Take Off

PROLOGUE : 

The evergreen grass bed became black. Everywhere it was silence, surprise, tears and ash. ‘Who was the pilot?’ A lady asked me. Before I could answer, another lady came shouting her sorrow, ‘These people made life horrible here. See, they burnt it all into ashes and I breathe this.’ I ignored the first lady as I couldn’t face her eyes. But I wanted to answer the other.

THE DAY

“Hey Buddy, get up. Have this tea.’ It was Kiran.

He is my close friend. We are class mates and glass mates. He co-piloted me everytime when I took off boozy. Amazingly, this was first time he brought me a tea and this day could not end eventless, should not.

“Oh Damn! Where is the marshaller?” I gazed around.

“Friend, you are getting late to close up on duty.” He said lighting up a Gold Flake Kings.

I saw my dreams fuming away in that smoke. I grabbed the kings and rushed to toilet. The day rose pleasant. I did my preparations, mentally it is necessary, for duty and started walking towards my department. All the way to my duty place, I walked visualising post interval session of my dreams. I was fighting a war with my aircraft and I continued the fight.

I was the junior most crew of ‘Crash & Salvage Team’ of that day. Our duty was to assist in runway clearance and giving first aid to aircraft and aircrew in case of any emergency landing or crash landing. The duty team starts their day with mustering of tools in Crash & Salvage van and ensuring the operational readiness of crane. Being junior most, it was my call of duty. While doing the mustering, I noticed two Sea Harrier FRS 51 fighters lying on dispersal and was being prepared for a sortie. I assumed myself sitting in the cockpit, dream continued. I took off, headed to enemies; I hit them like Arnold did in ‘True Lies’.

My horoscope says to stay away as much as possible from driving two wheelers and four wheelers to be safe. But I was sure; the astrologer was mentioning any vehicle, though he told only 2-4 wheelers. In that case, I cannot be a pilot, and I don’t regret for not being. The dreams are forgiven with fake excuses. Dreams! My horror-scope never let me finish a sortie in dreams too, like I am conspiring an anti-natural thing. My dream was interrupted again, this time I am detailed for collecting Lunch for duty party.

I collected lunch and I had an hour with me to rest. I moved to our barrack balcony and rang up my darling. I could see the runway and two Sea Harriers roaring at the end of runway for a race. Her mobile was ringing and I wanted her to pick up the call before takeoff. I wanted to tell her about aircraft, about what I am and I wanted to show her that I know something interesting that she even couldn’t imagine. All of a sudden, earth stood still, everywhere flames and fumes apparition.

The race was abandoned. One tiger lost his path. A Sea Harrier piloted by Lt Cdr HPS Pannu failed two attempts to take off and was on third try. He might have never thought that the try would be the last of his life. The aircraft failed to get thrust and lift. It took away the arrestor barrier, boundary wall and

crossed the civil road and burst out on the grass bed. The whole path the aircraft moved was put on fire due suspected fuel leakage. Everything became ash in a second.

I ran to the crash scene, but there was nothing left of either aircraft or pilot other than exhaust nozzles. I became stagnant with un-awareness of the taste of emotions flowing out. Loss of life or loss to nation; whatever it was, it was big. Our nation spends millions to buy and maintain such a tremendous aircraft as well as to train a pilot. Once a person is chose to become a pilot, the nation impeccably puts in everything to mould those immortal gods with wings. Here we lost one; my eyes witnessed it.

My eyes won’t dream again.

This bereaved a lady, who was chosen to be a Goddess. I don’t recognize her; she might be the lady who asked me the name of pilot. I understand her. But how was I supposed to reply to the second one. I have a few questions to her. We, soldiers, sweat out every moment in peace to bleed our, nation’s, enemies in war. Every training and every operation we took as real, to face a real war. What you want us to do? To train in desserts only; to fly in simulators only! Why don’t you, sister, understand that we sacrificed a civil colour ful life like yours to become a weapon of our nation to safe guard you, your children and your family? We sharp our teeth through out the year to keep smile on your children’s face. We have a family, someone like you, at our home. Why don’t you think about them? Every night you sleep blissfully, have you ever imagined that we are awake? Are we a nuisance for you? Had we made your life horrible?

She is just a one who expressed, though un-knowingly. She represents a crowd. I too belong to a crowd, who lives for the other. Who will answer me? Or do you have more to express!