Chasing light

Chapter 2

I woke up to someone violently shaking me.

"Ma'am?"

I forced open my eyes. The light almost blinded me, squinting my eyes I tried to adjust them to the brightness around me.

The air hostess was staring at me wide eyed. In fact, everyone on the goddamed plane was staring at me. Some with curiosity and intrigue, others, with fear and annoyance. And of course there were some, who watched with a mocking smile, as if they had enjoyed everything that had incurred. As if I was a creature of a newly discovered species, like I was an alien.

"What happened?" My voice was groggy and I had a sore throat, as if I had been screaming for eternity.

"Ma'am you were screaming in your sleep." The air hostess replied with a sympathetic smile.

I closed my eyes as embarrassment boiled my skin red.

"Are you okay ma'am?" She inquired again, looking at me with a mixture of worry and sympathy.

I hated being looked at in that way. I refused to be looked at like that.

I mustered every ounce of dignity that was left within me and looked at her square in the eye. "Yes, I am fine, thank you."

She nodded, still eyeing me with concern. Her was face tensed with worry. She's probably wondering if I have a medical condition or am just clinically insane.

"Could you get me a glass of water, please?" My throat was sore and incredibly dry.

"Yes, I will be right back." She scurried off the to front of the plane to fetch a glass of water, as I looked around once again.

Some people were still staring, not caring if they appeared rude or shameless, others, returned to whatever they had been previously doing, before my little episode.

I looked at the seats beside me, the one next to me was empty, and a man was sleeping peacefully in the window seat.

The plane had briefly halted in Germany on its way from California, this man had most probably boarded in Germany, when I was sleeping.

I tilted my head to get a better view of him and although I couldn't see his face I could make out that he was rather young. My age perhaps. His face was not visible because of his hoodie and the way he was positioned.

I sighed as I looked back at the air hostess who was now making her way back to me, a glass in her hand.

"Thank you." I said as I shot her a grateful smile. She simply nodded and walked back to the front of the cabin.

Looking at the time I realised that one hour more and I would be in Mumbai.

I glanced back at the sleeping figure in window seat, a book was laying idly on his chest. 'All the light we cannot see' was a book I recognised, I had read it, long ago, when I was still studying in IIM Ahmedabad. Maybe he had fell asleep while reading it.

Sighing softly I fished out my earbuds and a book of my own. I sunk back into the comfortable cushion of my seat and for once felt grateful for the comfort of the first class. The rest of the journey faded in the background as I immersed myself in the world of Jay Gadsby.