A GRIPPING FLIGHT

 

After a crazy day chasing customer meetings in Chennai, I finally made it to my flight.

Boarding on the “last and final call” I walked into a full flight as inconspicuously* as possible.

Having located my aisle* seat, and nodding at the gentleman seated in the middle, I settled down. Boy, do I love my aisle seat these days!!

For a person who has great fascination for flight & photography, the window seat with its opportunity to experience the best of both – was where my early travel days had seen me. Over a period of time though, and with too many pictures of clouds & terrains now in my collection, I have settled to benefits of the aisle seat…like being closer to the bathrooms & the possibility to stretch a leg or two in the aisle on long flights…is this called aging? …But any way.

By the time we started moving, the gentleman in the middle seat to my right had already fallen asleep – must have had a long day too, I thought. Casual conversations with co-travellers is something one looks forward to, sometimes. And here the opportunity was drowned by his light snoring even before the aircraft engines had that privilege.

This story is from the good old times of flying, so needless to say I got busy with the dinner service & the coffee that followed. So the meal time was sans conversation, and he was back to his sleep soon after. Eventually one could sense the beginning of the aircraft’s descent with that characteristic (painful) pressure on the ear drums.., and the guy started to stir. But the “Seat Belts” Sign & the accompanying gong had him upright, as if stricken by an electric current.

He started muttering, what seemed like a prayer & his hands gripping the handrest as if he was sitting on a Ferris wheel that had suddenly gone wild!
Its not uncommon to see people pray before take-off and landing – fear of flying is not uncommon. But this seemed like a league of its own. For a moment I thought this is that onflight  medical emergency we read about in the newspapers.
Turning to him, I asked “ Sir – are you not feeling well, should I call the flight attendants?”

Still shivering and sweating he muttered with a shaky voice…

”I...I… I am scared of flying, especially the landings…”

Thank God I thought, atleast its not a heart attack…atleast not yet.
This got the pastor in me to come alive…

“Sir don’t worry” I said,” Nothing will happen, in a few minutes we will be on ground safe and sound, its just the turbulence at approach that tosses the aircraft around a bit”… trying a chance with rational explanations to soothe his nerves.

 “If you want to hold my hand, you may– it might help you feel safer” so saying offered my hand. 
Woah! Did he have a grip!! It was now my turn to pray!

At the “Cabin crew to landing stations” announcement, I thought I will have to spend the rest of my life signing documents with my left hand. 

Thankfully, we soon landed…and were rolling towards the arrival gates.

Finally as the aircraft came to a halt he let go off my hand, smacked his fingers to his lips and looked skywards… while I sat there “resuscitating” my right hand.

After he had regained his composure, he asked me for my name & introduced himself.

“I am RP” he said in a surprisingly strong & authoritative voice

“Additional Superintendent of Police, XX Investigations Branch…”

and went on to give me his contact number.

Well now, THAT EXPLAINED THE GRIP!!

 

Written as recalled, with no claims of authenticity. read if you like, believe if you will.

Over the last three decades, airports in India have transitioned from being purely functional to becoming monuments of development with distinct emphasis on appealing form combined with functionality…almost resembling art & architectural galleries.

Sadly though, flying has become more about process efficiency than about giving the passengers an opportunity to feel the freedom of flight.