A Journey to cherish

He was in the seventh heaven. Why not? After much persuasion their parents had consented to his marriage to his childhood sweet heart and he was going home to be married.
The flight attendant was going through her motions explaining the safety drill. No one paid any attention.
"Is this the first time for you beta.." , said a voice that startled him.
He turned around to face an old lady seated next to him. She was an old woman , she was about seventy or seventy five years old. She had all white hair, her skin was all wrinkled on her hands and face and was wearning a brown cashmere shawl over her Salwar Kameez. She was moving her mouth chewing something and was looking at him curiously.
"No... No .." he said laughing out loud ... "Why do you ask.." he queried,

" you seem to excited and happy.. I thought perhaps this is your first flight .. " the old lady told with a characteristic judgment of an old Indian lady.

" no madam, I'm traveling all the way from the US., this is the final leg of my journey, I'm happy to be going home." he said with a big smile..
On a normal day he would have been annoyed at even the slightest hint of someone invading his privacy, but today , he was happy, he was going to meet Suja after two years and his parents too!

"Oh dear, the old lady said.. you must be tired, how long was your layover at Changi." she asked..

"oh! it was not much , four hours.. " he replied jovially

" good for you, my son Nikhil, had to wait for fourteen hours at Narita when went to L.A., he swore never to fly that route again.." she said..
"mmm.. mm.." he acknowledged her. He hated layovers and it killed the joy of flying

"he works in Oracle you see.. he is some vice president there..only next to the president.. " she added with a proud smile.

"Yeah... " he responded with an amused chuckle.. It never ceased to amuse him how Indian mothers never let go of an opportunity to chronicle their wards' achievements even to the strangest of strangers..

" what do you do beta..?" she asked , pulling out a small ziplock bag from her hand bag.,

" I'm a professor " he replied...
" haan. haan.. even my uncle Swaran has a daughter Surajja who is married to a professor.. " she interrupted him..

"where do you work.. " she followed up with another one..

" CALTECH.. " he replied to which the old lady did not show any response.

" California techni... " he hastily added..

"harrey.. my Surajja's husband Dharmesh is also at Caltech.. " do you know him.. she asked , beaming at him as though she just met an old friend..

he searched his mind for his known circle of people in the university..

"Which department does he work.. " he asked

The old lady was not pleased..
"arrey.. he takes care of the entire University administration you know.." she added..

"I'm sorry" he said still unable to connect..
" he is responsible for the upkeep of the entire telephone network in the university.." she added with an amused look on her face as though suggesting how can he be in the university and still not know Dharmesh?"

"oh.. "he said.. realizing that Dharmesh must be an administrative staff in telecom facilities team. He barely knew all the academic staff there to know the others.Nevertheless, decided to make the lady feel better.

"Oh yeah.. now I recollect.. " he said..

"good.. see, if you need anything to be done in the University, Dharmesh can do it for you, I will put in a good word to him.. now what did you say your name was.. " she asked..

" no no.. no thanks. " he declined politely with a few chuckles
".. and my name is Sarvesh. Sarvesh Sircar."

"Oh sircar, you must be from the West Godavari district.. aren't you..?" she asked.

he was flummoxed, how did she know? He knew that old Indian ladies were a bag of tricks and this was new one for him!
"but why are you traveling to Chennai and not Hyderabad.. " she asked.

" oh that's a long story.. " he replied with a big smile, the question had brought back his memories of why he was traveling to Chennai..

'oh. that would be interesting.. tell me ." she insisted..

He smiled at her...
"I'm getting married in Chennai..."
"arreeeeey.. congratulations.. the girl must be blessed to have a suitor like you.. " she added

"From what is she making that judgment ? " he wondered. She had known for hardly more than thirty minutes and she was already talking as though she herself had brought him up. He did not mind much. Old ladies are always like that he thought..
"We know each other from our childhood days ma' ji.. we were neighbours.." he said.. He had himself graduated calling her a madam to ma'ji.
"wah wah. how sweet... congrats again beta.." she said gushing and affectionately patting his arm...

"When is the big day? ..." she asked..
" the coming 26th, right after christmas..." he added. " it was very tough finding a free date in St.Thomas Basilica.. Suja's parents somehow used some influence with the American council and got the 26th booked " he added with pride..

