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Trishanku Heaven

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by Viswamitra, May 5, 2015.

  1. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Trishanku known as Satyavrata born to King Prithu in the Solar Dyansty (one of the ancestors of Sri Rama) had given his thrown to Harishchandra, his son renouncing his royalty. His soul deserved ascension to the heaven because of the righteous life he led. However, he wanted to go to the heaven with the mortal body. Therefore, he requested Vashista to help him do some rituals which he refused as it is against the nature. Satyavrata went to his son who got furious as he overlooked the authority of his father and cursed him and turned him into Trishanku. Later, he met Rishi Viswamitra and requested him to perform the rituals. Because of his rivalry with Vashista, he readily agreed and performed Yagna that would send him to heaven. When he showed up in heaven, he was pushed down to earth by Indra as it is against the nature. Viswamitra got furious and kept him half the way between heaven and earth. This is what is known in the mythology as Trishanku Heaven according to Wikipedia.

    I am not here to talk about this Trishanku Heaven but what we all experience in a long haul flight from the United States to India. Especially, if any of us is a passenger booking the flight in the last minute, we can be rest assured of getting the middle seat in those long flights. I am here to narrate one of these experiences for the ILites knowing fully well many of them will relate their own experiences with this. I had to go on a business trip within a day in 1998 and the number of airlines operating at that time were very limited. Somehow, I managed to get an economy class ticket with a middle seat. I boarded the plane in New York and was happy that my long haul trip commenced without any major mishaps as in one of my earlier trips, the aircraft’s windshield fell down while landing resulting in the flight departing after 24 hours. I looked around the flight and from the activities I knew the flight was going to be full. I had a lady to my left in the window seat and a large man who has carefully constructed a belly with three-tier architecture by accepting all kinds of inputs through his mouth.

    Since I was late to board the plane (remember those days you can board the plane just before departure as it is pre 9/11 era), all the overhead compartments were filled up with bags and both my co-passengers on either side filled up the space below seats in front of us with three bags. Therefore, I ended up keeping my carry-on baggage far behind my seat and finally with the help of my massive-scale human, I squeezed myself into my narrow seat. The lady next to me kept her right hand in the hand-rest while the gentleman to my right kept both his left and right hand on the hand-rest. I ended up sitting keeping both of my hand between my legs as though I was nervous about flying. The airhostess starred at me as though she was suspecting that I was a terrorist and then reluctantly asked me why I was not wearing the seat-belt. With much difficulty I pulled my seat belt from under the man sitting next to me. The moment flight took-off, I heard a freaky noise from the plane as though one of the engines failed. After much investigation, I found out that the gentleman next to me was snoring loud.

    Finally, much awaited dinner arrived. Just before the dinner arrived, the man seated next to me, took his laptop out and started listening to music. The air hostess was waiting for him to put his laptop back into his bag which was kept in front of my seat. After I squatted in my seat, he pulled his bag and put his laptop inside. I got my vegetarian dinner on my tray table. Knowing fully well that I could not eat with my right hand because the gentleman was occupying one and half seat, I decided to use my left hand to eat. Every time, I put a spoonful of food in my mouth, the lady was staring at me for elbowing her hand. I was about to tell her that there is no other way I can eat my food unless she is ready to feed me. With great difficulty I finished my dinner and coffee and tea were served. Because, the man next to me spread so much in his tray table and the air hostess did not have any space to keep the cup in her cart, she asked him to hold the cup. He decided to hold the cup on top of my tray table.

    That very same moment, another air hostess asked her to pour coffee in to a cup held in her hand. She decided to pour tea in the cup held by my co-passenger while simultaneously pouring coffee into the cup held by another air hostess. In the process, she filled the cup held above my tray table up to the brim and more. Hot tea was spilled right on my thigh and I could not even move one bit to avoid the hot tea as I had no space to move my leg. She apologized and handed over more than one tissue paper to wipe my pant that was smelling tea. The child who was seated behind me between her parents was very enthusiastic at that dead night and decided to give a strong kick at the back of my seat to express her happiness to the air hostess who handed her a chocolate.

