Sweetheart -Its Beating Inside Him !!

I was among the few passengers who boarded the Air India flight from Dubai to Chennai on September 15 .Few –because it was not a weekend , it was a Wednesday . Flights tend to get crowded on weekends .At the check in  counter ,I asked for a window seat behind the exit door –it gives a lot more leg space than a normal economy class seat .Since I had flown Air India quite a few times ,it helped .The pretty  lady issuing  the  boarding pass played around with the computer ,looked at me ,smiled and said

“ Sir ,I have given you seat number 11 A .Its like a Business Class Seat.Its normally given to frequent flyers or VIPS ( why would a VIP travel Economy?).In future  continue flying with us ”.

I looked at her ,smiled wryly ,and said “ Thank You .God bless you”

It was a flight that took off at midnight .I cant sleep during flights , even after flying for so many years now .I am a bit paranoid .This time –I was certainly not going to be able to sleep .I was worried and disturbed .My mind was all the time conjuring up so many things .

At the unearthly  hour  of 1.30 am the flight crew started serving drinks .The young flight purser asked me what drink I would like to have .

“ Thank you .Just give me a bottle of water please”

“ Not even wine Sir?” he insisted

“ No thank you .I drink wine early evening ,not early morning” !! .He smiled

Food was served at 2 .30 am .Chicken biryani .Again I said “No  thank You .Could I have a cup of coffee ?”

I kept looking at the small screen  on the seat ahead of me .I flipped channels  but mostly looked at the one which showed the flight path  of the plane .After about 3 hours ,  I could see that we were nearing Chennai .I could also see the horizon brightening up a wee bit –from a mass of black space ,I could now make out hues of clouds .It was getting to be morning in Chennai . The pilots voice crackled –we were descending upon Chennai  he informed , and asked us to  fasten our seat belts .I have always admired pilots ,though strangely never wanted to be one .

At  4 55am  we touched down at Chennai .I was tired .I had not slept a wink through the night .I had spent the whole day working in office till 4 pm and then gone to shop for some stuff .I knew I was going to be a situation where lunch ,dinner or breakfast may not be available on dining tables or at fixed times .I had picked up tins of sardines ,tuna ,energy bars ,dry fruits .I was quickly off the plane ,and made my way  to the conveyer belts .I was dog tired .Not too often my age reminds me of the years – but now it did .I quickly bit into a energy bar and and  waited for my sole luggage bag –a brown colured  collapsible bag which has seen and travelled more than me –all of us take it with us whenever we travel .I have wrapped a old tie of mine on its handle so that I can identify it easily .Brown ,black and navy blue bags are very common –you need identification marks on them.

Soon it arrived .I picked it up and made my way to the exit point .A customs official  stopped me and asked  

“Do you have anything to declare Sir”

“ No nothing. I am not here as a tourist. I am not bringing any presents .” .Silence .And then he asked

“ All well Sir” ( Did he think I had come to  attend  a funeral?) “

“ No .” . I shook my head .I don’t normally lie ." I have come to help a patient at the Malar Fortis Hospital” .

 He was a sensitive man .He could perhaps sense my worry .He told me where I could get a prepaid cab .

I got into the cab and it sped away .Dawn had now broken .Chennais streets were empty .They were clean .They were wide .There were lots of trees .There were lots of birds who flitted from one tree to another . I reached Besant Nagar .My sister and brother in law were waiting for me .

“ How is Vijay” I asked .

“He is landing in about 5 hours from now”………..

As I was preparing to fly from Dubai ,in far away New York ,another Kain ( Vijay ) was checking in at the JFK Airport  .He was staring down the barrel of a gun and facing death .He had desired to  go back to his beloved India .The doctors had given up on him.He had a heart that was functioning just 18 percent .Not enough to pump enough  oxygen that his body needed  . It was failing by the day .It was a matter of days before the curtain would fall.
Thats what the doctors thought .

But  the family did not think like that .And neither  did God . A remarkable fightback was going to unfold ..

I was in Chennai to be a small part of a huge battle .Another mountain had to be climbed .I decided to look at the summit of it .We were going to climb it.It looked far away –but it could be done.
.And if it could be done –it  HAD  to be done .