents. Where is your office?”
“Ho chi min sarani.”
“ I see. If you are going to Calcutta, never forget to taste Sandesh….The sweets are too good in Calcutta.”
“I know …I had been there before.”
“The flight was almost ready to take off.
“Please fasten your seat belts and stay in your seat till the sign of fasten seat bet is there.” The pilot announced.
The flight got detached from that tunnel and moved forward and settled on the runway. Slowly it rolled on the runway. I started chanting Hanuman mantra for safe journey which I ritually do every time I board a vehicle. He looked at me in the corner of his eye and smiled.
I felt embarrassed and moved my face towards the window to avoid his eye contact.
“Feeling scared or what?”
“Scared! ...no….The takeoff and landing is always very suffocating.” I said.
In the second round the flight caught the speed and started moving very fast. The whole flight shaken up a bit and suddenly I see the entire airport is looking very tiny from that double glassed window.
“Thank god! It’s a smooth one.” I said gasping my breath
“Huh! Actually they are all manually controlled that is why this jerking every time.”
“Don’t say anything as I can’t hear you….you see my ears are all cotton stuffed.”
“Oh!.....ha…...ha……..ha………”he laughed so loud that I again felt quite embarrassed.
After a while the flight moved steadily.
I looked through the window. We are almost in the clouds height. The blue sky was no more blue .It was like a bed of white cottons scattered every where. I could see different shapes and sizes in it. Suddenly it felt as if every thing was standstill. On the bed of white clouds our flight was sailing smoothly. I was too delighted with this view.
“So how is your job?” He asked.
“…….Actually I qualified for the junior fellowship in History and going to join as a research assistant in Calcutta.”
“You said your parents stay there. Where they stay?”
“ Arre….I said like that as I was not knowing you then.”
He sat straight and looked at me enthusiastically, “So you know me now?”
“I think so.”
“Tel me what is my name?”
“How do I know?”
“My name is Rohit., What is your name ?
“Swati.”
“I will give you my card, so that you can contact me whenever you need me.”
“Sure.” I said.
“Give me your mobile no.too” He said.
We exchanged our mobile numbers.
“You know what, I like history very much. This is a royal subject. After reading this you feel as if you are nothing less than a king or queen.” He winked, with a mischievous smile.
“Hmm….Well I don’t like it much. But I was aiming for something and landed up in something else….….What are you doing?”
“Ah! I am a software engineer. For a project I went to Bangalore then Mumbai”
“I see. I know very little about them. Can you tell me something about your job?”
He smiled and started talking to me .We talked to each other as long lost friends. Time flew .That flight, gliding on the clouds took us to a different world, as if he and me on that flight away from this world somewhere roaming in a city of joy, may be this is called cloud nine
In between, the meal was served. I was so merged in talks that I couldn’t even remembered what I ate. I even forget that I was talking to a stranger that to of my opposite sex. Sometimes vibes matches with a few people so well that you don’t even need a relation, gender tag or age tag to talk to.
Finally the flight landed in Calcutta airport.
“So, nice journey……. Enjoyed your talks a lot…… We will talk. See you again someday.” Suddenly he got vanished in the ascending passengers from the stairways.
Hurriedly he boarded a different bus and I took my own time and boarded in a different bus to arrive in the arrival lounge. The conveyor belt was yet to start. I looked at the starting point of the belt, suddenly I found Rohit standing in the other corner with a beautiful lady. When our eyes met, I was about to wave my hand but suddenly he moved his face to the other side just to avoid the eye contact. I got confused.
The belt started. His baggage came first and he picked it up and left the place. After that I went. While coming out of the gate I found Rohit is thoroughly clasping that lady and were talking quite intimately. I stood there stupefied, while from the private park they rolled out their car. For the first time I saw the face of that lady and the red sindoor on her forehead.
I felt very deserted. It was not that I was in love with him or something like that. But I got confused on the thought ‘why he hide his marital status?’ If he could talk so many things to me, why he didn’t mentioned about his beloved wife! I developed a sort of hatred for him instantly. I felt like vomiting.
I forget that episode then and there only……………
It was about a month or so, in lazy afternoon my cell started buzzing. I looked at that unknown number. I picked up the phone.
“ Hi Swati, Here is Rohit. Remember that flight, our delightful journey.”
For a moment, all my blood flowed to my face. For a moment I thought I may smash that phone on his face. But I controlled, because he is a stranger.
I said,” Wrong number…..”
He called once again and said it in demanding voice, “how it can be possible, it has to be Swati.”
I said, “Hallo mister, whosoever you are. I don’t know you. I am not Swati and stop bugging me again and again…”
I switched off the phone. A drop of warm tear rolled out of my eye….
********
P.S :- This is just a fiction…..
“The passengers to Calcutta, flight no. 642. Please proceed for security checking.” announced the pubic announcing system in the domestic air port lounge.
I took my hand baggage and proceeded for the check.
“ Will you please place your hand bag for the x-ray test and proceed to that cubicle.” Said, the security personnel standing over there.
I was bit reluctant to put my hand bag as I was carrying some cash and jewelry in it.
“Don’t worry, I am here to look after you proceed.” I looked behind the voice talking to me in my mother tongue. He smiled at me. I reciprocated with same smile and proceeded without a hitch.
The security woman run the metal detector through out my body and let me go.
I proceeded to board the flight. Instead of a bus it was a tunnel attached to the flight and we could easily board the flight without any fuss.
The air hostesses, with a strained smile, welcome us on board. I settled in my seat comfortably. It was a window side seat. I could see the entire runway from there. I was completely submersed in my thought.
