My Musings on Life, Poetry and Short Stories

Prem was a brilliant student with the spirit of adventure. After finishing his degree in commerce, he began taking lessons for becoming a commercial pilot. He was always fascinated with flying and was hell bent on pursuing a career as a Pilot.

Hot on his heels was his friend Amar, who, apart from being his college mate, was also an admirer of Prem. Seeing Prem’s exploits with flying Amar couldn’t help joining Prem in taking flying as a career. The whole neighbourhood used to look at them with awe when they set out for their flying lessons everyday.

On completion of the required number of flying hours successfully both Prem and Amar qualified for the Commercial Pilot’s License and were eagerly awaiting their Job offer from leading commercial airlines. Having shown exemplary competence while undergoing training they were looking forward to an exciting career.

Eventually the much awaited offer came from an airlines company offering Prem and Amar jobs as co-pilots in their short haul budget sector routes. Both were so happy that they celebrated with their friends. As years rolled by they were getting more experienced and were adjudged the best by their airlines who honored them with several awards and promoted to command the aircraft.

Nearing their tenth anniversary of Job as pilots they decided to go on a Holiday with their friends. They boarded their flights to Kashmir and were looking forward to meeting their friends. Their thoughts were abruptly snapped by a sudden drop of the Airplane and the uncontrolled turbulence which began to shake the plane violently.

It did not take more time for Prem and Amar to know that something was seriously wrong with the aircraft and the movements indicated malfunction of the equipment on board. The pilots in command were also quite experienced but could not bring the aircraft in their control as the malfunction was very serious. Immediately Prem and Amar offered to talk to the pilots and began checking the equipment. After a long examination they discovered that the only way out was to make an emergency landing though the under carriage may not open landing gear.

Xenophobia began to grip the foreign passengers on hearing the news about a possible emergency belly landing and there was near pandemonium in the aircraft. Prem , assisted by Amar requested for permission to handle the aircraft and took control. Slowly they surveyed the landscape for a possible level ground far from the city limits preferably a paddy field with wet ground to douse the flames, if any, that might erupt on landing. They noticed a small speck of land amidst the green fields, although very small and began gliding the aircraft towards it. With a lot of shakes and twists that made the aircrft wobble like a rudderless ship they managed to land the aircraft on the field and it came to a screeching halt spilling dust and slurry. After all the passengers were evacuated through the rubber chutes along with the original Pilots and crew, Prem and Amar slid down the Chute and walked away from the aircraft to a roaring sound of applause from the relieved passengers. Yes they looked indeed like a PHOENIX emerging from fire to them.

For Acrosticonly Short Stories