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I WAS UP AGAINST WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL FORCE!!

I still remember that moment, when I happened to live one of my most top ranked dreams. For the first time, I could touch and feel the real 'Aeroplane'. My first ever flight experience to Chennai, for visa appointment, was beyond anyone’s belief.

Let me take you to the scene:
I was running in with my ticket in one hand and baggage on the other. Yes! I was welcomed by a very gorgeous air hostess at the back door of the craft. I smiled gently back at her and walked over. The craft was not big in size; however, she could accommodate 144 passengers. 71a was my seat number and upon my each step searching for it, I was praying god to have a beautiful girl seated beside me and also for a window seat. Yes! I had my window seat reserved but alas I still had my very good bad-luck when it comes to girls. Keep on reading, if you want to know, why? I was like a boy at the circus then. I kept my baggage on the upper deck, and then I jumped onto my seat swiftly.

For the first time I was inside Aeroplane and I could manage to have my seat belt on without any instructions. The zest to see the plane taking off the ground and especially being a part of that plane itself was something extra-ordinary for me. Flight was delayed by 30 minutes for some reasons and that was something I expected before hand. I was fully charged, enjoying the views through the small window and was also a bit nervous at the same time. Suddenly, I realized my adjacent seat went heavy and to my surprise I saw a very tall and fair foreigner.

Yes, I was surprize but surprize was not that he was tall and fair or he was foreigner but because he looked more nervous than me. However, little later I knew that he was actually not nervous but frustrated with the seating arrangements of the craft. He was so tall that his legs were not comfortably adjusted in the space between the seats. I gave a momentary look at his leg and thought that “those have to be hacked at least about 1 meter in order to have sufficient space between these seats like I had”. Somehow he managed his long-long legs, twisting and turning, in that limited space. He looked aloof to me until he gestured something funny and said “Indian planes” in a humorous tone.

I was back to my conscious not to miss plane taking off as she started making some engine noise. From my window seat I could see the front right wing of the craft moving. Right then I knew, runway was clear and the plane would take off very soon. I was set, to fly up in the sky in one of the most revolutionized and astonishing invention of mankind ever, ‘AEROPLANE’. In the next minute, engines went boisterous with all its wheels rotating in lightning speed. It was on its runway gaining momentum at exponentials. I felt butterflies in my stomach and the moment the craft departed off the ground was so special experience. I was heading against the world’s most powerful force, which I learnt in schools, called 'Gravitation'.

In few seconds I was at a comfortable height to glance at the entire city from just a 30X30 cm window. It was twilight and all the lights from above looked just like millions of stars shining down on earth. A full length train looked like a chain of small lights moving in small curvature. Very soon! even with spectacles on, I could no longer discern any difference between the dark sky and the earth which is now thousands of feets below. So, I relaxed my shoulders a bit and closed my eyes to restore those beautiful views I witnessed just a while before. To my goodness one of the air hostesses approached me and served some munchies and a dinner menu card. I had my drink at one go and I was ready for my meals. I marked against non-vegetarian on the carte-du-jour and passed it to the beautiful lady.

Later, we were served delicious food with mini mineral water bottle. After my dine she took back the tray and gave me a feedback form to fill. The form was about the facilities and comforts provided in the craft. Without even looking at the options, I marked ‘excellent’ for all the questions. And lastly there was one blank to fill about the girl (air hostess) you have interacted with in the craft. I was very happy to write “Sarah is doing a great job and her smile is excellent!” Sarah was the same girl who served me food, drinks and who demonstrated all of us about emergency exits and safety instructions. Even before I could finish the feedback form we were ready to land in Chennai.

As soon as I heard that we are ready to land, I was again excited to look outside the window. But I could not see nothing as it was very dark outsid. Slowly the craft was descended in height and I could see some glittering on the earth. Suddenly, firangee (foreigner) beside me was up and asked me “if that water body below was Bay of Bengal?” Until then, I did not even know that we were actually flying over Bay of Bengal. Slowly, when we moved closer to the earth, I found that those glittering here and there were in fact huge ships. The airport was built very next to one of the oceans. Chennai city looked beautiful from the aeroplane and the weather outside looked terrific.

I grabbed my seat little more tightly because we were near to the Chennai airport. I always had a misconception that it’s very easy to take off than to land a plane for any pilot. So, I was there again praying god for a safe landing. The moment those small tyres came out and hit the runway, I felt tremors. It made a huge noise until it came to rest at one point after sometime. We were instructed to be seated until the shuttle was ready to take us to the exit gate but the firangee had better ideas. Yes, some of you got it right. Without even giving an ear to that announcement he stood tall as soon as the craft halted.

Finally, bus arrived and we headed out. Sarah stood at the exit door. I gave back that feedback form to her and hoped that she would open it and read it before she gives it away to the staff or somebody else. I spoke last few words to her: "Good-bye Sarah! Hope to see you again!!"

Well, it’s just that, words are not enough to explain my ecstasy. And so, I am now giving rest to my mind here.