A Magnificent Spectacle

I was cursing myself for asking the Travel Desk to book the 6:30AM flight. I had to get up at 4AM and get ready and leave home by 5AM. What a torture!

The air was very chill and I was thankful that my dress had at least ¾ sleeves. The drive to the airport was very boring, except for the glimpse of the pale red sun trying its best to wake up and rise over the horizon.

All I wanted to do was to rush into the aircraft and catch up with some sleep. The flight was almost empty and I longed for a peaceful nap. However the guy next to me did not feel so! He turned the air conditioner vent to the maximum and made the air blow right onto my face making me shiver with cold. Looked like a khadoos; so I let him be!

Now I can say I am very much thankful to him; for without him, I surely would have missed the magnificent scene right out of my window. We were traveling from north to south and our window was facing east. I sat back and relaxed to watch the sun wake up and shine.

The sun turned from a pale red to bright orange and then to a fiery burnt orange and finally to the golden yellow color; all in a matter of minutes. I was all excited and longed to see more. But the sun rays were too bright and I sat there in my seat with droopy eyes and a contented smile on my face. Oh Sun! You made my day!

More was yet to happen! While I sat lazying in the sun, the plane shook me up a little for landing. I sat upright with a start and that was when another spectacle caught my eye. We were just about the level of clouds. A Milky-white ocean of clouds seemed to welcome me. What a feast to the eye! There was vast expanse of graying white clouds that spread till my eyes could see. The fluffy clouds looked more like snow to me… like water waves frozen in a split of a second forming those wavy forms… and while the plane turned a little the sun came around the corner to greet me! I was awestruck by the beauty and watched wide-mouthed trying to sink in as much as I could.

As we neared closer to the earth, I spotted something bright below and I thought it must be street lights or head lights of a car or probably a train on its tracks. As I watched the round glow of light move under the clouds, I observed that the sun was also moving in rhythm with the glow of light on the earth. That was when realization dawned on me… the globe of light on the earth was nothing but the reflection of the sun on the sea… but the surface of the sea was several kilometers away. Hence, it had to be reflection of the sun on the clouds… I chuckled and thanked God for this visual delight.

An impression!

You don't seem to leave me, do you?

I am in the middle of a boring meeting when I see your hand-writing popup in front of my eyes. I see the way you write my name. It's an impression of your letter on the cover of my scribbling pad.. the letter to your didi, probably your first letter to her...

I hold the book at the angle to see more of your letter. I notice your signature at the bottom edge of the book cover and the last line of your letter holds my attention. It's the line where you have mentioned my name... "Arathi conveys her greetings!"

I run my fingers over the letters, over the words, over the curves of your writing... the loops and arcs and strikes and dots... It's no more than caressing the book. But for me it's much more than that! For me, it is like running my fingers over the palm of your right hand that formed the figures and markings onto the paper to take the form of a letter.

Wish I could hold that hand a little longer... for a little more while right now!