The flight-episode 5

"So, what's your name ?", the Chinese looking  man asked with a casualness bereft of any real intention to know Sukanya's name.

"It's Sukanya", she replied in a curt , distanced tone.

"So, are you really a good girl, I think that's what your name means, right?"

Sukanya was amazed at the man's response as he was definitely not Indian. She had evaluated his being a North Eastern  but had waved it off because there was a certain foreignness in him.She looked long at his small eyes thinking if she could have been wrong .He, as though reading what was troubling her mind shot ,"I am not an Indian, completely though. My name's Lin, Lin Chang."

"Ohh, so how come you know  Hindi?Even the meaning of my name..."

"My mother is an Indian.So you may call me half Indian, half Chinese"

"Oh really?,"Sukanya was relieved that atleast he was somewhere Chinese and not Japanese, Korean or the other breeds she had nastily called him , a few minutes ago.

She felt the heavy baggage of hatred and discomfort released and her innate belief and trust in people take over.She smiled and when he  questioned her again if she was really a good girl like her name suggested she said,"Yes I am. Have always been one. Never been bad."

While she said that,  a voice from deep inside thwarted the entrails of her soul wanting to break free and yell loudly ,"I am a good girl.Yes I am. But I wanna see how it feels to be bad, I wanna see whether I am happier being a good girl or am I really not that innocent. "
Suddenly another thought came crashing as the lightening that strikes the dark night,"strength of will" and she felt herself numb again.


"I am sure you are,"said Lin in a mocking tone.

"Let me tell you a little story of another good girl", announced Lin.

Sukanya fell silent .She waited for him to begin the story.
                           

The flight-episode4

As soon as she was drowned in the dizziness of the drink, all she could think of was  her dreary , dead life. but life was not always the same fo her.She had been an athlete in her school time, a bubbly,cheerful kind of a girl : what an irony. Her thoughts crossed over some twenty years ago when she was about fifteen years of age.

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The young  girl was preparing for her first major race. She was in the school ground full of children of all sizes , ages and colours .She took her position and bent down at the starting line.The  physical education teacher called out in a loud, clear voice-- three , two, one and go.

She started running for her life. Ritika , her greatest competitor took the lead which frustrated her more. But she had to prove it to her mom that she could also get the medal. Her mother was an allrounder in her college  and hoarded a shelf full of cups and medallions for races, debates, poetry recitals etc.Though she was good , but she wanted to be the best.It was not her herself but for her mom.She doted on her. So, she ran with such a might that she defeated Ritika easily and gladly hugged her mom waiting for her at the finishing line.

"So, mom, what is going to my gift?", asked little Sukanya, while they were walking down the road after the Prize Distribution ceremony.

Mother casually said,"Beta, you know whatever you want , I would take you that today.I'm really proud of you. But if I were you , I would just ask one thing from God."

"What's that mom?"
'Strength of character"

Her mom went silent and so did Sukanya.She didn't understand what it meant though at that time.

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Now that she was in this flight ,sitting with this Chinese  looking man, all that she needed was "strength of character " to bear with him. She decided to keep mum, ignore his foolish upstart kind of humour and teach him a lesson in dignity. He had already made her shift her seat rudely , misbehaved and also let her "Dharma Brashta" by letting her eat the sickening non-vegetarian dish.

Now, no more, she told herself quite firmly and looked outside the toughened glass  window.
Outside she saw  magnificent snowlike clouds carpetting the sky.She wished again that she were a swallow or a skylark.The drink had made her tormented, lonely soul relax.

"strength of character "...yes surely I have it in me,she mused...

The flight-episode3

"A wanderer, ahem?, she thought in her mind, is he some Chinese descendant of some fifteenth century explorer who's come to India to set our world right? Or  has he some hidden agenda of  the Chinese government to find out the loops and holes of Indian economy? 
Why should I bother in any case?"

Meanwhile the flight had taken off swiftly and the announcement about the freedom of the sickening belts was also finished.

The air-hostess came  down the aisle with the welcome drinks and some 'shitty' snacks.
The Chinese man called them "shitty".

"Excuse me, Ms" , he said, as soon as he gulped down the veg cutlet that was served to him,"What is this?My snacks were supposed to be non-vegetarian!!.This is blasphemous.You are serving a non-veg passenger with a veg cutlet and the lady here with a ham burger?"

Sukanya threw out as soon as she listened to the word 'ham'." Is it really a 'Ham -burger','she asked furiously.


"Ss ..Sorry m'am,there has been some confusion, I think you are on the wrong seats.My list says that this particular seat number has to be served with non- veg food."Mr.Wong had opted for non-veg food."

