One Sunday evening, I boarded a flight to Mangalore from Bangalore.
As the flight took off, I was enjoying the scenic view through the window. I could see all those tall buildings, and I wondered, things look so different from here. All these humongous buildings are tiny just like buildings made of Lego. While I was pondering about this childish thought, a Slurp and Burp right next to me gained my attention. He was in his mid-40’s in a grey T-shirt, spectacles like Tony stark from iron man, and a French beard. Reading a fashion magazine and holding a diet coke in his right hand. He was slurping the empty can with the straw creating an annoying sound. I named him the “Annoying slurper”. I tried to avoid it for a few seconds but then I was irritated and lost my patience. Turning towards him I said, “Mister, your coke is empty, stop sucking the life out of it!”, in a stern voice.
He looked at me and said, “I apologise, I was lost in reading this magazine. However, you could tell the same thing politely.”
I didn’t know what to say in return. I chose to ignore him and looked outside the window.
I could see the sunset at the horizon, spreading its largeness into a grateful sky. Rich hues of red, blended with oranges, purples, and crimsons. The clouds looked like floating cotton candies. My spirit soared at the sight, as I was transported into a timeless existence, ready for the protective blanket of the night and having new dreams.
I was lost in my thoughts, but this time, a loud cry of a baby shifted my attention. The baby, from the front row facing me, was crying, as if I stole her cotton candy.
Almost all the passengers were irritated. This went on for a few minutes. After a few minutes, when I looked outside the window, cotton candies turned into a “Cola gola”. We were caught up between a dark storm. Suddenly, a huge turbulence rocked our plane.
“This is the pilot speaking. Kindly, fasten your seat belts”, announced the pilot in a worried tone.
We realised we were caught up in the wrong storm. The storm rocked our plane once again, everyone was petrified this time. The baby stopped crying, but, to be honest, I didn’t like it. The silence was very loud. The situation was getting tense. All the passengers were frightened. We could hear one person saying, “I wish I didn’t board this flight”. Between this intense situation, when everyone was frightened for their life, the baby was looking at everyone and started giggling and laughing.
This smile lightened everyone’s mood. The plane rocked once again, this time, the baby giggled and laughed more loudly. “For this baby, it is a jolly ride. But for us, it is like a final destination movie scene,” I said to myself with a humph.
The storm rocked our plane once again, the turbulence was rougher. This time, the Annoying slurper sitting next to me started giggling and smiling. I looked at him with a confused mind, thinking to myself, “Who is this guy? What’s wrong with him?”
Looking towards me, he said, “If this is going to be my last trip, I want to go with a happy face, not a frightened one.”
I chose to ignore him, just as I did before. After a few minutes, the clouds turned cotton candy again. It was a sigh of relief for everyone. I never felt this alive in all my life. We landed safely. I collected my baggage and booked a taxi to my home. As soon as I reached home, the cotton candy clouds turned into “cola gola” again, but from down here it looked different and beautiful. The rain clouds had cast a mystical feel all over the place. I stood there gazing out of the window, eagerly waiting for the rain. Slowly, it started to drizzle. I could smell the fragrance of the wet soil and small water droplets falling on the window pane. Soon it began to rain, and I enjoyed the beauty of glossy water droplets on the lush green grass. The house overlooked a mountain, and I felt as if the mountain were wearing a thick green blanket all over it, and was enjoying getting drenched in the rain. Soon it began to pour heavily, I could see the rainwater falling from the old terracotta roofs of the houses. I stood there gazing out of the window and sipping my hot cup of tea. With a smile, I said to myself, “Uff, the annoying slurper and that baby won't disturb me anymore”.
This time my attention was diverted by a phone call. It was from my friend Kenneth.
“Hey, are you free now ??” He asked, in a worried voice
“What happened? Is everything fine?” I asked him.
“ My granny is admitted in the hospital, and I need help”, he said.
I, immediately, bottomed-up my cup of tea racing through all other vehicles in a stormy evening, I reached outside the emergency ward. His mother was waiting outside. She looked at me, and said “Thanks for coming. Might be some weakness, granny was fine since morning”. After waiting for 30 minutes Kenneth came out from the emergency ward with red soaked eyes and told his mother “Granny is no more.”
“What are you saying?? She was fine. How can this happen? Now whom will I call Mother” She said sobbing.
It was like thunder striking her soul, splitting her apart. She broke down with shock. I stood there, still and numb, staring in space. I didn’t know what to do.
Life is so much unexpected with different types of turbulences every day, Isn’t it? It can turn from cotton candy to cola gola, within a few moments.
Next day, I and Kenneth went to the hospital reception to complete all the details and to get the Death certificate.
After paying the fees, holding the certificate, we went to the mortuary.
As I entered there, I was welcomed by a weird smell and silence.
It was my first time inside a mortuary. First time in my life, I saw a white blanket wrapping the entire body just like how they show in movies. The vibe over there was so different. I couldn’t stand there for a long time. I immediately came outside the mortuary, took a deep breath, and looked away towards another building which was 3 blocks away.
It had a huge clock, and a label inscribed, “Maternity building”.
It was an ironic situation. I was standing outside the mortuary, holding a death certificate and staring at the maternity building.
I could see a person, who looked like an annoying slurper, coming out of that building holding a baby.
When the clock struck 12, it struck me as well. I realised that life is a journey from getting Birth certificate to Death certificate. Both the times, we are not aware of it and we won’t be able to hold these certificates. Every time the clock ticks, we get closer and closer towards this certificate. This journey is so funny. The journey from B to D.
And what’s in between??
C which stands for choice. The choice is how to spend the time in between these.