My First Air Flight

Prologue:

Its been years since my dad went to USA, and everyone in my family wondered when they'll get a chance to get high into the air where the landmarks on our favourite place look like small pin-heads......
My mom got the opportunity when she went on some official work to Hyderabad....So the only people left were me and my sister. So it was my turn, maybe it was following the order of the head of the family first, then the lady of the family and then the bigger kiddo !!!
It was October first week, but we (me and my pal, Rajat) already had our eyes on the Diwali (November 12,2004) break since we joined the office. For me it had been four years since I celebrated Diwali with my family, being at Engineering College (NIT Calicut, Kerala). Rajat told me that a bundle of hols are coming and if we take few days off from office we can go and celebrate the great festival with our families. I was still thinking when he just announced that he's all set to go as he got permission from his manager to take three days off and also booked the air-tickets for his journey. So I too got into action. The very next day I asked my manager if I could take three days off and he gave a green signal...But the way he said it, I thought he's joking..But no..It was true as my senior colleagues too said-"Go & enjoy! Madi" (madi is a Kannada word). So I just went to the traveling agent opposite to my building and got my tickets..not exactly the dates I wanted...But holla I was going home

Came the days to go home..and came the final days for my project release....days and nights at office....Ah..

The day has arrived ( November 7,2004)............but till 6.30 AM (IST of course) I was at office...knowing that this would happen, I had packed my bags one day in advance. My flight was at 9.20 AM (IST) - Indian Airlines. So I needed to be at the Bangalore Airport atleast by 8.20 AM. I reached at 8.

So here it starts.....(obviously the airport part should also be included :-) )

Bangalore Airport : November 7,2004 : 0800 hrs IST : Bangalore-New Delhi

I entered the airport through the Indian Airlines departures terminal and saw a queue for check-in. Not following the Indian tradition, I went and stood in a queue..yes yes I am an Indian and I am proud to be one!!(though Indian cricketers are proving by contributing their part in their own way). After standing in the queue for around ten minutes, when my turn came, the official on the counter says, "Sir, please pass the baggage through the x-ray check before". Ah!! ten minutes wasted..Anyways..TP (time pass) ho gaya!! Went back to the entry of the Indian Airlines counter and got my baggage x-ray checked. The helper there put a sticker on it saying "X-ray checked- Indian Airlines".

Next, back to the queue. There was an old man ahead of me who was asking the official at the counter to give him a seat so that he can spread his legs properly. "You get a seat of your own choice? How is this? I've been traveling in Indian Railways since long and there our seats were already allotted!! Maybe a special case!!". On my turn, I just gave the official there my ticket and took whatever he gave...Didn't even knew what's gonna be that he's giving, just had heard its something that is compulsory before getting on the plane. Next confusion was should I take the newspaper kept there on the desk? (though the paper was something that I never had read before- Deccan Herald) is it free? (Forgetting nothing in this world is free!!). When I was still getting my boarding pass (yeah I got the term now!), there were people who kept coming and taking small tags placed on the desk, written on them was Indian Airlines. I just took my boarding pass and seated on the chairs in the waiting lounge. Another thought flashed-if all people are taking the tag, there should be some catch in that too, so I went and took one tag and attached it to the shoulder bag I was carrying as cabin-luggage.( I had already taken a copy of Deccan Herald, copying the elderly man ahead of me). After it was declared that I have to go for security check, I went in and the same thing happened with my shoulder bag--will you check everything with me with your x-ray? (Roentgen would have never thought that his medical discovery would be used to harass innnocent people like me!!).

In waiting lounge after security check....arey bhai..kabh chadaoge hawai-jahaaz par? Mujhe udna hai!! (translated: hey, when will you allow me to board the plane?I wanna fly) Okay not like the Wright Brothers!!I hope my journey is safer than theirs was!!Baaki Indian Airlines ki daya hai! (translated: rest is all courtesy, Indian Airlines!!) . I wanted to click pics of the magnificent view infront of me, with the airplanes and the airport looking really great!!but by mistake I had read the instructions on the air-ticket, photography is strictly prohibited in the aircraft and the airport premises. Ok...Please board me...................................Ah....boarding announced! I was like "Kanuj in wonderland" (Lewis Carroll please excuse me).