" but.. you are.. " she said with a quizzical look on her face..
" Yes ma'ji she is a Christian.. " he added with a knowing smile to an all too familiar question..

"Oh.. bless you beta.. things are looking up in India.. St.Thomas's basilica is a beautiful church you know.. I have been there when I was five. My uncle Harsh took me there.He even got me a nice steam roasted corn.. one of the best I've had.. in my life.. ' she added drifting into thoughts of lost time..
"Ah. before I could forget.." she snapped back suddenly into reality..

"yes ma'ji.." he added
she fiddled into her purse and brought out a crumpled piece of paper and thrust it into his hand..

"What is this ma'ji " he added a bit startled..
"its a small token of gift from an old lady..." she said with a smile and a twinkle in her eye.

"oh. no no no no. " he said opening what appeared to be a crumpled 50 singapore dollars note..\
"what no. keep it in.. back in my days.. we used to accept gifts from elders silently and cherish them..my mamaji will wont let me go unless I touch his feet. you know. " she admonished him..

He was caught in a double predicament now.. he has to accept this 'gift' and also has to touch her feet.. he looked gingerly at her..
"keep it in beta.. its a blessing. You know blessings are only to bring you and my darling daughter in law, luck! ' she added affectionately ruffling his hair!
To his own surprise her mention of Suja as her daughter in law did not seem to surprise him! He had come to believe by now that this old lady can surprise him no more..

He silently pocketed the money and fell silent to avoid any further overtures.

"Beta, do me a favour. " she said not missing a beat.
He turned to look at her .
" there is a yellow bag the size of a rice bag in the over head bin.. can you get it pls.. " she asked
He looked at her.. She still looked at him as though she brought him up and would not hesitate to chastise him if he delayed things further..
He checked if the 'seat belts ' sign was on. It wasn't. He got up and opened the over head bin. The yellow bag was thrusted between a bunch of VIP suitcase of vintage. He retrieved it and sat down.
"Thank you beta. "she said as she almost yanked the bag from him.

She was messing with the bag and she pulled out a brown wrapper the size of a shoe box.
"here she said giving the parcel to him. "
he held onto the parcel while she adjusted the things in the yellow bag again..

" keep it with you. my nephew shailendar will drop in and collect it.. " she said as though referring to a person known to him..
'but what's this.. " he asked.

"Nothing beta. a bunch of CDs my daughter laila sent. she wants to give it to her sister in Sowcarpet. She has made a CD of all videos she took of her son Remo . Her sister Shaila has been asking for thiis for quite some time.. " she completed..

"but why aren't you taking it.." he asked.. annoyed now that he had extra baggage.
"oh thats a long story.. " she paused. " shaila's husband Kishore is a rascal.. he and I don't get along well. so I dont go to their place. Anyway, I have a train to catch to madurai as soon as we land. Be a sweet heart and keep it with you and I will ask the rogue shailendar to come and collect it.. just give me your mobile number " she said pulling out a scruffy looking notepad and pencil from the yellow bag.

He turned over the package and looked at it.. It felt like it was indeed full of CDs. He contemplated what to do. He could not escape the old lady. So, he fell silent,..
"Haan.. tell me .. " she interrupted his thoughts
he looked at her.. and realized that she was waiting for his mobile number

" 9941122334" he said.
"very nice.... fancy number.. " she said beaming at him

"Acha.. keep the things on the bin again.. good boy' she said closing the subject...
He quietly kept her yellow bag and the parcel on the over head bin , stuffing the brown paper parcel into my backpack.
He sat down and she continued immediately..
" achha tell me. what is her name.. " she continued...
"Suja .. Sujana Chakravarthy.. " he said..
"Sujana.. nice name" she said repeating the name quietly after him

"show me her picture. "she said authoritatively.. and he obliged..
"What a pretty face.. " reminds me of myself when I was twelve.. she said looking at him affectionately..
" you know I was married when I was thirteen.. my husband was then twenty. I had sex when I was thirteen! " she smirked mischievously.
he laughed with her..
over the next few hours. she learnt everything about him and suja more than he had shared even with his parents..
She kept talking through landing and disembarkation.
As they waited to clear customs, a customs officer on duty noted the old lady's presence and came over to her and said
"This way lady.. " she pulled her out of the queue and escorted her to the VIP queue.
" very nice of you officer.." she said as she started enquiring his bio data as she went with him..

