Cattle Class

Though I travel in the cattle class, I can easily be distinguished from our four-legged friends. I walk and run on two feet, eat cooked food, use spectacles, understand, speak and write some languages, and am capable of indulging in intelligent behaviour.

Being capable of indulging in intelligent behaviour, and actually behaving intelligently can be two entirely different entities. I learnt it the day before yesterday. By the time you finish reading this blog, you will also learn it.

The flight landed ten minutes behind schedule. The passengers did what they invariably do when a flight lands. As the aircraft comes to a halt and the engines are switched off, passengers get up, open the overhead lockers, grab their belongings, and try to stand. The aisle, designed to accommodate one person, proves too small for six persons’ footprint. As a result, many of the passengers adopt ashtavakra (mutilated) postures to remain on their feet. I am not aware of any plane over-carrying a passenger just because he was not on his feet at the destination. I am also not aware of any hazards faced by passengers who continue to sit. In fact, I mostly remain seated till I must surrender to the wishes of the other travellers. It is easier to do so on a window seat. But, this time I had on the aisle seat.

As the plane stopped and the fasten seatbelt sign was switched off, I got up, opened the overhead locker, and looked for my bag. A number of passengers had stowed their bags after I had settled down in my seat, and, frankly, I expected to really dig for my bag. But, here it was, adorning the front of the locker. I took it, waiting to disembark. I had a meeting lined up at IIT Madras.

The door opened, and I marched out, nodding to the air-hostesses. A short stop at the loo, and here I was, out of the airport in less than three minutes with spring in my stride. Even the bag, which appeared so heavy in the morning with numerous documents and the laptop, was much easier to carry.

Did I forget to collect the laptop after the security, causing the bag to shed weight? My heart skipped a beat. If I had, it would be very difficult to retrieve it. Moreover, my laptop was to play a role in my IIT meeting. I cursed my carelessness, sliding the rider to have a peek inside the bag. The laptop was visible. I was unnecessarily getting panicky!

I waved at my colleague, sat in his car, and by 1130 we had entered the beautiful 600 acre IIT campus. It is not uncommon to find deer and many other animals and birds next to the roads in the campus. As I prepared for the IIT Safari, my cell phone rang.

“Mr Varma?”, asked the caller in an accusing tone. Somehow, even the most educated persons forget to introduce themselves first when calling upon strangers. I receive almost fifteen such calls everyday.

“Could I know who is calling, please?”, I asked calmly.

“Sir, I am calling from Jet Airways. You have carried someone else’s bag!”

“Have I? How can I do that?” I asked the caller.

“Sir, please check the bag. Is it yours?”

I looked the bag. It now looked different. I opened it. It had only a laptop, a small scribbling pad, a pencil and an identity badge. Of course, it was not my bag!

“No! I am awfully sorry, but yes, you are right. This is not my bag!”

“Sir, the passenger who owns that bag is waiting here for half an hour. Will you please return the bag? Where are you?”

“Ah! I am at IIT. It will take me at least half an hour to return to the airport. ... And, where is my bag?”

“Your bag is with us.”

My colleague looked at me. He had overheard the conversation. “What shall we do?”, he asked.

I apologised, explained what had happened, and requested him to drive back to the airport. Half an hour later, I was apologising to the owner of the bag, who, surprisingly, was not disturbed at all. I took my bag, signed a declaration, and started back to the IIT.

I had wasted time, fuel, and caused inconvenience to a fellow passenger! Thankfully, no major damage was done. The cattle had taken the misadventure in its stride.