by Anil John
He opened his eyes, looked around and hugged his mom with a smile followed by a yawn. “Good morning mom, where is daddy?”
“Good morning son, daddy kissed your forehead while you were asleep and went to office, he will be back by dinner.” His mom replied.
Chapter 3
Walking in to the office in the morning, I could see the whole office conditioned with the age old Monday anxiety. I have always believed that the most common reason for hating Monday at office is that it follows two days of freedom and fun.
I work as a Deputy General Manager in a renowned real estate company in India, which keeps me sandwiched between the soaring expectations of the management and the whole rest of the office with whom I work hard and deliver.
Today’s “work-more-economy” threatens the sanity of working class population in India.
“Every time we need a performer, we cannot have a Clark Kent and get a readymade superman. Most of the times, we will have to take a Bruce Wayne and help him to believe in himself, develop his skill sets and upgrade his resources in different aspects of functioning and then make him our own Batman.” I told my Boss on phone.
In particular, such pressure cooker work climates threaten productivity, employee engagement and retention. The whole day almost passed by in sales reviews, meetings and visits to our construction sites.
It was six in the evening and I was having my coffee in my cabin going through a few excel sheets.
My phone started ringing and it was from home.
I picked the call and it was my son on the other side.
“Daddy, Are you busy? Can we talk?”
“Not for you dude, shoot it.”
“I just came home from the park and I couldn’t resist calling you to share something awesome.”
“Okay, go ahead, am listening.”
“I went with Dhruv to planet Cygnus in a flying saucer today, I met him last night.”
“What? Are you kidding me? Give the phone to mom.”
“No, she doesn’t know anything about all this, you come home early and I will share it with you. Bye” he dropped the call.
Work – Life balance is a real challenge; if you are dedicated to work, chances are you are not “Daddycated” enough. – Vinay Goyal, Author of Practical aspects of Project Management.
Enough for the day, I wrapped up my work and winded up for the day and drove back home.
On reaching home, I was curious and anxious to listen to his story. I parked my car, went to my bed room and unstrapped myself from the baggage of a stressful working day.
After a refreshing shower, I joined Dev in his study room with my mug of hot chocolate, which Nitu, my wife graced me with.
“Knock, Knock, may I come in Sir?” I walked into his study room.
He jumped off his chair and hugged me.
I kissed him and asked him “so which book were you reading?” I liked the story you shared with me on phone.”
“Ha ha ha, no daddy, that was not a story from a book, that was what exactly happened when I was asleep last night.” and he started sharing his dream in his words and with his innocent gestures.
“Wow that was something really awesome.” I quoted in the end with a smile.
Post dinner, he wanted me to accompany him to his study room instead of my regular night walk. He urged and I agreed. In his study room, we decided to sit on the bean bags facing each other instead of lying on the bed and talk. I insisted for the one close to the air conditioner. It was getting hotter day by day.
I could see the curiosity in his eyes; it was evident that his curious brain had lots to ask.
“Daddy, where do these UFO’s, flying saucers or alien spaceships land on Earth?” he asked.
“Okay, not a single story of alien has ever been verified officially till date, However, each year thousands of people claim, to have seen UFO’s and flying saucers, humans been contacted or even abducted by the aliens.
The reasons explaining the likelihood of such an event are interesting in themselves but we do not know the authenticity of such events. They may be fictional and just imaginative, so we will never know, where or how exactly to find them” I replied.
“Daddy, just because we humans do not have those reports verified by aliens themselves does not mean they do not exist. We should visit some places where they have been spotted before, It is possible that we might find ourselves beamed up by those extraterrestrials on our journey, as this time, we will go in search of them instead of waiting for them to grace us with their identity.” He made a snappy comeback.
“Okay, In that case, your question remains with me; I will do a bit of research over it and will revert to you by this weekend.” I assured him with a hug and we came to our bedroom for a good night sleep.
I was still lying awake with my thoughts; a kid might have many questions, some of which I won’t know how to answer but I know all he needs is my honesty and reassurance. Regardless of the anxieties he might have, I can reassure him with my honesty, patience and persistence. I should share the information and knowledge in a way he can understand and can deal with. After all, it is me who know my kid best.
Chapter 4
Finally, the weekend arrived; both of us woke up late and lazy on Sunday. Having steaming idlis, spicy sambar and tangy coconut chutney in breakfast with family on a weekend morning with nothing to hurry, was simply a delightful experience.
It was good to find out on the breakfast table that Dev was enjoying his summer vacations on weekdays attending kid’s summer camps, going out with his mom for shopping, watching new animated movie releases, visiting ice cream parlors, pizzerias and meeting up kids of our friends and relatives in the city.
His mom asked “What are the weekend plans for the father - son duo?”
