20,000 LEAGUES ABOVE THE SEA ( MY PANGA WITH NEWTONIAN PHYSICS )
Believe me ,if I would have had it any other way ,I would never have taken the path treaded ( or rather the path dreaded). But the facts are like this :my symbiosis group discussion and interview (in pune)was on 8th of February and my B.tech project presentation on carbon nanotubes (in Kolkata) was on 10th. Hence a flight was the only option. Because no other circumstance would ever force me to use a mode of transport that messes with Newtons laws of gravity.
I was really nervous. My indigo flight 6E 410 was scheduled for a 1.00 pm departure but I took no risk and was at the Pune by 9.00 am. I kept looking for first flighters like me ( I don’t know whether the word exists) but it seemed everyone on the airport was so used to air travel. At 11.00 am ,a Bengali couple sat beside me ,surely my copassengers . I pushed myself near them and in a very nonchalant way asked, “ Kolkata jaben to? “(are you going to kokata?). They nodded and from their vigorous nod I understood two more members had been added to my club of first flighters. Anyways at 11.15 we were asked for a luggage check and then we were given our boarding passes. All this while I pretended as if I was very used to air travelling. As time passed at around 1.20 I stated to feel nervous,why was the boarding announcement being delayed. Suddenly I heard a word “boarding” and something like “410”. Where the hell do I go for the security check in….. I suddenly located a man who looked like a veteran in air travel . Without giving him any clue I started following him , the security check was done .We entered the boarding area , after much ado ( about nothing?) I finally entered a plane for the first time in my life .
As I entered two beautiful girls wished me “good afternoon Sir”. I was thrilled. Maybe I was looking like a regular traveler. But the I saw them wishing a 60 year old with the same enthusiasm and the I realized : its their job silly . Before the flight could take off the airhostess instructed all of us to tie the seat belt . Hell! how could I forget to ask my brother about how to tie the seal belt । Cool pranay cool ,I said to myself I took the belt looked at my fellow passenger and yes I strapped myself for good . As the plane took off I prayed to good for a safe landing. The air hostess wished us a safe journey ( I also felt she told “ lets keep our fingers crossed”)and we were air borne.
All this while I was busy reading my presentations for tomorrow,when I heard the sensuous voice of the air hostess again … food was ready for sale . The air hostess announced the delacacies the airlines had to offer . As she said coffee I took out a five rupees coin from my wallet to have one ( because by now I was really hungry) when she added “coffee 125 rupees ,tea 120 rupees “ . I very quietly put the coin inside my shirt pocket. And they call themselves a low cost airlines ….my foot. As we passed rivers, fields and houses I could just see from the window how small everybody looked..... like ants and I wondered what god must be seeing from the skies above. As we were landing at the NETAJI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT in kolkata I felt a strange pain in my ears . My brother had warned me of the ear pain due to change in air pressure. I tried to close my ears but the pain and a feeling of numbness prevailed. After 3 hours I managed to land in Kolkata ….. alive and with 206 bones intact (o.k may be the ear bone was not intact).
I still have the indigo boarding pass with me as a momento for the battle I had won that day. But believe me if I would have it my way I would always prefer the train simply because from childhood my father taught me to keep my foot firmly on the ground …..o.k o.k I know it was a terrible pun.
