The 7 O'Clock morning Vistara flight to Bhubaneswar was jam packed to the brink. I booked in Premium economy class as it didn't cost me a whole lot extra for allowing some extra leg space and extra luggage. In spite of the Air hostess reminding multiple times for the passengers inside the airplane to wear masks properly, dilettantes galored who took a pleasure in disobeying.
Years ago while I was flying alone to Bhubaneswar on a similar flight, a guy next to me was conspicuously reading The Economics Times. I asked him why he is travelling to Bhubaneswar. He said he is on a short trip to Odisha where he envisions future lies in Organic farming as a potential money spinner.
During the course of our conversation the amateur farmer in me asked him certain aspects of farming, which I expected this gentleman with an interest in agriculture to be aware of. Apparently he turned out to be a very novice on that front, sounding more of an investor on a hunt for big bucks and ready for the kill, not to nurture the nature. He sounded more like a soldier who had never set foot on the battle field, a city boy who had never grown a plant by himself. Our conversation turned out to big a damp squib.
Another time the flight a man sitting next to me was a garrulous guy full of hot air - both literally and figuratively. He boasted how he carries all his company's responsibility on his shoulders, how indispensable he was and visited all the 75 states of India on various company trips (never knew there were 75 states in India, even if you include the Union territories).
Groggy with jet lag, I dozed off to the humming of the airplane engine for the first half an hour of the flight, my head drooping sideward. The Airhostess politely woke me up - "Veyzz (veg) or Non - Veyzz, Sir ?". "I like non-veg", was my reflex action reply in a semi asleep state. She served the food, suspiciously glancing at me, thinking I passed a double entendre. In India non-Veg means food containing meat, poultry or fish, but colloquially it denotes a person with carnal or amorous instinct. Bawdy jokes are often termed as "Non-veg" jokes. Living outside India for a long time has taken its toll.
While munching food from the tray, I looked outside through the window. The roaring big bird was flying high, whizzing past low lying clouds, enabling me to take a peek outside to get a Bird's eye view. The plane was flying high over snow white fleece of cloud looking like a vast cotton plantation or a big flock of sheep. Huge mushroom clouds looked like the snow capped castles of some distant planet in the Guardian of the Galaxy.
As the plane lowered itself preparing to land, the rivulets meandering through the gray undulating land down below formed a spectacular sight under basking in golden rays under a bright morning sun. The green, undulating waves of Eastern Ghat mountains was taking shower of the morning sunlight. River Mahanadi looked like a huge Anaconda taking a sunbath on golden sand. Closer to Bhubaneswar Airport the river Daya appeared like a gargantuan brown horseshoe covered in muddy water.
Every other year I fly over Bhubaneswar, sadly I see more concrete and asphalt, less green foliage as an once asthetic city known for its salubrious weather slowly turns into an urban jungle. Peeked below to take a view of the city I grew up with has outgrown itself. I left Bhubaneswar for good for quarter of a century, but the city has never left me. Way too many skyrises see from the top have gone over the top. They are becoming a growing environmental concern - gonna to bite this city big time sooner or later.
How contrasting is the worms eye view of the sky from the ground to the bird's eye view from the top. It makes me understand the meaning of the phrase "Down To Earth". When it all seems you are on top of the world, in minutes you are back on the ground. So are the vagaries of life. How much and how high you fly you have to come down - in no time you must descent from 39000 feet to ground zero. Airplane teaches us a lesson on life.
I was reminded of this incident when the flight landed at Bhubaneswar close to lunch time, I heard a guy from the front row shouting to his wife to keep the mutton (goat meat) curry ready for his lunch. I quizzed him "Sir, you must be hungry". "Addressing an unknown as Sir on first meet usually impresses, even flatters the person). He responded "Yes, I am. I had been with Gujjus (Gujuratis) in Bombay on a business trip till Sunday. So no luck with meat in my meal. Followed Monday and Tuesday, (vegetarian day for many Oriyas). Today I desperately want to break free with a typical Odia style home cooked mutton curry". The hungry me rolled tongue over my lips as I swallowed a few sips of saliva while he finished talking.
A warm, muggy Bhubaneswar weather welcomed me as I stepped out of the Airport. Suddenly I felt like taking a sauna. It was a cool 87 degrees (30°C) with 90% humidity, with heat index close to 100. On my way home I savored the sights of the millieu where vehicles yonked their way through in a zigzag maze. After arriving in from of our house as I stepped out of my vehicle I could feel beads of sweat swelling on my chin and forehead. A sudden burst of breeze felt rejuvenating, vindicating the age old law of Physics "Evaporation causes cooling". Couple of mongrels who are vigilant in our block seeing this new kid in the block in me gaped at me for a while, before melting away chasing each other's tail.
Dog tired after a journey of 30 hours across 3 continents, I badly needed to shit, shave, shower and sleep. Inside the bathroom I turned the faucet on. Prrrt..Prrrt..It farted twice before emitting a thin stream of water which slowly got thicker. Through bathroom skylight I could hear the tweeting spree by a sparrow sitting on a nearby Mango tree "Tweetwoo... tweetwoo...tweetwoo..", without bothering about any character limit.
No sooner I finished eating a simple lunch of rice, fish curry, KADALI BHAJA (Plantain fries) and mangoes, than I lied down on bed tired after a long journey and jet lag, starting to doze off to the sound of the continuous whirring of the wall mounted AC. On the branch of the nearby mango tree I could hear the coarse cawing of a crow amidst sweet flute like tone of the Koel. It was interspersed with occasional spurts of passing by bikes honking -"keee..kicky.....kicky...keee.." and wafting of street vendors - E KADALI KADALI (Banana, Banana), AMBAAAACHAARA LEMBAAACHAARA (Mango pickle, Lemon pickle).
I could feel my eyelids refusing to stay open. Didn't realize when sleep overcame me when at twilight my mother woke me up - "Get up. Don't sleep further. Save some sleep for tonight". I was overcome by a sudden urge to rush to the bathroom, a reminder that it's now morning time in America. I am now in India but left my biological clock in USA. More later...
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