The “TAKE DIVERSION” boards welcomed me rather than the WELCOME board itself at the Chennai Airport. I entered the airport, and I was amazed at the site that my eyes popped out looking at. As a child, teacher who was furious at our class used to say that we were worse than fish market. I assumed that she meant to say that we were way too noisy but to my sheer shock when I surveyed the airport I felt like addressing it as a fish market with the same expression my teacher meant we behaved in her class. I will give the explanation as well; it was noisy and crowded. Here I must not fail to add; I felt railway station synonymous to fish market at some point, now it was the turn of airport. Credits to increasing richness of the people, flying has become more affordable. There was a continuous flow of passengers in the airport. What also drew my attention was the fact that the passengers were of different genre yet had one thing in common. Get in or out of the car, get in or out of the plane and walk. If given some free time open the laptops work on it, like a horse with blinders follow this procedure as if a program written and the chip inserted into the head. Such is the mechanical life of the people.
I realised that I had ample time to, check-in; buy myself a cup of noodles after which I walked the lounge checking all the stores there. Am not going to complain about the prices simply because even if I do, there is nothing that will change. Thanks to the loads of time I had while checking in I made sure I got a window seat. There was too much of time, and people were too engrossed in their phones or laptops. So I decided to finish my security check and now all I had to do was to wait for my boarding call scheduled almost two hours fifteen minutes later.
Of the many things that drew my attention first was the MERCILESS MURDER of the names by the ground staff announcing the last call. Some flights were on time, some were behind schedule. I had to do something to kill time, so I decided to be an over smart detective sort of person, which I failed miserably as always. The other thing which drew my attention was the two humongous Chinese, Japanese; Korean which ever nationality of the eastern countries they belonged made me no difference. They had the trademark traits small eyes that seem closed even when they are awake and SUMO bodies. They sat beside me and I tried to make sure I don’t end up in an embarrassed situation where I stare at them and they find me staring at them. They were busy munching into their chicken burger; I swear this is all I managed to notice about them. Their flight was ready for boarding, so they had to leave.
I sat back and noticed the seat in front of me was occupied by a blonde around the age of 22. She wore black pants, with a pink t shirt and a black over coat. She wore glasses that had a broad frame. Our seats were facing opposite each other. Then came the great moment when she looked up and caught me observing her. I gave an embarrassed, rather I cannot define that smile or the expression I gave her. She gave me smile and I was relived and gave her a broad smile. She took a book from her hand bag, there was a book mark, it meant she was already reading that book and was not starting afresh there. After five minutes all of a sudden she started laughing a loud, I guess the humour in that book must have been a real hit. She was not worried about what people would think if she laughed aloud. I smiled seeing her laugh. The ground staff made an announcement and she had to leave. She was a different person, who seemed not much bothered about anything. Happy she was when she came and when she left. She had something in her, she seemed happy and someone who would spread the smile to everyone around them.
As she left there came a Muslim couple. The lady was clad in a black burkha and she appeared to be around mid 30’s years in age. They sat exactly where previously the blonde sat. The husband made a call and he gave the phone to his wife. He walked and began digging into the internet kiosk. She began talking on the phone. She seemed worried and anxious. As she spoke her voice was trembling and she was breaking down. She said “Pulse is low they said, our flight will take two hours to reach there. After we consult the doctor, I will call you.” This is something she said repeatedly. And then she asked the person on the other end of the call not to tell this to the little one as she said he would be worried if he came to know about this. She added this sentence “Am fine, you take care of everyone there”. The latter was agreeable; the former that she was fine was a desperate lie. Clearly she had not mastered the art of lying to her dear ones. She hung up and began crying. She saw her husband approaching, she was agile to wipe her tears. He told her something and they headed to the gate for boarding. As they walked away from the lounge I watched them. Now she was someone who was enveloped with responsibility, with a fear about things to come. She was fearing the future that awaited. Burdened with tension, she was perplexed. She mustered courage to lie but feared that her courage might be shattered.
It awed me to see two different people sitting in the place right in front of me coming from two different world’s under two different circumstances but they were the epitome of the same thing. THE UNSEEN AND UNTOLD TRUTH OF LIFE . Today we can be the world’s most happiest person defined by the blonde and tomorrow we can be the person to cry with hundreds of thing bothering us. Life is the same, like that place in front of me, only the circumstances change. The bottom line is everyone goes through thick and thin. Both departed, to reach the place life destined them to be in. Precisely as I was thinking this, I heard my boarding call. This meant I leave to go to my destination and see what is in store for me.
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