Flying cheaper skies, Part 2
Enroute to Mumbai now.
Air Deccan this time.
We arrive at 6 pm for a 7 pm flight- I wear a halo, as I have never been this early. Of course the flight is 20 minutes late. Or 'tawnndie minnids' as the Air Deccan ground staff tells me.My husband asks me if they have separate lounge seating for the Cheapie, sorry Low Cost Airlines. I think I'm seeing the emergence of a new caste (cawst? ) system , but on an airline platform.Important sociological trend,methinks . I think my significant other is being politically incorrect. I think its possible he's not a very nice person.
There are serpentine, winding queues (separated in an undulating way by high cawst/low cawst boarding passes). It takes ages to reach the window. We start the boarding process, packed 50 to a bus, seemingly traveling miles and miles in fits and stop-starts to reach a row of 6 identical Air Deccan planes. In mofussil buses and planes, how do we know we've got the right one , he mutters worriedly. To confirm his suspicions, an Air Deccan groundsman , runs past, saying 'Bombay,Bombay', and the entire busload runs helter skelter along with him,hopefully to the right plane . Free seating in low-cawst, r'member? We now board the airline, Yellow and Blue air hostess Anu smiles n welcomes us in and we find some free seats.. Good so far. Husband starts to look human. Neighbour in window seat and bright orange shirt in gets his laptop out , after stepping over both our aching feet. Sorry to disteb maydom, but I vaant to use my laptop. I'm impressed, and I immediately also whip out my HP iPAQ, to also keep up with Vadivels. I blogin a serious and focused way. What on earth is he doing , whispers Signigficant Other. I glance over - n see him with an Excel sheet typing in numbers madly. Making crores as we speak,I'm sure . We are all being politically incorrect, tch.
Enroute to Bby for my sister in law's birthday today. SO and I sport black t -shirts saying 'Happy Birthday,Liz', with a cheesy TIME magazine cover shot of her n my niece. The SO (Significant Other) is embarassed, I'm not. When I went thu physical security check , the lady guard curiously asks me who's the photo. She smiles delightedly as I explain. She thinks its fun. SO is looking increasingly glum. Yelling 'surprise' in identical tshirts to the delighted Birthday girl does not redeem the awfulness of it all. In his eyes, he has established himself as a sensation seeker , an exhibitionist, no less, and is trying to avoid meeting anyones eyes.. Wearing matching tshirt with the wife is giving him much trauma. He starts to trip on his chin.
Hyuk. Wait till the unwilling exhibitionist reaches the Mumbai airport and finds even his brother who's picking us up, wearing one.
6 comments:
Hilarious Priya. Well written! First time commenting. I'm becoming a regular reader of yours so keep writing!
Hey, Aditya good to hear from you! I do hope friend Vinay gets his rainbow.
I am boarding a flight back to nama Bengalooru now, which the pilot promises to be bumpy. The husband moodily says I told you so. Prods me in my ribs, to reassure rabidly equal opportunity wife , that is nothing to do with the fact that shes a woman pilot. Hes equally cynical about both sexes, and is trying to cope with the woman being upfront. Hes actualy really listening to the safety instructions, while pretending to read yesterdays Business Line .Seat belts on tighter, and as Vijay will explain the background , the light snack of thumbnail n perhaps one or two fingers for later on, has begun.
Well, its better than chewing my head.
Chuckle :-)
Ayyo Ayyo !!! Poor Raja.. surprised he did not "disown" you for the duration of the flight..
I think the custom T-shirts are such a neat idea. Your SO should be thankful they weren't pink.
Priya... hee haw.. missed a very significant sentence during my first read and didnt realize the mister was wearing it as well.. how the heck did you convince him to do that?
P.S: I worry about them poor nails ;-) ... come to think of it.. I think its worthy of a post.. from you
Vijay , Terri , the SO is severely traumatised still . Further nightmare , we also met a client at Hyattt once we landed. Now that was kinda awkward . I think both of us crossed our chests in a modest manner , hoping he didnt notice . And of course he did. If you got it flaunt it , doesnt apply here. I must send you the pictures - even if I say so , the T shirts are awesome . THe birthday girl is on a TIME magazine cover . I think I am gifted to have designed something like that . Yesyesyes,modesty is a virtue I frequently commend myself on .
Raj feels I should draw the line when people at the party said , so cute , this is teriffic , and lemme look closer, what does it say exactly . Apparently , having people reading your chest like a Times Square billboard , while you beam like a mother hen , though not specifically mentioned in Loretta Swansons Book of Daily Etiquette, would perhaps be frowned on in polite society.
Ahh well, one learns everyday .
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