Had heard of air travel so was rather keen to get a chance at least once to take a ride in a plane, even if it be for a very short time one day, lot and behold! God heard my prayer when I was in Standard Three that is four years back when I was just about eight years old. Aha! What an excitement it was for me as, it was to be my first ever travel by air.
I was to go with my parents who were going to Bangalore for a holiday. This is the place where my paternal grandparents live, and we were going for a month’s tour to South India. When I heard my parents discuss the plan, I was absolutely thrilled, and my excitement knew no bounds when they finalised that, we would go by air to Bangalore to save two days which we would spend in a train. From there onwards we would travel by bus, taxi and train through the whole of the South.
The finalisation of this plan put me on to the Seventh Heaven of fantasy galore. We would be going by plane from Delhi to Bangalore was the highlight of the programme according to me.
There were still fifteen days for us to start off but my imagination took to wings immediately. I started wondering how it would feel to be in the air without having wings to fly with. At long last, after a very long wait as it appeared, the curious wait ended and 15th December came and we started off from home to the airport.
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My heart beat pit a pat, pit a pat, as, I was now soon to face my first experience in an aeroplane. As soon as we reached the airport, the very sight of planes taking off and landing one by one simply exasperated me. I was restless to board a plane, the plane which would take me to Bangalore.
Just as I was wondering as to when we would get inside the plane, there was an announcement for the passengers of our plane to get ready to board the plane. Now, we were being called and aha! My moment of excitement came to the hilt, and soon I was inside the plane. What a sight it was, its comfortable seats, its broad aisle, and above all its beautiful and charming air hostesses. I was wonderstruck to see so much in one plane and that also all together.
As soon as we were seated, I heard a voice announcing and requesting all passengers to fasten their belts. I looked for my belt, but did wonder why we were being asked to do so. However, as per the instructions, all the passengers tied belts, and just then, there was another announcement that the plane was about to take off. At this moment, I felt a peculiar pang in my chest as if my heart was hitting its walls, and I at once held on to Mummy’s arms who was sitting next to me.
Only after a few seconds I think I was alright and felt normal and now, I looked on to the ground we had just left. As we rose above the ground, I could see the roads, vehicles on the roads, plain land, orchards gardens and Oh what a beautiful sight it was from the height. Soon I was so engrossed in enjoying the aerial view that I forgot all fear and nervousness.
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Throughout the journey we were enjoying, eating reading and chatting with each other and co-passengers though I was more enraptured by the beautiful view from high above. When we had reached very high, all things on the ground seemed to be as tiny as pinheads, and moving things appeared to be ants. On the heights, I felt as though we were cutting through the clouds in the sky to find our way to Bangalore. This was another enchanting scene.
As I had hardly started enjoying the scenic beauty from high above, there was an announcement that, we were about to land at Bangalore airport, and that, we should tie our belts. No sooner we had tied our belts that, I could feel the plane taking a dive downwards, and lot once again I felt a pang in my heart, a sort of vacuum in the chest.
As I recovered from the pang, the plane had touched the ground, we had landed on the Bangalore airport, and the plane was moving fast on the runway. This was the end of my first trip by air and it had ended before I could register any moments of pleasure.
This first air ride was a memorable one, and a real experience. After that flight to Bangalore years back, I have not had a second opportunity though I’m sure I will soon get my second chance. Next time I will be less tense and my heart beats will be well under control. The next trip will be, whenever it may be, surely more enjoyable.