Kindness In The Air

By Manuwant Choudhary

I am not really a frequent flier but whenever I do have to travel,  I do not find it easy.

Right from planning to booking  tickets and the most difficult - packing.

And then the travel agent asking, "Sir, would you like a Corporate ticket? Rs.500 extra you will get a complimentary meal."

I say politely, "No Corporate please. I am a farmer."

But wait, "Why should only Corporates get a meal?"

Farmers after all don't they grow all that food?

And then of course reporting two hours in advance to a long queue at an Airport called Jaiprakash Narayan Antarashtriya (International) Hawai Adda (where no international planes land or take off).

The runway is so short that when even domestic planes land they have to come to a s screeching halt or they might crash into the cows of Patna Veternary College !

Its named after Jaiprakash Narayan, the veteran socialist, who fought the emergency and dethroned Indira Gandhi through a slogan `Sampoorna Kranti.'

No Indian has fully understood the meaning of his slogan yet, so this airport is completely designed to make you get a feel of what he may have meant.

From the toilets to the security checks to the glass waiting areas its so crowded that sometimes you will not have standing space and the expensive samosas sold at the Fair Price Shop is avoidable.

But if you just ponder a while..you will get the sense of the what JP really meant by Sampoorna Kranti (Total Revolution)

On board a private airline Spicejet the scene dramatically changes...pretty airhostesses in red welcome you on board...sometimes not too attentively but thats ok...it must be tough smiling all the time.

So I take a seat, relieved to be finally there.

Even as other passengers get thinking as to what they want from the airhostess and the bells start lighting up across the aisle, I never ask for anything.

I never have.

But like others I was thirsty.

Just then a pretty airhostess walked right up to the front and picked up a glass of water.

It looked as though some passenger had asked for it at the rear or she wanted a drink for herself. Since the flight was yet to take off.

But suddenly she stopped and offered the water to me.

I wasn't too sure whether I should accept it or not.

What followed was a two minute uneasy silence...with everybody looking....and then I finally gave in....and took the water.

I said Thank You.

She smiled.

On my return flight the check in staff of Jet Airways...looked at me as though I had booked a wrong flight.

She asked, "Are you sure you are flying economy."

Me: "Yes, I think thats what the ticket says."

She, "Can you wait for 30 minutes. Give me your number I will call you. The flight is so full today."

I was not sure why I was being offloaded.

But then she finally gave me my boarding pass.

Its when I got on to the plane I realised she had given me the best seat in economy..more leg room and I could see and smell the freshness of the Business Class !

With so much kindness all around I felt I looked like Ranbir Kapoor.

But I may be wrong because a friend told me they were kind only because of my greying hair...