That day I discovered the window seat, all over again. At 35,000 feet above the ground to be precise. I have always been a lover of window seat. Every time I board a train or travel by a bus, I hardly miss a chance to grab the window seat. And once there, I never get tired of catching a glimpse from it. No matter how long and tiring the journey is, I don’t feel the urge to read or talk with my fellow travellers. I just detach myself from everything and get hooked to the beauty outside. I don’t know why, but almost everything from that window seat seems nice to me. It presents life in a whole new frame to me and more often than not, it’s pleasant. There is something in it that heals my soul. And if there is cool breeze to accompany, then it’s all me and the window seat.
In the flight however, the window seat is not that an ideal canvas to showcase joy. But that day and that journey was something different. As I checked in I was delighted to see the seat number. It read ‘17A’. That means another day out beside the window. Great! But pity, the journey will last only two hours - I said to myself. So, I moved up the flight stairs, with a mixed reaction (guessing wildly about my co-passenger as I always do). Soon, the hostess’ announcement followed the take off, taking us up into the air.
I looked at my watch. It was 6.30 in the evening. The sun was slowly saying goodbye to the world after gifting another scorching summer day. The last signs of it left an orange tinge in the sky. The twilight provided a vibrant backdrop to the cityscape. It brought with it the promise of a pleasant evening. Few minutes later, the Public Addressing System distracted me. It was a routine announcement from the hostess. ‘The outside weather is rough. Kindly don’t unfasten your seat belts’. Surprised, I looked outside again. And what I saw was an experience of a lifetime.
It was a cloud nine experience, right from the word go. For it’s not everyday that you get a chance to cruise down the mountains of cloud and play hide-n-seek with the moon. It was truly an out- of- the- world experience. The world seemed like a small place to me. First time in my life, I felt humble realising how small I am in this vast universe. Suddenly, everything worldly seemed trifle to me and I rose above worldly pleasures. The rest is divine. Hard to describe in words. All to experience and cherish.
