Illinois Reincarnation!

Screech…!!!! “Ladies and Gentleman- We sincerely apologize for the rough ride and we hope you have a pleasant stay at Chicago. Thanks for flying with us and we hope to see you soon” …

The cold October winds amidst the violent storm invited me for one such mid air madness which apparently turned out to be an adventure stolen from doors of catastrophe. I was scheduled to travel to the “Windy City” on a well deserved long weekend. Weather gods were playing tricks with a forecast not very promising to travel. Yet, the US Air took off per schedule from the Charlotte soil. Dancing amidst the unsteady winds, she kissed through the white clouds and settled herself for one such eventful ride up north. Well, little did we know that this could turn out to be a stern test to the most skillful hands on the nose wheel

10 minutes into the journey, the flight was pushed against violent storm and lightning as fearsome as a just born ghost. The high decibels coupled with insane movements within the aircraft frightened one’s guts out. There were periodic announcements on turbulent weather and air pressure drop. I was taken aback; when the oxygen masks dropped down to help breathe better. I could smell a rat and was praying for my life. To top it all, there were occasional changes in altitude, with “free fall” aplenty.

My long palm lifelines were speaking unconvincing language for once, not to forget the numerology which always had promised a healthy and happy life till mid 80’s. I felt as if the astrological gods had betrayed me. My legs started trembling with fear. Worst of all, I could not attend nature’s call, being wary of walking to the men’s room amidst the flight’s disturbing sinusoidal motion

Fellow passengers were equally clueless, and some of them in fact wept all through, not voluntarily though, but in a sense of desperation, giving vent to the extreme chillness running through their spine. The journey was for 1 hour 45 minutes and we had only crossed half way on what I could sense as path of death. Nothing could be served by the Air crew, No food, No drink, nothing to munch either. I was sweating now, partly dead with hunger and partly with fear. Limbs were paralyzed and sense of numbness hit my entire body

Pessimism, cardinal trait of being Capricorn did n’t help either, making me dream through with a sense of hopelessness. I could see myself flying past the layers of atmosphere, beat the escape velocity and get out of planet earth, with pains that could never be described by words, neither by imposing on a human body nor thought of by a sane brain. Physically exhausted and mentally tormented, I dozed off unknowingly, may be my subconscious never hopeful of a life henceforth

Screech….!!! “Ladies and Gentlemen……..” Ah voice of the air crew finally, back to senses,” …hope to see you soon...” Again, oh Jeez, never ever taking on Illinois winter…. I looked up and thanked heavens for my re-birth and headed out for some oxygen to fill my suffocated lungs