The Air France Girl...21

We guys played Holi with full fervor. I had enjoyed the festival with all my friends and brothers after a long time. Mom was very happy that I was back and had prepared many dishes. Those times are definitely unforgettable. 

It was evening time and we were enjoying the Dahi Vada prepared by my mom when Aakash asked us, Saurabh and me, - "So guys, how is USA?".

Before I could speak, Saurabh started babbling - "It is an awesome place to be. Lot of energy and cool places to visit. Chicago is extremely happening". 

"I know what has been happening since past few months in Chicago..." - I intervened - "...he has a girlfriend now, in his life, that too who looks like an American girl".

"Wow" - all the other guys exclaimed. "Yes guys, but she is Indian, and we are planning for marriage by the end of next year, I hope some of you will hit onsite USA by then" - Saurabh added.

"I definitely will" - Srinjay affirmed. "I am trying" - Aakash said. 

"And will you not narrate your story, hero?" - Saurabh pointed at me - "...do you guys think he is so simple that he will not get anyone?" 

"Hey! Wassup man?" - Aakash prompted me. "It's nothing big guys, just some girl whom I met when on onward flight to USA". 

"Is she beautiful?" - Srinjay winked to Aakash. "She looks like my girlfriend, both of them are daughters of twin sisters." - Saurabh revealed another twist. 

"There is nothing guys and can you please avoid talking about her! Dad is in another room with his friends. If he listens he will kill me"

"But that calls for a party" - Rahul, who was silent till now, opened his mouth. 

"What party? I don't think she has any feelings for me and she is seeing someone for marriage soon" - I revolted.

"We will see" - mom said, bringing some more davi vada, gulab jamun and other snacks.

The Air France Girl...20

Saurabh was busy with his renewed relationship and was planning for his marriage, completely unaware of my dilemma. 

The flight was about to reach New Delhi in an hour. As planned earlier my dad was coming to pick both of us, Saurabh and me :( (not her and me) to take us both home. Even though the night had fallen, I was fully awake, not because of her, but because it was day in US at that time. I was feeling a bit frazzled, but still I wanted her to speak.

"I am going to meet someone for marriage, my dad is arranging my marriage" - she broke the silence. 

"Oh, cool, that's what you wanna tell me?" - I said - "...but why I am your audience?"

"Because I think you will understand me" - another promotion after one year! "Thank you" - I replied - "I am fine with everything. If I have feelings for you, that is my problem" - (what was I doing? Proposing her indirectly? May be yes! I can't be more filmy than this).

The Air France Girl...19

"I have to tell you something", finally she said something, something indicative. 

"Why are you telling me all this? We barely know each other!" - I said looking outside the window (obviously, it was my turn to look away and ignore her).

"But I know you have feelings for me" - she said with a slight smile. (I wasn't really looking at her, but still I felt that, I dunno how! Was some magic working on me :). So, I am back on track with smileys!). Actually my face had brightened up, obviously, but I kept looking away!

"How?" - I said turning towards her (and hiding the expressions). "I just know, and I have been witnessing that since the Air France flight."

I turned away again - "Then what is your response? And why do you have to tell me?" - I emphasized on 'you'! 

She dived in to the silence of deep oceans again, for some moments, while I was searching for her face on the ground below!

"No one has helped me the-way-you-have-done!" - she said after some time - "Thank you".

"These girls..." - I thought - "why do they have to use phrases such as - 'the-way-you-have-done'. I am anyways wondering about her, and she is confusing me more".

The Air France Girl...18

We left the lovebirds alone in their nest and returned to ours, I mean to our seats. Yes, now she had left her seat with Puja, and she was sitting with me, at the window seat. Saurabh had taken her seat. She was looking outside. Evening had fallen and within few hours we were about to reach the Capital City of India. We were probably over some part of Western Asia at that time. 

(I wanted to start this part by writing this - "She looked beautiful, heavenly, as she did when I sat beside her, while going the other way. And she smelt awesome (I always wonder how girls manage so many things about their looks), as always (I had seen her only for few hours, earlier and now, and I had became her judge)". Her light brown hair flowed a bit in air, towards me, as if someone was blowing air from the window! Am I dreaming? How can that happen?

But I did not, because I did not want to get involved with her. I wanted to avoid her.)

Actually, I wanted to be a filmy guy like Saurabh and propose her. But she was looking outside, incessantly, as if she was trying to find herself, or may be find me? :) (Just look at me, her presence gives me smileys, all the time). This girl make me wonder so much, and I don't know what makes me like this, in her presence.