    That very same moment, the lady who was seated to my left in the window seat refused tea and decided to get up to go to the bathroom. The gentlemen who was seated next to me has to lift his dinner plate in one hand and tea cup in another hand after I helped him to shut his tray table. I had to move out quickly with my empty food plate in my hand to let the woman go to the bathroom. At this point, my patience reached the level of disintegration and I walked towards the back of the plane. I decided to make the rest of my trip at the back of the plane. Luckily, one of the staff on board was gracious to allow me to sit in her emergency seat with a condition that if the seat-belt sign comes up, I may have to get back to my seat.

    The point I am trying to make here is everyone who lives abroad and everyone who have their kith and kin living abroad goes through this Thrishanku heaven sometimes once or many times in a year with or without a curse. One doesn’t have to be born in Solar Dynasty to experience this. Whether the visitors are coming from India or from the US, please receive them with a lot of love whether they bring gifts or not, as they are likely to undergo the same experience again within a few weeks or months on their return journey.
     
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  2. PavithraS

    PavithraS Platinum IL'ite

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    Sir,
    Your narration is so lively that it actually took me to the spot and like a time machine . I enjoyed every bit of it. :biglaugh I am sure to remember this while I travel and will probably LOL raising suspicions among others that I might be nut job. :rotfl
    Regards,
    Pavithta
     
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  3. indubalram

    indubalram IL Hall of Fame

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    @Viswamitra
    Awesome narration. Its very hilarious but for you it would have been a nightmare. But excellent!
     
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  4. satchitananda

    satchitananda IL Hall of Fame

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    Sorry Viswamitra, but I could not help LOLing loudly at this unearthly hour here. Your narrative was so vivid, I could almost visualize the scene as if it was happening before my eyes. Reminded me of a Wodehousian situation! :-D Thanks for the good laugh.
     
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  5. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Pavithra,

    Thank you for your first response. I am glad you enjoyed reading this snippet. Even if it is only for a night, it is Trishanku Heaven since it is happening at the altitude of 35,000 above the sea level, isn't it? If you book your tickets early enough, you may avoid this situation and probably enjoy the seats occupied by the young lady in the window seat or the man to my right. Good luck on your journeys.

    Viswa
     
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  6. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    @indubalram,

    Thank you for your response to this post. I remembered a Tamil song during the travel, "Thunbamvarum velayele siringa, enru sollivachar Valluvarum Sareenga" and also the famous Vadiveku dialogue, "Chikkiten". Thank you also for your words of appreciation.

    Viswa
     
  7. Lathasv

    Lathasv IL Hall of Fame

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    Viswa sir,
    your experience reminds me my same flight journey experience from California to St. Luis in 2013. Itwas very painful experience for me too. I don't like Southwest Airlines policy of anyone can sit anywhere .whatever it may be your narration gave me smile :)
     
  8. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Satchi,

    When I read your response, I was wondering why she was awake in this odd hour. Anyhow, I am glad my snippet gave you a hearty laugh before you went to bed. I could not control my laughter either when the man sitting next to me got up with his dinner plate in one hand and tea cup on another looking precariously at me to determine how he could close his tray, until I volunteered to help him.

    Viswa
     
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  9. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Latha,

    Thank you for your visit to this snippet. Don't even try to narrate the trip from West coast to the East Coast or vice-verse. Even if one books a ticket one month in advance, the passengers always get a middle seat. We have no option but to grin and bear it. Especially, if it is a red-eye flight, the situation becomes much more interesting as everyone settles down to sleep, the passenger in the middle seat feels terrible and has no option but to pretend sleeping.

    Viswa
     
  10. Lathasv

    Lathasv IL Hall of Fame

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    @Viswa sir,
    I'm a silent reader of your's posts. First time I gave my comments for your post.Yes, I Agree with you.
    Thank You
    Latha
     

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