THE AIRPLANE

The colourful insides of the Indian Airlines aircraft IC 133 from Mumbai to Delhi via Indore and Bhopal lunged my attention, almost in a trice that I boarded the airplane. Ochre interspersed with the occasional maroon, self embroidered diagonal patterns forming cliched diamonds further highlighted by raised embellishments at the points of intersection characterised the upholstery on the aircraft. Yellow spots, thankfully much smaller than polka dots on a red carpet flopped the floor of the airplane. I breathed a sigh of relief on being told that it was one of the oldest planes and the seat skins and jackets were on the cooler fringe in the newer ones thereafter.

I wondered whether it was the cabin temperature which made me sweat or the warm colours around, that seemingly made the ambience uncomfortable and tepid. Colours made a whopping difference on the mental ambience is all I could gather from the three hour journey on board. But it is so enormously subjective. A co-passenger on the adjacent seat was in a world of bliss, amidst the milieu that I found extremely stifling. To the extent that he turned on his cell phone in mid-air and tuned into a few kitsch songs on full volume only to doze off with a pleased air for assuming responsibility to entertain people in the vicinity. Irksome!

In variance with the economy class experience, there was a tiny bit of reassurance. The business class had seat skins subdued to a much greater extent in comparison. It was relieving to see the design sensibility where ‘minimalist’ and ‘muted’ was considered the ‘classier’ of the lot.

A matter of taste, sensitivity or finickiness. I am not too sure. 

It was more - the urge to write. Deriving and framing content when you are in a mode to write is the simplest thing.

Excuse my critical splurge on this one!