MOTHER'S LOVE by
ARMAN AMROHVI is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
‘Indian Airlines welcomes you onboard flight No IC 825, scheduled for Delhi via Amritsar. Flying time for Amritsar is 1 hour and 15 minutes. Your captain is Captain Satish Bhardwaj. All passengers are requested to fasten the seat belt, smoking is prohibited on board. Wishing you all a pleasant journey. Thank you.’
Within minutes plane was taxiing and Alexander started to jostle in his seat, he was not feeling comfortable. As the plane was in the sky, Alexander left his seat, as he was alone and started looking for a co-passenger with whom he could talk. Not having much of passengers on board, it was a difficult task for him to search for a right person. He walked along allay of the plane but in vain. He turned in distress and to his astonishment there was a young female wearing a sarong of Persian blue shade, white cotton shirt and a blue scarf round her neck, all this was matching perfectly to the fair complexion of her body. Alexander was mesmerised, unable to move, as it happened to him seven years ago when he visited Taj Mahal for the first time. Without giving a second thought to himself, Alexander moved towards her and said, ‘I am Alexander, can I sit by your side.’ Without waiting for a positive a reply, Alexander was beside her. Female was lost among the picturesque snow cover mountains over which the plane was flying. ‘Sir, would you like to have some tea or coffee?’ was interruption in Alexander’s thought. ‘Yes, I would like to have black coffee.’ ‘And your wife, Sir.’ ‘She is not my wife,’ these words distracted girl’s attention from the window and she looked at Alexander.’ ‘Sorry, Sir’ the attendant replied. ‘Something for you, madam?’ ‘Black tea, some chocolates, thank you.’ ‘Nature is beautiful, vivid shades of grey, white and brown. Look there snow is glowing as silver, where the sunrays are falling on.’ Alexander replied, ‘Indeed nature is beautiful, my salutation to nature for creating a wonderful…’ Female turned to Alexander, who was not looking through the window but still praising nature. ‘I am talking about the mountains over which we are flying.’ ‘Yes, indeed, is it your first visit to Srinagar?’ ‘Yes’, replied the female. ‘That’s the reason’ exclaimed Alexander, ‘Everyone who comes for the first time is spellbound by the beauty of nature in Kashmir.’ Moving his right hand towards the lady, ‘I am Alexander.’ ‘I am Nitasha.’ ‘Madam, your tea and chocolate, Sir, your coffee.’ Both started sipping their respective drinks. ‘I am an environmentalist, came to Srinagar for the conservation of Dal Lake.’ Nitasha said. ‘But I understand that yours is not a first visit.’ ‘I have been visiting Srinagar regularly for past five years.’ ‘You love this place so much’ inquired Nitasha. ‘It is true that I love nature, but regular visit is due to business.’ answered Alexander. ‘What sort of business?’ ‘Paper-mashie products, I get them made from here and sell them in Europe, America and Canada.’ ‘How come you became an environmentalist?’ was a curious question from Alexander. ‘I have heard that when I was born in the jungles of Africa, on the very next day my parents died in the jungle fire, I was saved by an inhabitant who was also mid wife during my mother’s labour. Fire was set by some builders to reclaim land and all this was illegal.’ This description of the bygone days made Nitasha sad and tears rolled down her cheek. Flashes of rain on Taj Mahal and water drops running on the marble came to Alexander’s mind as he Nitasha weeping. ‘You are an orphan, like me.’ Alexander said. ‘My father was a mercenary in Vietnam and the day I was born, my mother received the news of my father’s death, which has occurred many months ago, the news sunk my mother’s heart and I was alone in this world.’ ‘Birds of same feather flock together,’ exclaimed Nitasha. ‘The reason, why I became environmentalist, is that we have to conserve our planet Earth and enjoy the beauty of the nature to the brim and please the creator.’ ‘I have traveled far and wide but Srinagar has taken over me,’ Nitasha added. ‘Nitasha, I have talked to people of Srinagar, they say that Srinagar was more beautiful before the terrorist activities, what we have enjoyed in Srinagar is only certain percentage of the left over beauty.’ said Alexander. ‘Is it the fact?’ Nitasha inquired.
