I was at the airport. For the third time (I’ve been counting!). Friends are leaving to America. As if it was a neighboring state! But we won’t discuss that now. We have far more interesting things to discuss.

Every time that I think of an airport or am at the airport, I think of the movie, “Love Actually” starring almost half of Hollywood and the British actors. The movie starts in an airport with a voice-over talking about love.  Makes you lovesick. But we won’t discuss that now. We have far more interesting things to discuss.

This time around two of my closest friends, Raghu and Vamsi, are leaving for Dallas, via Mumbai, Paris and Cincinnati. Moms were crying inconsolably, fathers maintained a stoic exterior, but their misted eyes gave everything away. Siblings, immediate and extended family, friends were saying their last byes for an year or two. But we won’t discuss that now. We have far more interesting things to discuss.

We were 10 in number. The friends who came to say good byes to Raghu and Vamsi. Shelled out three hundred bucks to get the privilege of saying good byes. Me referring to the Rs 30 entry fee. How I wish I could call it platform ticket. Looks too crass. But we won’t discuss that now. We have far more interesting things to discuss.

Friends hugged and said good byes. And then they left. Me/I and another friend came out of the airport immediately.  The rest went up to have a fag. So we stood outside the entrance waiting for the rest to join us. The two MS seekers came back. Apparently, their flight had got delayed by another hour. The ones who were still inside, stayed back to have an extended talk with the two America bound friends. Me and my friend (we had already come out of the airport) looked at each other and sat on the black and yellow pavement to wait for the other friends to join us.

Me and my friend instaneously spoke, “Look at her”.  We were ogling at a girl in the counters of one of the low cost airlines which seem to have swarmed the airport. A red uniform, loose hair, a cute smile, the glow on her face accentuated by the brightly lit counter of hers, she was breathtakingly beautiful. It is difficult to say why a particular girl is beautiful. But you do appreciate and recognize one when you spot one.  We hoped that our friends are going to get stuck inside the airport for a long time. And we sat there, ogling  venerably (alright, the right word would be ‘shamelessly’) at her.  

There were totally three people in the counter. Two males and the breathtaker in the middle. The other two had practically no work to do. All the people who had some queries or bookings to make approached the middle counter. And she would give her oh- so-cute smile at them. We will call her BG for the time being (short for a Beautiful Girl)

We wanted to talk to her. We wanted to go to her and tell her that she was very beautiful. No, this is far fetched. We just wanted to talk to her. Maybe go to her, mumble fumble babble and come back. Too difficult to talk sense and proper with such a beautiful girl.

So, we devised our plan.

We walked to the counter (ofcourse, to the middle counter) and then, somehow uttered an ‘excuse me’.

Excuse me.

(She was looking at the laptop when we said walked in. She smiled first and then looked at us.)

Yes sir, what can I do for you?

(The artificiality of the smile notwithstanding, it was a smile which can bowl anyone off)

Aaaa….ugghh…mm…does your airlines operate any flight to Bhubaneswar?

(The smile makes its appearance again.Another variant  of the smile. A smile which has a tinge of an apology.)

Iam sorry sir, we don’t.

Oh! Ok…any plans of starting one any soon?

No sir.

Ok.

(A second  variant of the smile appears. A smile alright, but a scorn too at the same time.)

Anything else sir?

No. Thank you.

We go back to the pavement, to continue with our reverent shameless ogling.  This time around, she notices us looking at her. Unfazed, she continues with her job. More people come and make enquiries. Iam not a great lip reader but I could make out that most of the answers that she gives are one word ‘no’s. Guess we are not the only ones who are good at fabricating queries! Our eyes meet, I panic, and then the eyes unlock. She takes the telephone receiver into her hands. We visualize security guys all around us, with loaded guns in hand. So, we decide to move and start pacing the length of the airport. 

My friend intervenes and asks me...

How about going to her again, with a new enquiry?

What will we ask her?

Let’s ask if they operate flights to Secunderabad.

No. that would be too blatant a fabrication.

Hmmm….why should we ask a new question. We will ask again if they operate flights to Bhubaneswar.

You are desperate to meet  the airport security personnel.  Aren’t you?

Alright, alright. Look…. this is a better idea. We will go and ask her if they operate flights to Bangalore.

Why should we go to her, I tell you, they for sure operate flights to Bangalore.

Very funny. It will only give us a better chance to extend the conversation, unlike the last time.

Hmm… how about going to her and telling her that she is  very beautiful. That we have nothing immoral  in our thoughts. A face as beautiful as that deserves to be praised. 

Hahahah…you think you can utter that? Before her?

Let’s see, either this or the Bangalore query.

So, we walk towards BG with a Plan A and a Plan B, if panic struck. She looks at us through the glass window, a little confused.

(A group of people walk out of the entrance, and shout…)

“Rey…sorry raa    we got late. The flight was delayed by an hour.”

They were my friends. The remaining eight. I am not sure of my steps. I join my friends. We start walking out of the airport.

I turn back and look at BG.  An involuntary smile escapes my lips. She smiles back. This time though, the smile wasn’t artificial.