Bernship

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Bernship

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With much difficulty I managed to scrape the Rupee equivalent of One Pound Sterling from my tight family budget for a ticket for a Bernship ride.The ride was for only two hours and on the Bernship's terms and conditions.Only adults above the age of sixty were eligible for the ride. As you know I had the option to make my last will and testament but I decided against it since I am a firm believer in Destiny.The Indian Bernship flight was to leave from the middle of a wetland in Rajarhat in New Kolkata in the wee hours.

As I boarded the comfortable craft the World Anthem Music welcomed me. I wondered if the National Anthem would be more appropriate.I considered myself to be very lucky indeed to have got a window seat on Bernship.Yes... smoking was permitted so I lit a cigarette of my brand and almost instantly a lady passenger began coughing violently.This made me feel very guilty.I snuffed out my lit cigarette and apologised to the lady and offered her a glass of drinking water. She smiled and drank the water in big gulps.Hear name was Ranu from another extremity of Kolkata.I addressed her as Ranudi which drew tears from her eyes.She said that I reminded her of her dead brother Naru.She went on with the long story of her past. As you well know I can be a very patient and silent listener.Her dear Naru had died of lung cancer from excessive smoking and since then her coughing fits appeared at the sight of anyone lighting up.

Just as the dawn was breaking the lights inside the craft were turned off. The cockpit fellow [a bent old man close to ninety] in a cracked voice told us that his intention was to make his name to go down in History as the oldest pilot in the world.This made me particularly nervy since I was not very sure of my own destiny.I asked him to take off his space helmet on an impulse.He did so revealing silvery white flowing hair and clear sparkling eyes.The skin on his face was as taut as a teenager's smooth as that of a lady just out of a beauty parlour.

I asked the pilot if his name was Nemo. You cannot imagine the hearty guffaw he gave me at my silly inappropriate query also revealing milky white teeth [real ones no dentures] No.. my name is "....." I couldn't hear it since my ears suddenly got blocked for unknown reasons and a bright yellow light filled the spaceship rendering the pilot invisible to me.The craft took off , hovered in space orbit for two hours and landed safely at the place from where we started.

I unstrapped myself from my seat and walked over to the cockpit door. I just wanted to say a humble Thank You to the pilot of Bernship.When I pushed open the cockpit door it was empty. I hurried back to the rows of seats looking for Ranudi. No she wasn't there .. I climbed down the craft slowly and had to walk a full two kilometers before I got a cab for home. As I lay down in my bed at night many things crowded my mind .... My friends and casual readers this is real as real can be. Is it night or day now ? Well it is 12:30 p.m. sun overhead...