Dear Mr.Pushy..

When a relatively old lady with a forceful and a 30 year old professional smile( I guessed) said “ Welcome On-Board Sir ”, I was reminded it was an ‘Indian Airlines' flight and she was the air hostess. Yes, I was leaving to Mumbai on a business trip. Like a kid I had asked for a window seat which took them 15 minutes to allot. Anyway, I found the seat & settled. An aero-plane isn’t a right place for restless people like me. I grabbed a few peanuts & my radio head-set from my bag. The RJ, with an apparent hyper-excited tone said “ Good Morning Bangalore…” followed by some crap and a ‘day ruining’ song. My reflex actions were enough to switch off the radio. My theory on RJs – ‘Good Morning was their only line which made sense’, gained weight. The seat next to me was still empty. All my travel companions till date were men above 50, with whom I end up discussing politics. Maybe the person who allots my seat takes revenge on me for insisting on a window seat.!

Just as it was getting boring, I saw a person with round ‘Mahatma Gandhi’ like glasses, ‘L.K Advani’ like bald head & ‘Charlie Chaplin’ like walk, entering in. He was my lecturer in college for whom I had written a note – “ You Suck” along with my name in capitals, on the last day of college. He spotted me from the distance & waved. I couldn’t even manage a sheepish smile. I am a Gentleman. All the memories of him & college scanned through my mind like a high-speed slide show.

“I am from the air-force and I was a commander” was his routine dialogue in the class. And hence we named him ‘wing-less commander’. He, once pushed me into the principal’s office for not completing my assignment on time. So, I gave him an exclusive name- “Mr. Pushy”. He never liked me since Day 1 , the day when I came late & said “tyre puncture” not realizing that two other guys who were also late but earlier to me had the same reason to say. Poor little me, Joker of Day 1. The day when me and my friends bunked college to watch a movie, he called up only my dad & told him that he had spotted me in a theatre. I still can’t forget the giggle that got out of my dad & mom the same evening when my dad told me about the call & I raised a serious doubt – “ What was he doing near the theatre?”. Anyway, bottom line – He never liked me & I never liked him. Hence I had to hate my answer scripts and it’s evaluation.

Back to the present, he approached me and hell, his seat was next to mine. He had two bags with two striking locks to it of which I assumed the codes would be ‘007’. After looking after the safety of his precious bags, he sat, we smiled but said nothing. The aircraft, after running through the taxiway slowly entered into the main runway for take-off. I broke the ice and enquired “ Sir, do you remember me?”

“I’m not human if I’d forget you”, he said.
I was confused if that was a compliment. The plane gathered speed and just as it took off, he said – “ I SUCKED…”
The plane took off & we both broke into laughter. The journey went absolutely fine and I had found a new friend by the end of it.

(Hey guys, sorry I got it wrong in few logics like-using FM radio on an aero-plane isn't allowed and carrying 2 bags isn't allowed too. It was fiction and my senses were out in the loo....Anyway, I hope u concentrated more on the story..)