Up in the Air: Escaping Death Trap
We walk both with happiness and sorrow but the sense is different. Our mind is low with sorrow and high with happiness. Getting happiness is normal but getting life from near death is eternal pleasure. These eternal pleasures are rare since nature hardly gives us such chances. Among such rare chances, one happened to my life also.
I was excited to fly in the plane ‘coz it was my first time in my life. We took off from Kathmandu and directed towards Bhairahawa. It was my best friend’s wedding and our destination was the sacred place of Hindu, Banaras. Almost 19 people were there along with groom. I was peeping through the window to see the land below. The Valley appeared slowly distant from our plane. We left valley after crossing the Chandragiri hill that is situated at south-west of Kathmandu valley.
All the difficult terrain along with beautiful green Terai, my eyes were enjoying and playing hide and seek with. I wish I had caught those beautiful views in the camera but I did not have. It was my country Nepal, my beautiful country full of diversity of localities, cultures, weathers, ethnicities, religions, flora and fauna. Different people with different ethnicity, culture and religion have been living peacefully with great joy for hundreds of generations in this small country within 180 km across from plain Terai to the soaring heights of Himalayas.
I was almost lost in my pride my country till plane drops down for a while. Everybody was screaming and they were panic. Almost everybody was dropping tears down their face. I could see the fear in the eyes of air-hostess as well. She was not able to convince the passengers. As far my concern, I was just able to hide the fear. After some time, plane took its pace and flew ahead. After few minutes we were trapped in the strong force of wind and the plane was trembling. Such trembling happened again and again.Though pilot wanted to go back Kathmandu, he could not since the fuel was not enough for Kathmandu. It abruptly walloped my mind, ‘life is just till this time only.’ and remembered my parents, brothers, relatives and friends. Probably I cried within myself. I was on the way where I would not have come back from. Everybody was praying their god for safe landing.
Finally, we were jarred out of the blue. It was already Bhairahawa airport we had landed. We thanked god and thanked the pilot for safe landing. I jumped from plane. 'Hurray…!!! We've got the second life.'
congratulations that the pilot found a way out of that death trap for you all people.
ReplyDeleteStill I was wondering about the lack of sufficient fuel to fly back to Kathmandu as it must be less than an hour flight. I strongly believe that planes should have sufficient amount of fuel for extra flight time or else bad things could happen. Did the pilot himself tell that they were lacking fuel to fly back to Kathmandu or it was just a speculation among the passengers? Were it true, then that was a brutal carelessness. I am now scared to get on-board a Nepali airplane.
well anonymous, tnx...and it was 6 years back we were hanged there in air for around 2 hours i guess...it's not passengers'speculation, yeah, the pilot mentioned after we landed in Bhairahawa about insufficient fuel to return KTM...!
ReplyDeleteGod may give you beautiful life ahead.
ReplyDelete@ BIdur: thanx alot
ReplyDeleteI was also on the same flight. It was very scary and dreadful situation up there. I recollect the weather in KTM was pleasant but political tension loomed in. There was curfew in KTM cos there was general strike as Janaandolan had peaked. We hired tourist bus and passed through narrow roads in Katmnmandu removing obstacles. Our trip to airport itself was an adventure as the situation outside was tense. Quite relieved that we reached airport safely and boarded plane, we thought we would reach our destination without problem. On air, when we reached terai, heavy turbulance jolted our plane again and again. It was more than adrenaline rush for seconds, it was a panicky situation. The pilot apparently turned back to return to ktm but again he made a u turn and flew towards Bhairahawa and cited lack of enough fuel as the cause. There was turbulance and we bounced from seats and bumped our head in ceiling, screaming and crying. Finally we made crash landing in Bhairahawa airport; our plane was at the edge of runway. All of all were safe and sound and totally exhausted. Airport was quiet as all staff stayed inside for safety during such flash hurricane not expecting any planes to land. Good news to this frightening story. Our friends, whose wedding we attended then are happily married and have a lovely baby now. Congrats to them.
ReplyDelete@ashok: thanks for rest story that i had missed...!!!... yeah they got happily married n have lovely son recently...congrats from my side as well...!!!
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