Spice of Life: Fasten seatbelt for flight back into childhood

Flights are sort of timeless. They provide ample opportunity for striking new friendships, reflecting, and just being yourself.

There’s a thrill to the first flight, and fear, too. My first air travel was when I was around 10, from Delhi to Agra. The best memory from that flight is the doughnuts and the worst something quite unexpected – the airhostess had to keep making the few passengers on board to shift either to the back or the front rows to counter balance issues cropping up for the plane!

Flights are sort of timeless. (File)

The way planes take off is stomach curdling, raising the requirement of toffees. There are several instances of blocked ears throughout – which no amount of empty swallowing can resolve. There are other solutions offered for this – all usually futile, though – like shutting the mouth tight and trying to blow air out from the ears. The landing can be jerky for there’s always an unavoidable ‘thak’ when the landing gear touches the tarmac.

My second travel was from Delhi to Goa when I was 18. Back then, I had begun to look at everything philosophically; and so, watching passengers (of varying ages, shapes, colours, sizes, etc) waiting together in the lounge made me wonder about the oneness of spirit among all beings. I remember the delicious spread served, too. Fortunately, that happens to be a staple memory from all flights.

The third time came around when I had to land in New York for higher studies. It was a 14-hour, non-stop journey on one side. From those flights, I mostly remember the fatigue, despite the uplifting purpose. Years ago, when my elder brother had gone to the same US city for the same purpose, he had lost his luggage due to a glitch in the services. So, that fear, too, lingered in my mind.

Another I undertook for a holiday in Ooty in June 2019. It happened to be turbulent, and I recollect the spontaneity with which prayers came to my lips, while the aircraft struggled with the weather. At the end of that experience, when my father casually mentioned the rough time and difficulty faced by the aeroplane to the airhostess, she smilingly praised the pilot for handling the situation calmly and efficiently. Well-deserved compliment, everyone was sure.

Another inconvenience that we encounter on flights nowadays is switching off mobile phones. Since we all seem to have nomophobia (fear of not having access to the mobile phone) in varying degrees, the situation becomes challenging. However, for some, this can serve as a much-needed break.

Children usually compete for window seats. Adults often come across celebrities, depending on the destination and nature of the flight. Enough for clicking a picture or two. And it’s always noticeable, the way, at the end of the journey, all passengers stand up hurriedly. The passengers at the back wait restlessly for the front-row ones to head out. After the slow-moving line, one walks into the bright sunlight/moonlit night – whatever the time.

All in all, flights are sort of timeless. They provide ample opportunity for striking new friendships, reflecting, and just being yourself. Borrowing the lines from the stanza of a beautiful song filmed on Amol Palekar, “Ek baar waqt se lamha gira kahin, wahaan daastaan mili, lamha kahin nahi….” The song is ‘Aane waala pal jaane waala hai’.

reemaban@gmail.com

(The writer is a Jagadhri-based freelance contributor.)