“ Hi, yet again…ha……ha..” He occupied my side seat with a huge smile.
“ Oh! Sorry after that security check in, I completely forgot you. I should have said you thanks.”
“It’s ok” He said with a wink.
I smiled.
The pilot’s voice resonated in the announcing system.
“Welcome, on board. I am Capt. Apte, commanding the flight along with co-pilot Capt. Bhatia. Please fasten your belt and listen carefully about the safety instructions.
The airhostesses started demonstrating along with the announcements regarding the safety and emergency exit.
“So you are staying in Mumbai?”
“Yes.” I tried to answer in short.
“Going for some official tour to Calcutta or what?”
“Yes……… And my parents stay there.”
“ Oh! I stay in Calcutta, with my parents. Where is your office?”
“Ho chi min sarani.”
“ I see. If you are going to Calcutta, never forget to taste Sandesh….The sweets are too good in Calcutta.”
“I know …I had been there before.”
“The flight was almost ready to take off.
“Please fasten your seat belts and stay in your seat till the sign of fasten seat bet is there.” The pilot announced.
The flight got detached from that tunnel and moved forward and settled on the runway. Slowly it rolled on the runway. I started chanting Hanuman mantra for safe journey which I ritually do every time I board a vehicle. He looked at me in the corner of his eye and smiled.
I felt embarrassed and moved my face towards the window to avoid his eye contact.
“Feeling scared or what?”
“Scared! ...no….The takeoff and landing is always very suffocating.” I said.
In the second round the flight caught the speed and started moving very fast. The whole flight shaken up a bit and suddenly I see the entire airport is looking very tiny from that double glassed window.
“Thank god! It’s a smooth one.” I said gasping my breath
“Huh! Actually they are all manually controlled that is why this jerking every time.”
“Don’t say anything as I can’t hear you….you see my ears are all cotton stuffed.”
“Oh!.....ha…...ha……..ha………”he laughed so loud that I again felt quite embarrassed.
After a while the flight moved steadily.
I looked through the window. We are almost in the clouds height. The blue sky was no more blue .It was like a bed of white cottons scattered every where. I could see different shapes and sizes in it. Suddenly it felt as if every thing was standstill. On the bed of white clouds our flight was sailing smoothly. I was too delighted with this view.
“So how is your job?” He asked.
“…….Actually I qualified for the junior fellowship in History and going to join as a research assistant in Calcutta.”
“You said your parents stay there. Where they stay?”
“ Arre….I said like that as I was not knowing you then.”
He sat straight and looked at me enthusiastically, “So you know me now?”
“I think so.”
“Tel me what is my name?”
“How do I know?”
“My name is Rohit., What is your name ?
“Swati.”
“I will give you my card, so that you can contact me whenever you need me.”
“Sure.” I said.
“Give me your mobile no.too” He said.
We exchanged our mobile numbers.
“You know what, I like history very much. This is a royal subject. After reading this you feel as if you are nothing less than a king or queen.” He winked, with a mischievous smile.
“Hmm….Well I don’t like it much. But I was aiming for something and landed up in something else….….What are you doing?”
“Ah! I am a software engineer. For a project I went to Bangalore then Mumbai”
“I see. I know very little about them. Can you tell me something about your job?”
He smiled and started talking to me .We talked to each other as long lost friends. Time flew .That flight, gliding on the clouds took us to a different world, as if he and me on that flight away from this world somewhere roaming in a city of joy, may be this is called cloud nine
In between, the meal was served. I was so merged in talks that I couldn’t even remembered what I ate. I even forget that I was talking to a stranger that to of my opposite sex. Sometimes vibes matches with a few people so well that you don’t even need a relation, gender tag or age tag to talk to.
Finally the flight landed in Calcutta airport.
“So, nice journey……. Enjoyed your talks a lot…… We will talk. See you again someday.” Suddenly he got vanished in the ascending passengers from the stairways.
Hurriedly he boarded a different bus and I took my own time and boarded in a different bus to arrive in the arrival lounge. The conveyor belt was yet to start. I looked at the starting point of the belt, suddenly I found Rohit standing in the other corner with a beautiful lady. When our eyes met, I was about to wave my hand but suddenly he moved his face to the other side just to avoid the eye contact. I got confused.
The belt started. His baggage came first and he picked it up and left the place. After that I went. While coming out of the gate I found Rohit is thoroughly clasping that lady and were talking quite intimately. I stood there stupefied, while from the private park they rolled out their car. For the first time I saw the face of that lady and the red sindoor on her forehead.
I felt very deserted. It was not that I was in love with him or something like that. But I got confused on the thought ‘why he hide his marital status?’ If he could talk so many things to me, why he didn’t mentioned about his beloved wife! I developed a sort of hatred for him instantly. I felt like vomiting.
I forget that episode then and there only……………
It was about a month or so, in lazy afternoon my cell started buzzing. I looked at that unknown number. I picked up the phone.
“ Hi Swati, Here is Rohit. Remember that flight, our delightful journey.”
For a moment, all my blood flowed to my face. For a moment I thought I may smash that phone on his face. But I controlled, because he is a stranger.
I said,” Wrong number…..”
He called once again and said it in demanding voice, “how it can be possible, it has to be Swati.”
I said, “Hallo mister, whosoever you are. I don’t know you. I am not Swati and stop bugging me again and again…”
I switched off the phone. A drop of warm tear rolled out of my eye….
********
P.S :- This is just a fiction…..
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