24-05-2019, 04:02 PM
I was on an early evening flight from Mumbai to Kolkata. Actually, I had a confirmed booking on the late evening flight but since I had finished my business early, I arrived at the airport just in time for the earlier flight. The airline staff had not only accommodated me on the earlier flight, I had also been allotted my favorite window seat, in spite of the executive class being almost full. These private airlines really know how to take care of their regular passengers. I had had a full day and was feeling a bit tired. I had a busy schedule at Kolkata for the next couple of days, after which I was scheduled to return home to Delhi for the weekend. As usual, I concentrated on reading the pink paper of the day, paying scant attention to my fellow passengers or the stewardesses bustling around to attend to the passengers' needs.
For some reason one particular stewardess caught my eye as she smiled and talked to an old lady sitting a couple of rows ahead. She was smartly dressed in her well cut western outfit, like her colleagues. She was rather tall; I thought. She had a nice, full figure and long hair neatly gathered in a chignon at the nape of her long, slender neck. Her dimpled smile appeared vaguely familiar. SC used to keep telling me off and on about her children's doings. Now that I saw this girl before me, I recalled SC once talking about her daughter wanting to join an airline. Then I caught her profile as she turned and I was almost sure that she was SC's daughter. I looked at the name badge pinned on the lapel of her jacket as she passed by. "Ujwala" it read. That was the final confirmation that she indeed was SC's daughter!
The last time I had seen Ujwala was perhaps about fifteen years ago at a social gathering of my previous company. Then she was just a college kid in pigtails, clutching her mother's hand. Wow! She had really grown up. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties and I caught a flash of the engagement ring she wore on her left hand. For a while I wondered whether I should introduce myself to her, then decided against it and went back to my newspaper. After another twenty minutes, the stewardesses started serving food. As SC's daughter came over towards me, I couldn't stop myself.
"Excuse me Miss. Are you Mrs. SC's daughter?" I asked, using SC's last name.
"Yes, I am! And you are...?" She responded after a brief hesitation, flashing me her best dimpled smile. She had a nice, soft, husky voice.
"Oh, I am Mr. Sam. Your mother and I used to be colleagues in X Company many years ago." I replied, again using my last name.
Her eyes widened after a moment's hesitation, and an eyebrow arched saucily as she placed me.
"Oh, so you are Mr. Sam!" She exclaimed. Obviously, she had heard of me.
"Yes. So, how is Mrs. SC?" I enquired politely, not letting on that I'd met SC just a few weeks back.
"She is fine, thank you." She replied.
"Please give her my regards." I said.
"Yes, sure." She responded. Then the smiling, impersonal mask of a well trained stewardess was back in place as she continued with serving food to the passengers.
I had informed our company's office at Kolkata about the change in my flight schedule before boarding the flight and a limousine was waiting for me as I stepped out of the arrival gate. After arriving at the hotel, I strolled into the bookshop to pick up some reading material. While I waited for the elevator to the executive floor, I spotted a gaggle of airline crew walk towards the registration desk. I immediately noticed Ujwala, who was busy laughing and chatting with her colleagues. She was a head taller than the other stewardesses. Suddenly, she looked up in my direction. I saw a flash of recognition in her eyes and then she turned away.
I intended to have some light refreshments served up in my room and then retire early, so that I could be up refreshed and ready for a long day tomorrow. I had just showered and was vigorously toweling myself dry when the phone rang.
"Hello, is that Mr. Sam?" Ujwala asked, using my last name. I immediately recognized her voice.
"Yes! Is that Ujwala?" I responded.
"Yes, it is! Mr. Sam, umm... I'm so sorry I couldn't speak to you much on the plane since I was on duty. My mother speaks so well of you, I wonder if we could chat for a while?" She asked. She sounded pleased that I had recognized her voice.
"Sure. I'll be down in the lobby in ten minutes. Meet me there." I said.
Although this meant a change in my plans to retire early, my curiosity wouldn't have allowed me to do otherwise. Besides, I rather looked forward to spending some time in the company of an attractive young woman.
For some reason one particular stewardess caught my eye as she smiled and talked to an old lady sitting a couple of rows ahead. She was smartly dressed in her well cut western outfit, like her colleagues. She was rather tall; I thought. She had a nice, full figure and long hair neatly gathered in a chignon at the nape of her long, slender neck. Her dimpled smile appeared vaguely familiar. SC used to keep telling me off and on about her children's doings. Now that I saw this girl before me, I recalled SC once talking about her daughter wanting to join an airline. Then I caught her profile as she turned and I was almost sure that she was SC's daughter. I looked at the name badge pinned on the lapel of her jacket as she passed by. "Ujwala" it read. That was the final confirmation that she indeed was SC's daughter!
The last time I had seen Ujwala was perhaps about fifteen years ago at a social gathering of my previous company. Then she was just a college kid in pigtails, clutching her mother's hand. Wow! She had really grown up. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties and I caught a flash of the engagement ring she wore on her left hand. For a while I wondered whether I should introduce myself to her, then decided against it and went back to my newspaper. After another twenty minutes, the stewardesses started serving food. As SC's daughter came over towards me, I couldn't stop myself.
"Excuse me Miss. Are you Mrs. SC's daughter?" I asked, using SC's last name.
"Yes, I am! And you are...?" She responded after a brief hesitation, flashing me her best dimpled smile. She had a nice, soft, husky voice.
"Oh, I am Mr. Sam. Your mother and I used to be colleagues in X Company many years ago." I replied, again using my last name.
Her eyes widened after a moment's hesitation, and an eyebrow arched saucily as she placed me.
"Oh, so you are Mr. Sam!" She exclaimed. Obviously, she had heard of me.
"Yes. So, how is Mrs. SC?" I enquired politely, not letting on that I'd met SC just a few weeks back.
"She is fine, thank you." She replied.
"Please give her my regards." I said.
"Yes, sure." She responded. Then the smiling, impersonal mask of a well trained stewardess was back in place as she continued with serving food to the passengers.
I had informed our company's office at Kolkata about the change in my flight schedule before boarding the flight and a limousine was waiting for me as I stepped out of the arrival gate. After arriving at the hotel, I strolled into the bookshop to pick up some reading material. While I waited for the elevator to the executive floor, I spotted a gaggle of airline crew walk towards the registration desk. I immediately noticed Ujwala, who was busy laughing and chatting with her colleagues. She was a head taller than the other stewardesses. Suddenly, she looked up in my direction. I saw a flash of recognition in her eyes and then she turned away.
I intended to have some light refreshments served up in my room and then retire early, so that I could be up refreshed and ready for a long day tomorrow. I had just showered and was vigorously toweling myself dry when the phone rang.
"Hello, is that Mr. Sam?" Ujwala asked, using my last name. I immediately recognized her voice.
"Yes! Is that Ujwala?" I responded.
"Yes, it is! Mr. Sam, umm... I'm so sorry I couldn't speak to you much on the plane since I was on duty. My mother speaks so well of you, I wonder if we could chat for a while?" She asked. She sounded pleased that I had recognized her voice.
"Sure. I'll be down in the lobby in ten minutes. Meet me there." I said.
Although this meant a change in my plans to retire early, my curiosity wouldn't have allowed me to do otherwise. Besides, I rather looked forward to spending some time in the company of an attractive young woman.
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