As I was walking towards the airplane — a distance of almost 200 meters — to board my flight number 6E 6319 (PNR: L6Z4FG), I noticed a young woman with a child was struggling to carry her child and pull the luggage along. Over 150 passengers were walking with us. Everybody was looking at her and turning their heads away, as if they saw nothing.
The sun was at its peak. The weather was extremely humid – slightest physical movement meant a downpour of perspiration. Gorakhpur airport is a defense airport; hence military personnel were deployed everywhere. They were holding their dangerous looking weapons, staring at all the passengers impassively with wooden faces. Amidst all this, this woman continued to struggle.
I walked up to her, saying, “Let me help you, madam”, took her trolley suitcase; she was staring at me with bewilderment and disbelief. Perspiration was pouring from her fragile, slender beautiful face. I smiled while taking charge of luggage and asked, “What is your seat number, madam?”
Indigo has (and I am sure many other airlines may also have) the custom of embarking its passengers from both front and rear doors. This particular custom/rule eases congestion, helps passengers for an easy boarding, and saves lots of precious time for the airline company. The lady in spotlight here replied, “20E.” The passengers from seat number 1–15 are to embark the aircraft from the front door, and the others from the rear door. Hence, I said, “I will walk you to the rear door, madam.” Saying so, I dragged that young mother with her child’s luggage towards the rear door — a distance of almost 200 meters. Near the rear door, I found a long queue. I gently guided this young lady towards the front of the line, requested the Indigo on duty official to let this lady passenger board the aircraft first, took leave of the young lady, walked towards the front door as my seat number was 4C, and I was to board the aircraft from the front.
What I did not know was that all this was keenly observed by a young, smart Senior Executive of Indigo Airlines, Mr. Ankit Kumar! I was now the last passenger in the front boarding line. Mr. Ankit walked up to me, greeted me warmly, saying, “I saw what you did, sir. That was a part of my job, sir. I should have been doing it. What you have done is a true quality of a thorough gentleman. May I be allowed to board you on the aircraft first as a gesture of goodwill on behalf of Indigo Airlines?”
Mr. Ankit, standing in the hot sun, stayed with me till I boarded the aircraft. During that time, we introduced ourselves. Mr. Ankit asked me, “What do you do, sir?” With a smile I replied, “I do nothing. I always search for new methods of wasting my time!” (I am of the firm belief that the concept of wasting time is an illusion. No one can ever truly waste time!) Mr. Ankit, who spent 7 years of his life with Indigo Airlines, was refusing to believe me! Truth is stranger than fiction!
I am mentioning Mr. Ankit on my website to thank Indigo Airlines for recruiting good employees like him with a warm human heart. These are the people who make the huge, ugly-looking aircrafts have a human face. They are people who make the positive difference. I could not but help thinking of Mr. Ankit Kumar. I doubt if this post will ever reach Indigo Airlines or Ankit Kumar. Through this post, I request every reader to look for Mr. Ankit Kumar at the Gorakhpur Airport and thank him for making that much-needed difference.
Personally, Mr. Ankit, I liked your eager to help positive nature. I am sure you will agree with me now (if you were to read this post) I do not do anything. ‘Nothing’ is my work. I sign off by wishing you and your family all the best and promise to meet you personally to enjoy all the good will of the Indigo Airlines through you sir!
About the Author
Dr. K. Raja Gopal Reddy is a seasoned internationally qualified Insurance professional. What you are reading here, may not answer all the questions we have, but has the absolute power of asking unsettling questions which increase the interest in the strange world, and show the contradictory wonders lying just below the surface of the commonest things of life. Look at this disturbing but beautiful thought of Friedrich Nietzsche “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him”.
Dr. Reddy can be reached at: raja66gopal@gmail.com
