Miss D

"You'll look sooo stupid if you tell this to someone"

I chuckled to myself trying to sleep at Terminal 2E of Paris airport. With more than four hours to wait for my flight to Atlanta, all I could think of, was Ms D or rather "Miss" D.

So, who was Miss D?

As any bachelor in his mid 20s, returning back from an India vacation, foreseeing the daily grind of work that awaits him, wondering why his hair is mysteriously thinning and witnessing the loss of his friends to their wives or work, would feel, I … had this sudden urge to find "the one" for myself. Rather than planning it, I had always wished it would be a random coincidence. Like, finding someone on the plane next to me!

With that silly wish, I boarded the Bangalore-Paris flight at 2AM. As I walked to my seat 21B, the silly wish kept me distracted from the sadness of leaving family and friends behind, in the hope that it may come true.

No less than a miracle ... it did come true!

There she was, on 21A. Her face hidden behind the veils of her dark straight hair … her eyes sneaking through her drooping locks, anxious and shy. That … was Miss D.

I was unusually uncomfortable sitting next to her. May be it was the excitement of a wish coming true. We didn’t talk for the first 6 hours which was also the “sleeping time” in the plane as all lights were put out. The ice breaker happened when my blanket somehow had got under her seat and with a little nudge from her, the blanket and our conversation alike, came free.

The next couple of hours just flew by and before we knew it, we were on Paris airfield. I was beginning to realize that in a few minutes we’ll part our ways and say our good byes like it always happens with friends you make during travel.

But just then, when everyone got up from their seats to get off the plane, I realized that even she had four hours of wait time, and in a hasty moment, I asked her if she would like to spend some more time together at the airport. The haste had made me inarticulate and sloppy. I paid the ultimate price.

She said “Don’t worry about it” twice, and left.

Embarrassed and rejected, I needed a place to hide. I headed to Terminal 2E without a second glance, all the while debating with myself, which among “A Jerk” or “A Schmuck”, would Miss D choose to label me as.

An hour passed, and I finally began to get Miss D out of my head, and then, I did something that I do only while waiting at airports … read a book. 93 pages through, with the announcement of the Atlanta flight, I was all set for another 8 hours of travel.

This time, it was a different wish.

I settled down in my seat 40A. A few moments later, all passengers onboard, I looked to my right … seat 40B … was vacant.

I smiled and said to myself, “Two wishes in a row” … “I sure am lucky” :-)

Take care and keep smiling,
Raghu
http://bignbullish.blogspot.com/

PS: If ever, the real Miss D reads this blog, then .. "I'm sorry Miss D"