He suddenly felt as though it was all too quiet in the queue. It was soon his turn in the queue and he cleared customs.
When he joined the big crowd at the baggage retrieval the lady was nowhere to be seen.
She must have been escorted out .. he thought..
His bags came and he slowly moved towards the exit sign marked 'Green channel'
As he neared the exit, a custom officer inspected his challan and looked at his trolley and then at his face over his half moon glasses..'
"Whats in the bag.. " he asked
"my clothes , some gifts for relatives.. " he said.

"Anything else.."the officer asked
"nothing else much of significance.. ' he said with a shrug..

"mm.. I see.. " he said
" come over this side sir.. ' he continued.. with a hand on my trolley pushing it towards an inspection bench..
He followed .. "these guys will now ask for some green backs and let me go.. " he told himself....
.." m. your bags on the desk.. " the officer said.. he was soon joined by a bunch of officers.. one of them asked the other..
" is this him?' .to which the other replied.. "yes.."
"Follow me.. Mr...... Sarvesh.. " he said referring to his passport and customs challan..
he followed the officer into a closed room..
"please sit.." the officer said and he obliged.

"Where are you from.. " the officer asked..
" Hyderabad, " he said.. getting worried that this was going in a different direction..
"what are you doing in Chennai? " the officer asked.
Once again he briefed the officers of his purpose..
They listened intently ..
"What are your contact details in Chennai.. " one of the officers who was behind him asked..
"its in my laptop bag.. can i get it for you.. " he asked..
'mm.." said one officer . he got up quietly and went out the room looking for his backpack.. all his suitcases were lying open on the desks and dogs were smelling them and some guards were inspecting the baggage.
he retrieved the paper from his backpack and gave it to the officer who escorted him out.
"thanks.. " he mumbled and escorted him back into the room..

Once back in the room , questions followed..
"who else is traveling with you.. ?" one asked
' no one, " I'm traveling alone. he replied..

" anyone you know traveling in the same flight..?"
"Same question isn't it.. " he said..

"don't act smart.. just answer the question.." another officer snapped at him..
"No.. i dont know anybody else on the plane.. " he said..

"are you sure?"
"yes. am sure.."

"Then what were you doing with the old lady on the plane.." the officer asked..
"oh.. she.. is just another passenger.. she was talkative and was striking up a conversation.. " he said..

"i see., " said the officer..
he then produced the brown paper bag the old lady had given him...

"whats this.." the officer asked..
"this is a package the old lady gave me. Said its DVDs of her grandchild's home videos.."

"mm mmm...?" the officer said with a sly smile as though amused..
he looked at him alarmed.. it dawned on him that the whole episode has been about the brown package and not some money laundering scheme as he had initially thought..
All crazy thoughts started passing through his brain. Was it a bomb! had he been had? is he going to spend the rest of his life in jain or will he be hanged?

"Sir, seriously i dont know about the package sir. this old lady gave it to me.. her nephew Shailendar will collect it she said.. " he started babbling..
"ok.. whats her name..?" the officer asked..

That's when it struck him.. She never told him her name...
" I don't know.. " he stuttered...

" so you go around accepting packages from strangers even whose names you don't know..?" asked the officer with a smirk..
He felt stupid now...
"no sir.. she was very nice.. " he said in a lame defence..
"of course she was very nice.. " the officer said..

by this time the officer who collected his contact papers came in and mumbled something in the senior looking officer's ears..

"Alright.. Mr. Sarvesh.. " you are lucky.. you have been cleared by our department. you may go.. but we will keep this brown package.. he said

He got up.. he wanted to flee the airport..
At the door he turned and faced the officers and asked.. "But what is in the paper bag?" he asked..

"DVDs, porn DVDs, pirated movie DVDs.." the officer said with a smile on his face..
he was stunned.. ! "What! " he said loudly...

"mmm.... there is a reason Mr.Sarvesh, why we ask passengers not to accept anything from strangers.." the senior officer said..
He held his down in shame and opened the door..
He went out.. and started packing his bags again .. Just as he was about to leave, the door neighboring the room he had been interviewed opened..
The old lady walked out escorted by customs officers..
Just as she was being escorted out, she turned and looked at him
"Oh.. good luck beta.. may you have a happy wedded life. Pass my wishes to Sujana.." she said..
He watched her stunned, jaw dropped open as she was escorted into the mass of people in the airport.