Sukanya stared at the Chinese man in disbelief who had disturbed her while she was  reading her book and had nastily shifted her seat in a super confident cheek.
"Mr.Wong,the wanderer! How could you?"I'm a brahmin, infact how can you know what a brahmin is, I think you are Chinese or are you a Japanese or  a Korean? Look , it doesn't matter to me where you are from but because of you my mouth has had a taste of some shitty , fucking crap."

"My apologies ma'am but I think this cutlet was  the shitty thing."

The poor air -hostess , looked at both of them with confused perplexity on her face and finally said,"Sir and  Ma'am , please calm down , whatever has happened , we are sorry about the inconvenience. Let me get another set of snacks for you. And as a complimentary drink ,would you like some sherry ,ma'am?"


"Surely ,I would .I think that's what will calm my senses', brooded Sukanya, and quietly nodded her head in agreement.She had forgotten what happened to her  generally in a state of inebriation.

"What you like to be served, Sir?"

"A chilled beer would suffice."

The flight -episode-2

Her mind wandered off to the morning details before she had reached the Delhi airport.The maid  had not turned up so she had a number of  mundane chores to be finished.The clothes had to be put inside as it was the monsoon going on, the kids had to be bathed and fed and dropped to her parents house.
The milkman  had to be instructed not to deliver the the milk  for a week. Also the house had to be locked properly before coming down the stairs from her third floor flat .

While her mind was boggled with the minor details  from the morning, suddenly she felt a breath near her ear.She was startled to find the Chinese looking man so near her that she almost jumped in her seat. Beholding the quizzical look on her face , the plain looking man retorted,"Ms. Your heel is pinching my foot.Can you please sit properly?"

Embarrased, red with shame she realized that she had been extending a painful squash from her six -inch heel."I am so sorry " were the only words that could come out.

"So ,are you going  for a holiday?",asked the man casually.

"Ya ,kind of.Going to spend some time with my husband in kerala.He is posted there." Sukanya was relieved to find the man initiating the converstaion after what he had been a very embarrasing start of a journey.

"What does he do there?"

"He is an  environmental engineer doing a research on Kerala backwaters and forests."

"Oh, thats a very innovative field I must say",commented the man.

"What do you do?,"asked sukanya coyly.

"Iam a wanderer.
I don't plan a thing
If I want to dance
I better learn to sing."


"The man seems interesting". My time would pass very easily.

The flight-episode 1

"Excuse me ma'am,could you mind shifting to the window seat?", the Chinese looking man said.
She was so engrossed in reading the newly acquired 'fifty shades of grey' ,that it had to be repeated
again in a louder and clearer manner:"Hey miss, this ones mine .Yours is seat no.67 which is the corner one."


Finally, she rose and shifting the paraphernalia-her i-phone, hand bag , the book plus some paper napkins, she gave an apologetic smile to that plain looking man and got up with a nonchalant  attitude.


So, this was the man she was to travel with ?


She was going for a vacation to  Kerala in South India where her husband was posted .The plane had not taken off till now. The air -hostesses in bright red skirts and cream lacy shirts started to perform on the  set anthem. Sukanya gave a bored glance outside. Now she was actually glad that the Chinese man had asked her to change her seat.


But she was a woman of contradictions.


She loved to travel but not alone.She liked company She wanted to discuss the food on the flight, the fake smiles of the air-hostesses,the reprimanding Indian parents witha baggage of naughty children,  the weather outside and the travel i ternary she had planned in her mind. But now that she saw that the man was rude and blunt enough to ask her to shift her seat..she thought it better to keep to herself.As it is,she didn't want to make the first move.


It was a short flight for about two and a half hour bit the time seemed to tick very slowly.....

The twin

His name was Siddharth and people were in awe of him.A successful career as a  CA  in an MNC with a six figure salary,a BMW ,a lovely wife and two small kids whom he loved to death.
But noone knew that he had a twin residing in him:Sid,a bashful ,violent person who could be as dangerous as death itself.

This incident just freaks me out.I happen to be Sid's childhood friend , a confidante , a real chuddy-buddy and more than that,his wife. 

That day he had drunk way too much.The party was noisy and the music almost ripped the ears of the people who stood too close to the speakers.But Sid was away, sitting near the bartender ,ordered drink after drink. He saw her in the distant, a white short dress; she definitely looked hot and inviting.Luckily she came up to the bar and there he shot his one liner,"I think I've seen you somewhere! "

She turned towards him in a seductive way and held his hand,"I work in the same  company so perhaps you are right.You must have seen me at any other offsite like this one."

So the conversation had begun.After an hour long discussion ,it was time to leave.As any other opportunistic man would do, Sid also offered her a lift. She gladly accepted as if waiting to be asked.