Following the fellow passengers I found my way into the plane. At the entrance was a smiling (not too great looking, as expected-thanks air-hostess descibers) air hostess with her hands folded as a welcome sign. Got into the aircraft. I was still in a wonderland...Err wonder craft now! Found my seat-10A-ahem-its a window seat, to my good(/bad) luck just above the wings. Okay, I sat there (not expecting like any other guy to have a gal on the next seat-because all times in the past were futile). There were guys next to me. But someone got them theirs exchanged with small gals who were too keen to pick up the candies and the cotton (in kiddy days, we called it bhudhi mai ka jhatta)..I was bit not easy in doing that ( I am a big guy now!!). A request by the onboard crew wanted us to tie our seat-belts and like a obedient student, I did! The air-hostess gave a demonstration of how to tie it too, also telling about the various exits & that we have to switch off our mobile devices as they might interfere with the working of the electronic gadgets used for navigation.

The plane started! The wings started moving up and down from the edges..ab mera kya hoga!! (translated: what about me now!!) . The plane started...slowly...I had in front of my eyes Kajol...No no not in that way this time, but in the way she was when her flight was taking off in Pyaar to hona hi tha. Is it the same experience? No now I can confidently say and its so thrilling, felt just like its on a vertical merry-go-round in amusement parks. As I was getting elevated from the surface, Banglore started appearing more beautiful everytime-the airport road never was such beautiful when I was plying on it!! The buses and cars were just like pin-heads! Those who have undergone that experience can feel what I am saying! Soon the aircraft was settled in the high air. The crew-head welcomed us aboard and informed us about the journey details-plane speed-720kms/hour;altitude-8000 feet above sea level; bangalore-Delhi distance-arg..I don't remember. But he did mention that we'll reach by 12.30 as the flight was already late by half hour..How can IST adjustment be forgotten. The air-hostess started offering the food- I took non-veg hoping it to be good and yes it was...something I don't know what was called--I just gulped inside. My ketchup finished and what to do!! I was searching for the air-hostess. One was in view-but she was an aunt ji. Then appeared the better one, the one which was welcoming at the time I entered the plane. She got me the ketchup! Then she came for serving tea. I hoped the aunt ji doesn't come and holla! She Didn't...the good one came but she was rude enough to scream at me to bring my cup near her.

The outside view was just superb. The clouds looked like small balls of cotton spread on the floor. Sorry I couldn't get the pics, though I wanted to-my mistake of reading the onboard-instructions. The plane appeared to be still but it was moving at 720kms/hour. After just one hour we were above Nagpur and the crew-head announced that the expected temperature at Delhi would be around 16 degrees C...as expected in this month of the year. I couldn't believe that in just one hour I was above Nagpur and I another one hour I'll be landing in Delhi, a journey which takes me around 40 hours in train.

Just after this, there appeared the much unexpected part of the journey. As every movie has some twists and turns to enthrall the viewers ( even Hum Aapke Hain Kaun had a slight twist!), so why would I be left behind. As soon as we crossed the Nagpur region, there was some bad weather and there was turbulence as a result of it. The plane shaked like a small kid drank water hurriedly and was coughing as a result of some water getting into the wind-pipe. Apun socha! beta ab tera kya hoga! kahin first flight last flight na ho jaye!! (translated: What will happen to you now! It shouldn't be the case that the first flight of yours is your last one also..I said to myself!!) ..We were again requested to tie our seat belts and informed that similar turbulence can be expected as the weather is bad ahead.....Hey ram...Hey ram...Kajol! you were right!! I should have listened to you! your first flight too had turbulence. But until and unless I get a personnel experience, why would Mr. Kanuj Gupta listen to anything. Ah it worked..Ok now....Thank God! it was okay in 3-4 minutes. The kids next to me were terrified but I think they were veterans and didn't show the kind of reaction a kid of around 10 would show.....

We approached Delhi and the view which I saw was even better than that of Bangalore, though I Didn't recognize most of the buildings. The announcement informed that the temperature outside is around 26 degrees C. The landing was another great experience though it shaked us..I had the imagination of a smooth landing..but anyways...Thanks I was on ground. The Indira Gandhi International Airport at Delhi appeared much better than the Bangalore one, being an of international standards. I got my luggage and then made my way to the exit where my aunt had sent someone to pick me up! But Delhi was a whooping hot than what I was told. The quarter an hour journey from airport to my aunt's home required air conditioner to be switched on at full speed!!!

So this was how my first air flight journey was.

The journey back was equally good though it was favoured by some better air-hostesses at the airport (courtesy- Jet Airways) and on board (courtesy- Air Sahara) and the futile wish of the past which was not futile (though no expectations were there and no exchanges happened)...lucky me! Bangalore was looking superb, fully lit.

(And yes, this time I managed to check the washroom also- a question which was there in the Bangalore-Delhi flight was answered..but I'll leave it unquestioned and unanswered here!!)

Epilogue:

All is well that ends well!!! But it was a real great experience and if possible would request everyone to have atleast once!