Akash kept the emergency kit he was carrying in the overhead shelf right above his seat. "Just in case", he thought. He also kept a big towel on his lap. only he and his mother could understand all these arrangements. Akash kept his fingers crossed and prayed in his heart, "Please don’t do it inside the flight, Mama."

His mother, as if reading his mind joked in her typical way, "You are tense that I might vomit inside the flight, aren’t you?" Akash just smiled. This was his third time flying and he remembered that he didn’t like flying especially the takeoffs and the landings. That day he was least bothered about all these and he kept looking at his mother.

His mother weak because of anemia was sweating. "Ima do you want to lie down?" the girl sitting at the window seat asked. Till then Akash who was lost in his fear and worries didn’t realize anybody sitting around them. Then he saw her – a girl who at the most must be one or two year’s senior to him, a graceful and decent looking girl.

"No Ibemma , I am all right plus how can you stand and fly?" Much to Akash’s relief they struck a conversation and kept it going. From their conversation he could realize that both of them had already met in the Airport lounge and she was her friend’s daughter studying in Delhi University.

The mother had even asked her to take care of Akash’s mother during the flight. His mother in her apprenhension refused to take the snacks that was served inside the flight and after about 15 mins the flight landed at Guwahati Airport. Till that time nothing happened. Then the flight took off for a non-stop flight to Delhi.

This next lap to Delhi seemed like ages to Akash. Every second and every minute weighed on him like the heaviest boulders crushing down on him. He had no definite idea what exactly he would do after reaching Delhi. But, he thought if anything should happen, he could rush her to AIIMS in an ambulance.

The delay would be short and she could survive. Otherwise mid-air what would he do if something happened. Poor Akash, he couldn’t even look out and see the Himalayan peaks wrapped in the golden rays of the setting sun, lurking out of the clouds. Finally they landed in the IGI Airport. He had already called up his friend Jay who was studying in Delhi to pick them up from the Airport.

"He should be there," he thought. A friend’s father had booked the Manipur Bhavan. But as they emerged out of the Airport they couldn't find Jay. He frantically looked for him here and there but he was nowhere to be seen. "How do I go to Bhavan? What was the address?" he muttered to himself and was trying to find the address from his Diary, when Sonia (the girl who sat in the window seat) came up to them and said, "Ima let me drop you at the Bhavan it’s on my way." So they took a taxi and headed for their destination.

When they reached Manipur Bhavan they were already there—his aunty and uncle who had gone on surface five days in advance. They got a room—a double bedded one and they agreed to share. Sonia even helped to take up the luggage till the room and when everything was settled she told Akash’s mom th= at she was leaving for DU and wished her a speedy recovery.

His mother turned towards him and told "Akash how can she go alone? Go and drop her till the University." Akash said, "Oh yes," trying to hide his own fear and apprehension of this big unknown city. But the kind lady denied gracefully and said she could manage herself. So finally Akash bid her farewell and thanked her for her help. All of them then settled down. "Thank God we all have reached Delhi safely."

Akash had just lied down after dinner thinking, "Now what? How do I get inside AIIMS?" Then he heard a knock on his door. He went to answer the knock and when he opened the door he found Jay standing. "Akash I am very sorry. I couldn’t come in time to the Airport. I just had a nap and I couldn’t …." "Its OK Jay, just come in. Somebody dropped us here. We didn’t have much problem to get here." He came in and sat down with Akash’s mother. When everything was settled Akash started planning his next move. They had a board referral to AIIMS, a letter written by Dr. NB to Dr. S Nandy and a reference called Dr. NK, a PG student in AIIMS. He was supposed to help them out to get admission in AIIMS. So the next day it was decided that Akash and Jay would go to AIIMS to trace Dr. NK while his uncle would hunt for a cheaper accommodation at Yusuf Sarai near AIIMS.

Finally Akash come down to see Jay off. They walked down the Sardar Patel Marg till the Malcha Marg bus stand. Jay was as enthusiastic as any Delhi University student could be and was expecting his friend Akash to be in the same vibration. On the other hand Akash was nurturing a volcano inside him. His world was all preoccupied with his mother’s illness, his classes missed, the AIIMS mission and their future. "Tomorrow …tomorrow," he thought and tried to sleep after the grueling journey. Akash had come quite far and still much more to go.



To be continued....