He winked at me and replied to his mom with a whimsical smile,
“We are a bit occupied with a project and it is confidential.”
“Ha ha ha,” I laughed, looking at Nitu’s grumpy facial expression,
“But you have to promise that you will share it with mom once our investigation is over.”
He agreed with a nod and hugged his mom, making her smile.
“Mom’s Tom,” I quoted with laughter.
After a few hours later, I met him in his den.
“So dad, what have you got for me after your research?” His face lit up in whirling excitement.
“Yep, lots of information on the subject, a plan of action over which we have to discuss, evaluate the possibilities and limitations of this investigation and then decide.”
“Wow, Let us get on with it Dad.”
“In the past few decades, numerous reports of UFO and Alien sightings have been reported worldwide but they are most common in the United States of America, particularly in Nevada desert. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration known as NASA in the United States receives numerous such stories with pictures, videos and audio clips that are believed to be UFOs and Aliens. Most of them are later dismissed by NASA and the government officials as hoax. The UFO sightings have been dismissed as planet Jupiter or planet Venus or swamp gas. Many sightings were explainable by natural or manmade phenomena but some were not. Pictures lately have been dismissed as photo-shopped. Abduction by Aliens has been ridiculed as hallucination.” I shared.
“Okay, so are we going to search for them in United States of America?” He asked.
“No, we cannot go to America. I don’t think, we will get a visa to enter United States to investigate UFOs and Aliens sightings.”
“Daddy, there has to be a way out. I am sure you have one.”
“Yes off course, I do have a destination and that’s in our own country, India. In the past decades, a fewer reports of UFOs and Alien sightings have been reported in India as well. The report which caught my interest was in Ladakh, near the Indo - Chinese border.”
“Wow dad, you rock. Tell me more about this news report.”
“Hang on, I will r
ead it to you.” I searched for the news report on my tablet and started reading it to him.
“Perhaps one of the most compelling pieces evidence of life beyond our planet is a video, which was reportedly shot by the people near the India and China border. The mysterious lights, which were filmed over the skies of Ladakh and were also reportedly discovered by border patrol. According to a country’s leading news daily, there had been more than 100 similar sightings in that area around the time the footage was shot. When asked about the strange yellowish lights, Officials said that there was no conclusive proof of sighting of Unidentified flying objects over the Sino - Indian border. Some researchers reportedly determined that the Indian villagers and Indian soldiers had simply misidentified planet Jupiter and planet Venus from such high altitude and thin atmosphere terrain in Ladakh, while others have suggested that the UFOs were Chinese drones or satellites. However, Chinese officials have denied that claim.”
“What next daddy?” Dev enquired.
“Like every coin has two sides to it, our quest for UFOs and Aliens too, have two sides to it. Either we abandon the quest and live with regret that we did not even try OR we pursue the quest and live happy with self respect because we tried.” I explained.
“I would like to live happy with respect for ourselves, how about you, daddy?”
“Like son, like father.” I replied with a smile.
“Uff, it is not like that, it is - Like father, like son.” He corrected the idiom.
“Okay dude.” I smiled with pride and continued “We will take our discussion ahead on the plan of action tomorrow, as of now, we need a break.”
They were bringing children to him that he might touch them and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such, belongs the kingdom of God. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child, shall not enter it. And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. Bible - Mathew 19: 13-15.
The Sunday sermon in the church was based on this verse from the bible.
While praying, I offered my earnest thanksgivings to Jesus for blessing me with Dev and asked for grace, strength and wisdom to raise him well.
After the church fellowship, we had our Sunday lunch in a restaurant and then went to watch the latest movie release - The Jungle Book, in a theatre nearby.
Mowgli and Balu were truly fun to watch. For me and Nitu, watching this movie was nostalgic as we had seen the animated series on television when we were kids. Watching the same story on a silver screen with such special effects with our kid made our day.
In the evening, both of us met again in his study room to take our discussion ahead. He was thrilled to hear about the plan of action.
“What interested me with the reports of UFO sightings in India in 2013 was about the place called Ladakh, the largest district in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Ladakh is a high altitude desert as the Himalayas prohibits the entry of monsoon clouds. The one word that I found common in Ladakh and Nevada in US, where most of the UFO sightings have been reported was the word Desert.”
“Bingo, You the man” He screamed out of excitement.
“Ha ha ha, hold on to your racing heartbeats my boy, Remember, we have 2 sides to a coin.” I made an air quote.
“Okay, this is what I hate about coins but I trust you daddy.” He snapped.
“Travelling to Ladakh with family can be a great vacation, just the way, we enjoyed our vacations in Goa last year, exploring water sports on the white sandy beaches, the ferry ride glorifying the sunset over the Arabian sea, cruising down the city lanes on a hired bike, enjoying chilled beer and lip smacking cuisines in beach shacks.”