‘In 10 minutes we are going to land at Rajasansi Airport, Amritsar. Halt here will be of 30 minutes. Passengers are requested to fasten their seat belts. Thank you.’ Plane landed and some passengers left the plane. Alexander and Nitasha were still busy talking, when an elderly female distracted Alexander’s attention. As the lady boarded the plane, Alexander’s eyes followed her until she sat just behind both of them. ‘What is the matter? Alexander do you know the lady?’ asked Nitasha. Alexander pulled out his wallet and exposed a photo of a female which was identically similar to the lady sitting behind. ‘Her photo, when she was in her early thirties’ Nitasha said with surprise. ‘No’ said Alexander ‘this photo is of my mother. But this lady is identical to the photograph.’ The statement moved Nitasha; she could not resist herself from talking to the lady and said ‘I am Nitasha, what makes you to visit India?’ ‘I am Elizabeth, death of my only son brought me to India,’ the lady replied. ‘Death! How did it happen?’ a curious question by Alexander, ‘I am Alexander.’ ‘My son Michael was a reporter covering events in India, he was killed in a terrorist attack in Jalandhar, a small town in Punjab,’ answered Elizabeth. ‘We are so sorry to hear that,’ both Alexander and Nitasha replied simultaneously. ‘Never say this for my son because he was a brave and a self made-man, he was on his way to airport and was to be married three days ahead when he was killed.’ Both of them were mum. At this Nitasha could not resist her emotions and said, ‘Nobody in this world is happy. We don’t have parents and she has lost her only son.’ Elizabeth was touched to the core of her heart by this statement.
‘Indian Airlines welcomes you onboard flight No IC 825, scheduled for Delhi. Flying time for Delhi is 1 hour. Your captain is Captain Satish Bhardwaj. All passengers are requested to fasten the seat belt, smoking is prohibited on board. Wishing you all a pleasant journey. Thank you.’
As soon as the plane was in the air, airhostess came with snacks. Alexander, Nitasha and Elizabeth were busy discussing their lives. Cabin door opened and the captain entered the passenger area. He sat on the seat to his right, which was on the left of Alexander. Captain ordered for juice and closed his eyes in a relaxing posture. Elizabeth murmured ‘He is an Anglo-Indian; his features are more of a roman.’ Nitasha was affirmative, but Alexander was neutral, he said ‘I am not very good at reading the origin of people.’ After taking the glass of juice the captain started sipping it slowly. When the glass was half empty, the captain started shivering and fell from his seat. To his rescue the first person was Alexander. Captain said in a faint voice, ‘left of my chest is ripping to pieces.’ Alexander flashed and said ‘lay down on the floor and I will help you.’ In the meantime there was a call for the captain from the cockpit. A flight steward entered the cockpit. Copilot was having some problem and he was informed about captain’s health. Copilot informed the ground staff at the Palam Airport regarding the technical problem on the plane and requested to make arrangements for emergency landing. Ground staff asked to hover for sometime till the arrangements are made; ground staff was informed about captain’s heart attack. On the ground within minute’s fire engines, ambulances and life saving gadgets surrounded the runway. On the plane captain was unconscious, Nitasha and Elizabeth were praying. Flight staff was attending the passenger as if there was no problem. ‘Within 5 minutes we will be landing on the Palam Airport, New Delhi. Passengers are requested to fasten their seat belts. Thank you,’ announced the airhostess. Gradually the plane started lowering but even after crossing the last signal to touch ground the plane was in air, ground staff yelled ‘up again.’ ‘Joystick is not moving, I can’t take the plane up, I am trying my level best to land,’ answered copilot. Elizabeth cried ‘Lord, I have to live to get justice for my son.’ Miracle happened and the plane banged on the runway. Everyone on the flight yelled, gates flung open, fire engines started water on the plane. Alexander caught hold of Nitasha and Elizabeth. Copilot applied breaks which gave away after reducing the speed of the aircraft Plane was still moving but at a much slower speed. Everyone on the flight now had their heads in their knees and praying. Again there was a bang the plane caught fire, at this Alexander unfastened Elizabeth and Nitasha from the seat and crawled to the gate. He saw big grass under the plane and on this asked Nitasha to jump. Even before Nitasha could say something she was thrown out. Holding hand of Elizabeth, Alexander said, ‘mother come’ and both were out of the plane. Both glided for some metres and came to halt. Plane after traveling about 100 metres stopped, fire engines were still pouring water on the plane, and Ambulances hooted nearing the plane at a safe distance. Elizabeth stood up hugged Alexander and said, ‘my son you have saved my life.’ On this Alexander started weeping as if a small child. Nitasha also ran towards them. Alexander with face covered with tears said mother, ‘make her also feel the warmth of a mother’s love of which she is also deprived.’ All the three hugged and wept profusely. After few minutes Elizabeth move little away from Alexander and Nitasha and after raising her hands towards the sky said, “thank you, Lord, for giving me life.’ Alexander heard someone saying, ‘tell mother, I am Michael and want to hug her because I am with you.’ Alexander ran towards Elizabeth and said, ‘mother’. With tears covered face Elizabeth said, ‘Michael. Come my child, I have missed you for a long time.’
