Airport

Monika:
After looking at her watch, she thought that watching those small pointers moving in a circle enclosed by a glass is not a bad time pass. It’s still half an hour. Air Deccan sucks! but not more than her life.

She had never thought that her life would ever come to a situation where her decisions are guided by the wishes of some old craps! When they started the business, it was like “your-family my –family” thing. They never witnessed true competition. That’s business! when you call a client showing all possible positive aspects of your service and when the client come in, you irritate him with your one necessary condition, and he will be gone. How hard had she tried to convince those people to join hands with their company? But these old craps, my respected bosses, put their shoe in between and ruined everything. When would they understand that its age of Computerization, we need automation. But "we never give incentive more than this to a middleman, even if they are having computers!” go to hell old fellows..... Then they ask me to go to Hyderabad and find some other client/middlemen. "You don’t have knowledge about which clients are to choose and which not; miss Monika" the old man had said, my foot...

Suddenly she heard a cry. She looked up and saw a kid fighting with her mother about something. She never liked such things. You should keep these little devils quite. Give him what he wants and let him go happy so that others won’t feel disturbed. She saw the mother was using words like, "if you do it again I will....." or "you said one more word and I will slap you...". For God's sake, its an airport!! its not your home....

That’s the reason she never wanted to be housewife. She was moved by the women revolution in India. She completed her Engineering and went for MBA. She never wanted to be a housewife and spend rest of her life dealing with these little devils like this woman. But this little devil is pretty. He is cute. How can mother of such a cute boy can make him cry? If I would have been his mother....

She remembers the day when Shekhar came to her house with her parents asking for her hand, she refused. Not that she didn’t love him, but the reason was that Shekhar's family was very orthodox in thoughts. They would never have allowed her to work. And she wanted to work, move ahead and achieve something, and prove herself....

She was now looking closely at the lady. She was wearing a bengali saree and a big bindi over her forehead. Normally ladies which such makeup look like 40-50 yrs old. But this lady was not looking that old. Rather she was looking as if she has barely crossed 27. She was still slim, and there was a special grace on her face which was visible in spite of her argument with her kid. Monika had noticed such a grace on the face of almost every married young woman, and that was the only thing which annoys her because she sometimes becomes jealous of such grace. She was now turning 30 and still unmarried.

'How good it would be to get married, to have someone to care and protect you for rest of your life, to have your own small kids who would call you mummy and hug you. No tension of office timings, no tension of declining sales, no tension to deal with elderly bosses, just you and your home, this lady is lucky.......'

She suddenly saw the kid was coming towards her. She was standing near the iron rod railing and at the very edge. She just saw the kid and thought may be I could go ahead and hug him. Suddenly the kids foot slipped and he fell down. His head was about to hit the iron rod..........



Mridula:- 
When she heard the announcement that the flight is late by half an hour, she got more irritated. Why the hell do they run big Airlines when they can’t provide service on time. Every minute is valuable. My mother is ill, she needs care. The care her brother and his wife can never give. She wanted to reach there as soon as possible. But, was this the reason? Hasn’t her aunt has already arrived there and was taking care of her mother? Hasn’t she told her that there is nothing to worry? Yes, yes that’s true. Then what is the reason for such frustration?

Her husband. Shekhar. 'He never loved me. He hates me. He wants to be as far from me as possible'.
How she figured that out? 'Never has he shown some gentleness. Never has he asked me to go outside for a dinner. He likes me crushing my life in kitchen. He feels ashamed to tell his friends and fellowmen that his wife is a housewife only. SHE IS NOT WORKING'. And who is responsible for that? he only. When she asked after marriage to teach in some School, he had laughed and said, "do you want all kids to fail?". ' He never gave me respect. And after the birth of Sunny, he said that I should remain in home all the time to take care of him. Now he will tell me how to take care of my son?  'And now, when my mother is ill, he don’t have time to come with me? How cruel he is'. She had a long quarrel with him regarding this. And she left the house with Sunny, poor boy, who was’nt aware of anything. Thats why he is also irritating her from the time they entered the airport.

From the time, they entered the airport, Mridula was noticing the lady dressed in executive and who might also accompany her in the flight. How smart she looked, how confident, she must be in her early 30s but was looking younger. That’s the difference a job creates in a woman's life. she gets to know her potential. She remembered she did graduation in Arts and Social Sciences, and never liked studies, but had she been aware of the change a work culture could bring to your personality, she would have tried for job after her studies, or she might have taken her studies seriously. How lucky this lady is, no tension of kitchen, of breakfast, dinner, of kids, of husband... only work, only work.

She didn’t notice that Sunny was already approaching that lady and suddenly lost his balance. His head was about to hit the iron rod......


Monika stepped forward and got hold of Sunny on time, by the time Mridula also reached there running. Monika wanted to touch that kid and she got the chance. Mridula looked worried. Monika handed the kid back to Mridula.

"Thank you", said Mridula. A moment before she was thinking was she able to talk with this executive lady in the flight if need arises, and now she said thankyou without any effort instantaneously, because this lady had saved his son.
"Its ok", said Monika. She noticed that the voice of this lady is full of gratitude. Thats a mother! How lucky she is....


Monika went back to her seat and suddenly her phone rang.

Mridula went back to her seat and suddenly her phone rang.

Monika:-
"Hello?"
"Hello, Monika its Sameer.."
"Ya Sameer..."
"Monika you have done a fantastic job, the presentation you gave to the Delhi based company last month was liked by them very much. They have agreed to work with us. The bosses are so happy ...”
"Really?"
"Yes, they asked me to call you immediately. So there is no need to go to Hyderabad now. Please come back and your ticket will be cancelled...."
"Ok, I am coming". She hung up.
Wow! Her presentation has helped her a lot, the bosses are happy ! Now she understood that working lady is perfect, a woman's life matters only in professional life. Executive ladies are great. They drive the world....


Mridula:-
"Hello?"
"Hello, Mridula I am sorry..."
"Shekhar?"
"I behaved badly with you. I am pathetic. I cannot live without you and Sunny. Please forgive me..."
"No, no don’t say that...” she could feel hot fluid in her eyes.
"Please come back and we all will together go to your mother", his voice was shaking
"Yes, yes, I am coming, now stop crying..." she hung up.
See, that’s the bond of family. That’s the bond of love which a working lady would never understand. 
A housewife is the best. She is really the homemaker....

Monika lifted up her bag and left the place.

Mridula lifted up her son and left the place.

Both were happy.....!!