MY JOURNEY

Flying in an aeroplane is an experience most people consider interesting and exciting. Like everyone else, I also wondered how a huge object, several meters long, wide and high, weighing scores of tonnes, could lift itself off the ground and fly for long periods of time with absolute grace and with seemingly no effort. My mood was, therefore quite buoyant when I flew in an aircraft for the first time, while on a journey from kolkata to bangalore a few years ago. The flight was scheduled for early morning, and as directed, I reported at the airport an hour before departure. After the preliminaries, like baggage check-in and security clearance, my fellow-passengers and I walked up to the aircraft to board it. At the end of my climb up the ladder, I was warmly welcomed on board by an air hostess and the fight purser, flashing hospitable smiles. They were very politely guiding us, the passengers, to our respective seats.As I entered the aircraft, I felt that my vibrant mood until then was ...