I paused for a while and then continued, “We have to be clear that we are planning for a quest and not a family vacation, so it will be different. I will have to make it alone to Ladakh.”
“Are you kidding me? Why travel alone? I want to come with you, daddy.” He yelled.
“I would have loved to make it a family vacation to Ladakh with you and your mom but then the entire journey, we will be looking after each other, worrying and taking care of each other’s health and well being because traveling to high altitudes can cause many altitude-related illness due to lack of oxygen. The quest won’t remain a quest. Ladakh is a safe place for tourists and many visit the place with family every year and they come with diligent preparations and after medical consultations. My point is, if I travel alone to Ladakh, I will be more focused and I can take care of myself in adverse conditions as an adult.”
“Hmm, you have a valid point daddy. For now, Ladakh can wait for me. One day, when I grow up to an adult, I will revisit the places, my daddy had explored for me.” He commented on a soft note and hugged me.
I hugged him hard and said, “Not only the places I traveled and explored but also to the places unknown, as you will be stronger, wiser and smarter than me when you will grow up to an adult.”
“How long will you be away on this journey dad?”
“Ten days.”
“When are you planning to go?”
“I have planned to go next weekend, I will have to email my leave application to my boss tomorrow, post his approval, will call my travel agent and will get the tickets done.”
Chapter 5
Seat No: 13A, I settled down on my standard economy class window seat, I thanked God, for the extended leg room due to the exit in the front.
It was going to be a two hours nonstop flight to Delhi from where I had decided to start my journey to Leh in Ladakh.
It was seven in the morning and I boarded the plane on time.
If everything goes perfect, I would be walking out of Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi at thirty past nine.
I pulled out the sealed envelope which Dev had given me while bidding goodbye at home. He had asked me to open it only after I board the plane. The envelope was sealed and I opened it carefully pulling back the flap at the back, the staple pin gave up hesitantly. I withdrew the folded paper and opened it. It was a note stapled with our family picture. The note read in his cursive hand writing;
Don’t just travel, tra-well, daddy.
I am proud of you and will pray for you.
Take care of yourself; I have started counting the days already,
Today is day 1, see you after day 10.
Love you,
Dev
I smiled and kept his note and our family picture back in the envelope and placed it safely inside my leather hand bag.
It had been a week, since we discussed the reports on UFO sightings and the possibilities of going on a quest after the extraterrestrials and it seemed like it was only yesterday.
I could still see the passengers boarding the aircraft in a hurry pushing each other. I am sure they knew well that nobody can take their seat even if they board last in the queue.
I got a feeling that it is embedded in the minds of a few Indians, from the times they used to fight for a seat in a bus or a train. They had to do that day in and day out, so it must be a reflex action. The moment they have to travel, they sub consciously think that if they do not rush for the seat or to board the plane or to get the luggage, they will lose them. I guess it will take another generation for them to relax and get it in their genes that the aircraft won't leave without them once they have got the boarding pass, their seats are reserved, the doors won't close before they leave the aircraft and their luggage won’t disappear from the conveyor belt.
In a while, I found that I am not going to be alone with two co passengers trying to settle down in the middle and aisle seat in my row.
Amidst the loud mouthed passengers and cranky babies, I heard Mr. Pilot making his announcement. He greeted and welcomed us in his fake American accent, followed by the air hostess doing rounds of safety instructions. The aircraft started moving and then paced up on the runway and took off.
&
nbsp; On my right, in the middle seat was an archetypal Punjabi housewife in her forties and towards the aisle, was a pot bellied man in his fifties.
The Punjabi co passenger was irksome who did not stop blabbering about her rich family members, her designer outfit and price tags of anything you can name of.
The other co passenger in his fifties turned out to be a knowledge mongerer.
He considered himself as the perfect agony aunt who has experienced everything in life and therefore is in a position to offer his advice to the Punjabi co passenger on anything she can think of, from teaching her the mantras of motherhood, to counseling her on her duties towards her husband and handling her in laws.
I was compelled to overhear and withstand those relentless tidings from them in the midst of my flight due to the close proximity of our seats. I even felt like trying out a bungee jumping feat off the airplane.
An hour passed by. I unstrapped my seat belt and got up to meet the crew and shared my agony and requested them to help me out with another seat, if possible. The air hostess was compassionate and led me to a middle seat which was vacant few rows away. I thanked her and sank into that middle seat. I was happy since the co passengers here on both my sides were not talking at all.
On one side, was a young teenager and on the other side was a beautiful woman in her twenties.
I took a book out of my hand bag and just when I read a few pages, the co passenger who was in his teens, made it a point to repeatedly peep and check out what I was engrossed into. Later he went on asking me questions about my purpose of travel, my family history and even made me go berserk with unnecessary prattling when I tried dozing off for some time.