I was thinking - "Look at him, how happy he is and how happy they look, when will my time come? Is she the one?"

The Air France Girl...17

Everyone had settled back on their seats. My friend had done something, that I had seen earlier, only in movies. He had proposed to the girl whom he had dated for few months now.

"But you both look almost the same right?" - I asked Puja. "Yes! Our mothers are twins". "Good God!" I exclaimed! - "and it was you whom I met outside the restroom right?" 

"Yes" - she replied. "That was the reason of the question mark on your face, and I was thinking that she ignored me" - everyone looked at me as if I was a fool.

I was standing with her along side Saurabh and his (renewed) girlfriend's seat. They seemed to be back in love. I wondered if I should remind him about the girl who gave him her phone number last evening. Both looked pretty excited. I congratulated both of them. The girls hugged each other.

But I still had some unanswered questions. But this was not the time think of myself, I wanted to express my happiness only for my friend. So, I kept enjoying the cake that the Air India people had given us. 

The Air France Girl...16

I am not sure, over which country we were flying, but it all looked very beautiful. I did not know when, but I dozed off, living in another world. Dreams are such awesome times when we forget the cruel realities of life and see what our sub-conscious mind wants to show us. I don't remember what it was, but it was all pleasant. I think I was smiling while in dreams, or may be, was all that really happening?

"Hi", someone knocked at my seat. I could not believe, but it was she who was standing at my seat! "Can I sit here, your friend has send me here." she said with a slight but charming smile, that had mesmerized me earlier. 

"Yes of course", I said, coming out of reality of dream to dream of reality! She made herself comfortable in my seat (I was still engrossed with the greens and blues of the outside world, but wanted her to begin dialogue, impatiently). It seemed that my pulse was about to stop, but then I calmed myself.

"Thanks for a lot of things" - she said, slightly bent towards me. "What?" - I replied. She repeated - "Thanks", smiling again. 

I said 'ok', avoiding any eye contact with this girl, who would become the mostest dearest to me, later on in my life. I desperately wanted to to continue to talk to her. 

But, suddenly, I heard a loud applause, from the other aisle, with some people getting up on their seats! 

My friend had forgotten the Navy Pier girl, whom he talked with, the previous evening!

The Air France Girl...15

"In few minutes, the breakfast will be served" - another announcement happened. I opened my eyes - "I will wash my eyes and return! Did you sleep?" I asked him. 

"Yes, kind off" - Saurabh said, looking impatient - "I am going to talk to her after the breakfast". "Ok, ok" I said and left.

We were over the skies of Europe then. It was day time and I saw some rivers and lakes, as we had breakfast. I had exchanged my aisle seat with Saurabh's window seat. It was beautiful and sunny outside. There was some snow on the ground too, making a beautiful pattern of green, blue and white on the ground!

"I am going to talk to her" - he said after the breakfast and got up from his seat. I said - "don't loose your patience and all the best" - with a thumbs up! he replied in thanks and went.

The song from the movie Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge played on my mp3 player - "Ho gaya hai tujhko to pyaar....(you have fallen in love...)". I was lost in greens, blue and whites again, unaware of what lay ahead of me! Her smile, her hair and her elegance was still on my mind!

The Air France Girl...14

"Are we guys seeing things? I just saw Puja sitting, just in the next aisle" - Saurabh said, sitting on his seat, and pointing towards a seat - "and she was sitting with a girl who just looked like her". "What the heck?" I said. 

"Yes yaar" - he said. "Both of them were sleeping, she looked so beautiful and charming with her eyes closed". It was my turn to mock - "so what about Priya?". "Who's that?" - he replied instantly, still looking towards the same aisle - "I have to meet her, yaar, I am going" - he said. 

The lights were being put off by the staff as people were sleeping. "Be patient yaar". I said to him stopping him by hand."But I have to talk to her" - he said. "Ok, ok, we still have time!"

He sat down. "Calm down yaar, you can talk to her tomorrow morning, or when the lights are on again" - I tried to console him. He calmed down.

I tried to sleep, but could not! Her thoughts were coming in my mind again and again. "How can she be so rude?" - I thought. In some moments, I dozed off, dreaming of her eyes. 

And as the Air India flight 101 flew over the calm Atlantic Ocean, one corner of the plane had someone, who was thinking of me, still unaware that I was very near to her. 

The Air France Girl...13

"The dinner is about to be served" - the announcer said. 

