As we boarded the connecting flight to Goa I tried to shake off the nervousness. I tried to plan ahead and mentally organize every little detail I could on the short flight from Mumbai to Goa. The airplane was still stationary and we were receiving instructions from the flight crew who probably had the worst audience of all time as nobody really paid attention to them.
My gaze was fixed on the red neon lights of the airstrip when I was called by the first Assistant Director of the project who was sitting two rows behind us with his assistant. He waved to me frantically from behind as if possessed. He asked me to check my phone which I had put on airplane mode out of habit. I activated it and found that I had one missed call from an important person associated with the project. To maintain this person’s anonymity, let me address him as ‘Rajeev’. I called back Rajeev who instantly without a greeting asked me curtly, ‘Where is the cab’? I tried to tell him that the director and the producer will be landing shortly and that the plan was to travel together to the hotel. He interrupted me sharply by asking me if this was his problem. Being a non-confrontationist all my life, I was dumbfounded. I did not have an answer.
I said in a bleak voice ‘No sir it is not’. With a pause that felt like centuries-long, this particular individual blurted out cuss words at me. Being already held hostage by this person’s unapologetic curtness, the abuse hit me like a cold-blooded dagger. I tried calling my boss but his phone was switched off. Terror ran through my body and my senses became numb. I could feel the goosebumps encompassing the entirety of my body. I googled for taxi services at the Goa airport and dialed the first number that popped up. As the phone bell rang, the airplane started to move. It was headed for the airstrip. I had a maximum of 15 seconds to book the cab, make sure that the driver does not ask the rider for money, and share the contact details of the driver with Rajeev. A lady finally picked up the phone and without any context, I asked her to arrange a taxi at the Dabolim airport for my colleague and practically begged her to not demand payment from this individual and promised to pay her once my flight lands at Goa.
Sensing my urgency she texted me the driver’s number which I was about to send Rajeev when suddenly the plane burst into what felt like super-sonic speed and I was pushed back into my seat almost dropping my phone. I quickly texted Rajeev the number and asked him to contact the driver. As soon as I hit ‘send’ the plane was already a few feet above the ground. To be completely sure that this ordeal does not end in massive failure I called the driver who, thankfully picked up instantly. I gave him all the necessary instructions and as soon as he was about to oblige verbally, the plane touched the clouds and I lost coverage. I buried my face into my palms and started sobbing. A few seconds later I heard my phone ringing. It was my boss. As the plane was still gaining altitude I had a small ounce of coverage. I told him about my terrible ordeal and he told me not to worry. As the phone disconnected and I switched it off, the only thing that occupied my mind was worry.
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