In Vacant or in Pensive Mood

From my window, I saw the world outside tilt. As I held on to keep my balance, I saw the runway disappear. Within seconds, looking outside my window seemed like looking into a treasure chest; city lights turning into gold necklaces, silver bangles and ruby studs, glistening against the velvety darkness of the night. Photo by my husband, Arpit Haldar A few more minutes and the plane was surrounded by a mystic abyss. We navigated through the smokey clouds in jerky motion, not knowing where we were headed but simply trusting the pilot - a man we had never met. Then, suddenly, some light! It seemed like we had reached the end of a dark tunnel. Apparently, we were just passing by the moon's nightly abode. I looked through my window and saw the grandeur  of the moon as she sat on her throne, flanked by glorious cloud...

Once again, I managed to drag myself out of bed, bathe in heated water, dress up in a hurry, partially comb my wet hair, and finally rush to the bus stop at 6:45 am. My earrings and safety pins were still clenched in my fist, and the things inside the bag slung over my shoulder lay cluttered as I pulled out my ID card and wore it around my neck. The bus would be there any minute. The bus arrived at 6:50 am, and I boarded it with a smile, and waded through the aisle as I looked for a place to sit. Coming to two empty seats adjacent to each other, I dropped my bag into the first one, and slid my own self into the other one by the window. I opened out the closed window and immediately felt content as the pleasant morning breeze made its way in. Quickly, I organized the things in my bag, put on my earrings, pinned up my clothes wherever necessary, opened out my hair and combed it lightly. Then I adjusted my seat to just the right position; pushed back so that I could lean comfortably,...