Airport

He was stuck on page 27 for a while now. Lost in her thoughts. He carefully looked up ever so slightly from his book to see if she was there. She was. Seated opposite him reading a magazine. He could clearly see her beautiful oval face from the transparent mask she had on. Her hazel almond eyes twinkled from time to time. Her chestnut wavy hair fell softly on her slender shoulders. She was casually dressed in a white top and blue jeans. He just could not take his eyes off her.

He felt she was looking up and immediately went back to his “reading” and turned a page instinctively to prove it. He was holding Alain de Boton’s Essays in Love, a book he had read a dozen times before and almost knew by heart. Let her know I’m not the dumb types, he thought to himself, quite inexplicably sure that she too might be noticing him, just like he was noticing her. I think we are vibing well, he vainly smiled to himself.

At 32, he had a broken marriage and a couple of failed relationships, but that never stopped him from trying. His marketing job ensured he travelled around a bit and almost every trip he hunted for that partner who would be with him for life. His desire to search for a soulmate was stronger than ever. Sometimes when you can’t find love, it finds you. He remembered that line from Oliver’s Story. Maybe it would. He hoped. Always.

All flights had been delayed indefinitely and he sat along with her and a handful of other passengers, waiting for an announcement. The pandemic had thrown every schedule off gear.

I hope I don’t across as some floozy to him”, reading a Cosmo of all things. I should have carried a paperback, she thought to herself. Her eyes transfixed on the ‘new fashion trends for summer’ page. Her mind was elsewhere.

She had noticed him ever since he came and sat down on the opposite row of seats. He was of medium height and despite his mask she could figure he had a nice face. His light brown eyes sparkled every time he creased his forehead whilst reading. His salt and pepper hair added to his charm. She felt an instant connection. I wish he takes his mask off once… she liked clean shaven men and wanted to be sure.

Nearly approaching 30, her attitude to relationships and men had mostly been apathetic. She had seen way too many relationships stumble fall and break in and around her friend circle. There was an inevitable pattern to most relationships she had observed from its initial highs to its lowest of lows. And she felt better off without them.

But she had never felt an instant attraction the way she felt this time. It took her by surprise too.

Should I get up for coffee? He thought to himself. What if my seat gets taken? He knew there was hardly any chance of that happening considering how sparse the airport was in the current times.

Oh how I could do with a cup of tea she wished! Her throat felt parched and she needed something to pep her up. If I get up and leave would he think something? Like I’m not interested or something like that? Maybe he’s not even noticing me. She felt confused.

The silence of their respective thoughts was broken by an airport announcement of flight resumption. Everyone heaved sighs of relief as people got up to make their way to their respective gates.

In the midst of all this she lost him.

By the time she had rolled her magazine in her bag and picked her hand luggage he was gone!!!

She felt a tiny tinge of disappointment as she headed towards her gate. She was slightly late as she decided to buy herself that cup of tea after all. As she reached the gate she looked around her, hoping against hope, to catch a glimpse of him just one more time. But he was nowhere to be seen.

She wasn’t listening to the passenger announcements as she boarded her aircraft. She put on her face shield as she walked towards her seat. 12C. She was hoping there would be no passenger next to her. The pandemic had made her more paranoid than she usually was.

She was disappointed to see a person wearing a PPE suit sitting at 12B. He seemed to be sleeping, as he crouched on one side, mask, face shield et all. She smiled seeing the man such positioned, as she settled down on her aisle seat. She turned her body away from him and shut her eyes. She just hoped for a smooth and safe flight.

A copy of Alain de Boton’s Essays in Love peeped out slightly from the pouch in front of 12B.