"I will go and wash my hands and return" - I said and got up. "Ok, I am fine" - he said. 

"Knock, knock!". "I am coming. please wait" - I replied. I opened the door in few moments. And in front of me, she was standing!I could not believe my eyes. I said - "Hi". She did not reply and entered the restroom with a question mark on her face. For a moment I stood there, befuddled and then returned to my seat. 

"I saw her!" - I said, still thinking about her. "Who?" Saurabh said, without looking at me, lost in his book. Dinner was being served. The air hostess gave us our dinner. "I am so confused, she did not even reply". I said again. 

"Will you tell me, who that is?" - he seemed agitated now. "Priyanka" - I replied. "What? Really?" - he was astonished. "And she did not even return my small 'hi'. And she looked a bit different than last time. But her perfume smelt awesome. I don't know how girls can do this?" 

"What? Not return your 'hi'"- he mocked. "No, smell like heaven all the time" - I replied.

We continued with our dinner.

The Air France Girl...12

"This is the last announcement for Air India flight 101 to New Delhi India. The flight will take off in some time, so we request all passengers to board the plane" - a lady officer shouted, fervently prompting all passengers to board ASAP; that was us. Saurabh and I had checked in online, so were at ease, but forgot the time, roaming around the Navy Pier. Saurabh met an Indian girl and in spite of me scoffing at him, he continued his chat with her. 

"It's all your fault!" I said. "So what, we are in time right? Don't worry, you will get a chance to play Holi in India" - he replied smiling. I fumed. We indeed were the last passengers who boarded the plane. Thanks to Saurabh for his flirtatious nature. 

"So, what's the catch?" I asked him, while smiling at another beautiful Air Hostess! She smiled back - "Welcome to Air India flight 101, sir!". 

"She gave me her number. Her name is Priya!" - he said. "What?" I was stunned "You are a genius, man!". "That, I am!" he said, smiling sheepishly!

We took our seats and within few moments we were flying over the skies of the United States. It had snowed the past day and today it was sunny. So, the outside ground was angelically white. Saurabh narrated the complete dialogue between him and the Navy Pier girl. The things looked pretty cooked up between both of them. I was excited that something was changing again in my friend's life. Change? For how long?

The Air France Girl...11

"Wow! how come you changed? Picking calls in one ring! Awesome!", I said.

"It happens when you are waiting for a call", he said - "from someone special..." I mocked him. "What someone special? She moved to some other city and I don't have her call number" - he clarified.

"Why what happened?" - I said. "Kuch nai yaar, these girls! Actually it was her birthday and I forgot that, because I had some production movements going on in my project here. Then she suddenly vanished. She left me on FB and other networks too!" 

"It happens yaar", don't worry! Look at Priyanka, she has not called me" - I tried to console him!

"What? Still? I gave her your number also! She told me that she lost her mobile when she moved to Jersey City, oh man! These girls!", he sighed. 

"Don't bother, I have moved over her! And I am going to visit Maa and Dad during Holi next month" - I said. 

"Hey, cool yaar - I will also hop in with you. Let's play Holi, and forget these selfish girls". His thoughts were about to change in few days time. 

"Ok, lets book the flight tickets together. I will fly to Chicago first and then we can take direct flight from Air India! Bharat Maa, main aa raha hun (Mother India I am coming!)".

The Air France Girl...10

Three more months passed. I called Maa on a beautiful Sunday morning. She picked the phone and seemed furious. "Charan Sparsh Maa!" I said, "How are you and how are your altercations with Dad?" She cooled down, "Not much, beta, his friend has send snaps of his daughter. She is beautiful, but I told him that you have feelings for some girl. That was the reason of today's fight."

"It does not matter Maa! She has not called me and I have not received any email also from her. Saurabh, who knows her whereabouts, is also busy with his girlfriend nowadays! He is also not returning my missed calls. So you can tell dad, that I am fine with whom ever he selects for me"

"But beta - did you mail her?" Maa said, "It does not matter Maa! All this is of no use."

"Ok, you look too sad. Holi is next month. Can you take a vacation? It has been almost a year, when you left us."

"I will try Maa, probably I will get! I will book my tickets right away! I deserve a holiday. I am feeling bored here!"

"Ok beta - blessings from the may shower on you" Maa said. "And we will get you engaged during that time " dad shouted from the background -"Shut up, don't you understand he is disturbed?" - Maa said.

I immediately called Saurabh. He picked the call in one ring.