"Such are the girls these days: AVAILABLE," he mused,conniving what he ought to do next.By the time he reached her place,he had already planned his next move. If she asks him to come for  a coffee, she's in the game, if not she still has to be in,whether she likes it or not.

Presently the car came to a shrieking halt. Sid like a true gentleman got down to open the door for her.She looked astonishinly awesome in the moonlight.

"Why don't you come up for  a cup of coffee?"
Sid's heart skipped a beat.She was walking ahead of him in an enchanting gait.Reaching near  the lift she paused for a while and looked whether he was following her or not.

Sid was sweating profusely. He wanted to smoke a cigarette badly. As soon as they halted near the door,she fiddled in her handbag for the house keys.Finally she laid the door bare open.

There ,at the entrance stood two lovely kids,waiting for their papa-mumma to come home after the party.

"Why have'nt you been sleeping dearie?,said Siddharth,as it was now him who was back. Sid had stealthily squirmed out of the scene.Nita looked smilingly at the three of them.She was used to such misadventures but was glad that he's always home.

The Seminar

They were contrasts.She was  a bubbly rambler and he was quite silent . We all know how opposites attract and in their case they really did.

She first saw him when she was waiting in the office corridor to attend one of those boring seminars which have become a recent fad in today's corporate world. It was a stupid training session on 'Communication and its right approach'.

"Hah,as if we don't communicate well,"mused Sneha who had been working in this field for almost twelve years by then ."But these bosses do want to torment you by sending you to these training sessions and seminars",she smirked.

"Why can't such seminars be organised in the same branch or the head office where I work? Why do I need to get up extra-early and drive for an hour to this Noida office?Oh no!I generally doze off with boredom in such seminars!!"

Nonetheless,there was no choice.She was representing the head office and she had to attend the seminar with utmost sincere enthusiasm (atleast it should reflect like that on her face).

And so when he went past her ,she randomly noticed his good looks and wished,"I hope such a person is the speaker for today's session so that atleast I'm not bored.

And so it was.As she entered the Conference Room (she was the last one),she noticed that it was noone but him standing at the podium.He was in a pink  crisp shirt (quite metrosexual,she thought ) ; and some dark trousers. Actually ,she was so besotted by his Greek features that she didn't speak when he asked her to introduce herself in the ice-breaking session:"Hmm...Ummm...I 'm Sneha Dalal from the head office ..."Her confidence just vanished  in a lame reply as she felt weak in the knees.She had the same feeling only once before in her life..When she had seen her husband for the first time .

Yes ,she was married with two kids but it really did'nt strike her as something immoral or obnoxiously insane.Things like this happen all the time.People just don't talk about it.She believed in listening to her heart and follow it without any notions of "good" or "bad".That's what she was and she was proud to be herself.Let people say whatever ,it didn't matter to her.She was true to herself.

So ,back to where we were...there she was,totally,completely bowled over by his good looks and imagine what happened then!!

She heard him speak.What a manly baritone.."Ahhh...would I be able to answer ",she thought and participate  and impress all like a winner as usual"?
But  not only  did she answer all his questions and enquiries about the topics but also excelled in the partner role-play activity which he initiated .Her roleplay was very dramatic and used a lot of space.It also had humour which the other groups had not worked on.(as commented by Mr.Anuj Malhotra...that was his name......he  was younger to her..how many years...till that time,she had no idea.)

The five hour seminar ended as if it was just an hour..she wanted more of his intelligent add ons to her not so perfect knowledge (interestingly,before this day she was quite snooty about her knowledge and experience).

Finally ,the seminar ended.She mustered the courage and walked upto him ,took his number ,told him how impressed she was with his skills and presentation and started for home.

                                                         *            *              *

Some days later.

She had to arrange a similar seminar at the head office.She was to be the solo speaker.She prepared all the slides and arranged for a lot of fun games and activities to make it more vibrant.


She entered the Audio-Visual Room where she had about 25 co-workers from various branches waiting for her.She noticed a familiar face in the second row.It was none other than Anuj.He looked very different now,though.He had lost some weight and grown some beard.After the first session ,she w hoped to see him and ask why he looked so crushed by life.But she couldn't.
She didn't want him upset at any cost.

He took her number at the end of the day,showered her with similar compliments about her professional talent and waved her goodbye as they both left in their cars.

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Months have passed . They have become friends .However, they both have many hidden secrets which they  want to share with each other.
The only reason that they don't is because she is married and they know the obligations of the Indian culture.If it were the U.S.,none would have thought about it so seriously.May be in future,they do end up telling each other what lies underneath their formal , professional talks.
I'm  waiting for Sneha to write more so that I can share the news with you.

Simply yours
Sneha 's diary