2017 December 31st
He claims he wants to spend new years under the stars. "What about your birthday", those who know of, ask again. "Same..", he says with a shrug.
He's lying in bed on 31st December morning with company that urges him to book his tickets for home. She reminds him he wanted to surprise his parents. I talk a lot, he thinks to himself. This must be added to the list of new year resolutions. "What is it? Is it the money?", cute company asks, her cheeks puffed up. "Ofcourse I have the money", he replies, when he nearly doesnt.
He uses her phone and books the tickets. After having an auto cancel and a noob cab driver end his trip at the pickup point, the third taxi manages to do what he's hired for.
The flight gets delayed twice. In this time, he purchases a garden salad with feta cheese with honey chilli dressing, a jaggery chocolate, a 'ghana' made chocolate, one 50 rupee coupon (redeemable) and a demonstration of a 6 door fridge.
"The fridge which will mask bad smell coming from your rotting food so you can store it for longer."
The rep explains this, while urging his other rep friend, (who's playing ludo on his mobile to stop playing the game) to film him giving a demonstration of the workings of the 6 Lakh fridge to someone. (who very recently purchased a 2nd hand fridge and is in the habit of bribing friends and acquaintances with food for washing machine privileges).
The flight does take off finally. He's managed to get the coveted window seat. Its the seat where you only have to fight for one side of the arm rest and reward OR placate yourself if you win/lose the arm-rest battle, with the view outside. (Or shut the blinds as payback).
There are many ways of enjoying a sunset. Sunset in good company, sunset over the hills, sunset on a beach, sunset while facing the east, sunset while watching a movie. The sun here is setting over a sea of grey clouds. Not the whispy kind, but a blanket, a carpet of consistent cloud cover.
He starts to wonder if the sun throws a different set of colors when it sets into the clouds. Setting into the water is a different set of colors, with the sizzle of the sun being put out by water lost in the galactic empty, so the colors make up for it. Or the gentle setting in the hilly panorama, where every hill, every tree remembers the setting colors of the sun long after its gone and the sky pays homage, showing off to everyone else the remaining light while us mortals grumble in the dark.
The Magic hour.
He cant remember how long it had been since he saw the sun set. For him, to be leaving office while the sun still shone in the sky was a sign of a good day. Today the sun is a diffused ball, thanks to the well scrubbed-scratched windows of 6E. The only difference between scrubbed and scratched is of intention.
So this sun seemed defiant this evening. It bobbed on the bed of clouds, dipping and then rising again, against a color palette that was beyond your rainbow. More like VvIiBbGgYyOoRr. One often checks if they are sharing a marvellous sight with someone else. He shares this solidarity with none other than his next seat neighbour, the arm-rest contender. He has an epiphany he shares with his bony elbowed fellow passenger.
'Last sunset of 2017', he says with a smile denoting a secret. 'What?', says he, further invading his elbow space. 'Its the last sunset of 2017', he repeats, his smile wider, misunderstanding the 'what' for being of the couldnt-believe-what-you-just-said kind. This one he hears, his face lighting up, further elbowing with the elbow that was already in the no-elbow zone. Then they both look out at the sunset.
In this moment, he's filled with a moment of brotherhood he's not felt since the magic mushrooms he'd had at JZP. He excuses himself, makes his way out of his seat and stands where passengers receive security instructions before take off.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention please. If you look to your left, my right, you will notice a sunset taking place. It is a sunset, and you may wonder whats the big deal, apart from it being magnificient every single time. To take you back to simpler times...this is the last sunset of 2017. And thanks to the airplane mode, you are sharing this right now with every passenger and crew in this plane. A happy new year to all of you."
Ideally, he wanted applause to break right then and there.. but the hushed admiration was satisfying.
He claims he wants to spend new years under the stars. "What about your birthday", those who know of, ask again. "Same..", he says with a shrug.
He's lying in bed on 31st December morning with company that urges him to book his tickets for home. She reminds him he wanted to surprise his parents. I talk a lot, he thinks to himself. This must be added to the list of new year resolutions. "What is it? Is it the money?", cute company asks, her cheeks puffed up. "Ofcourse I have the money", he replies, when he nearly doesnt.
He uses her phone and books the tickets. After having an auto cancel and a noob cab driver end his trip at the pickup point, the third taxi manages to do what he's hired for.
The flight gets delayed twice. In this time, he purchases a garden salad with feta cheese with honey chilli dressing, a jaggery chocolate, a 'ghana' made chocolate, one 50 rupee coupon (redeemable) and a demonstration of a 6 door fridge.
"The fridge which will mask bad smell coming from your rotting food so you can store it for longer."
The rep explains this, while urging his other rep friend, (who's playing ludo on his mobile to stop playing the game) to film him giving a demonstration of the workings of the 6 Lakh fridge to someone. (who very recently purchased a 2nd hand fridge and is in the habit of bribing friends and acquaintances with food for washing machine privileges).
The flight does take off finally. He's managed to get the coveted window seat. Its the seat where you only have to fight for one side of the arm rest and reward OR placate yourself if you win/lose the arm-rest battle, with the view outside. (Or shut the blinds as payback).
There are many ways of enjoying a sunset. Sunset in good company, sunset over the hills, sunset on a beach, sunset while facing the east, sunset while watching a movie. The sun here is setting over a sea of grey clouds. Not the whispy kind, but a blanket, a carpet of consistent cloud cover.
He starts to wonder if the sun throws a different set of colors when it sets into the clouds. Setting into the water is a different set of colors, with the sizzle of the sun being put out by water lost in the galactic empty, so the colors make up for it. Or the gentle setting in the hilly panorama, where every hill, every tree remembers the setting colors of the sun long after its gone and the sky pays homage, showing off to everyone else the remaining light while us mortals grumble in the dark.
The Magic hour.
He cant remember how long it had been since he saw the sun set. For him, to be leaving office while the sun still shone in the sky was a sign of a good day. Today the sun is a diffused ball, thanks to the well scrubbed-scratched windows of 6E. The only difference between scrubbed and scratched is of intention.
So this sun seemed defiant this evening. It bobbed on the bed of clouds, dipping and then rising again, against a color palette that was beyond your rainbow. More like VvIiBbGgYyOoRr. One often checks if they are sharing a marvellous sight with someone else. He shares this solidarity with none other than his next seat neighbour, the arm-rest contender. He has an epiphany he shares with his bony elbowed fellow passenger.
'Last sunset of 2017', he says with a smile denoting a secret. 'What?', says he, further invading his elbow space. 'Its the last sunset of 2017', he repeats, his smile wider, misunderstanding the 'what' for being of the couldnt-believe-what-you-just-said kind. This one he hears, his face lighting up, further elbowing with the elbow that was already in the no-elbow zone. Then they both look out at the sunset.
In this moment, he's filled with a moment of brotherhood he's not felt since the magic mushrooms he'd had at JZP. He excuses himself, makes his way out of his seat and stands where passengers receive security instructions before take off.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention please. If you look to your left, my right, you will notice a sunset taking place. It is a sunset, and you may wonder whats the big deal, apart from it being magnificient every single time. To take you back to simpler times...this is the last sunset of 2017. And thanks to the airplane mode, you are sharing this right now with every passenger and crew in this plane. A happy new year to all of you."
Ideally, he wanted applause to break right then and there.. but the hushed admiration was satisfying.
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