It's all about omens

As our flight hit turbulence, my mother started reciting the Hanuman Chalisa loudly.

“Didn’t you know today is shashti, a day forbidden to travel? Why did you buy air tickets for today’s journey?” asked my 80-year-old mother. “Staying a day extra in Mumbai would have cost a fortune. Besides I got a good deal for buying a group ticket,” I replied. “Have you forgotten that you met with a serious accident when you and your wife travelled on a shashti day last year? I thought you would become wise after reaching 60, but you haven’t changed!” she said. I clenched my teeth but kept quiet.

As we reached the check in counter, the assistant saw our group ticket and muttered, “You’re a group of 13, the youngest being one-year-old and the oldest 80,” and gave our boarding passes.

My son immediately said, “Ajji, apart from being shashti, today is Friday the 13th. We are 13 in number. Many in the western countries wouldn’t travel today.” My mother said, “Look! Even Westerners hold such beliefs, but your dad is so reckless he is making an entire family travel on an inauspicious day. I don’t know what is in store for us.” To tease her further, my son said, “Ajji, dad would say that for safety reasons the Prime Minister and the President of India don’t travel in the same plane but he is making all of us fly together.”

I told my son to shut up and said, “Amma, nothing like that will happen. Do we have accidents each shashti day?” She turned her head away from me. My mother sat all gloomy in the departure hall. Efforts by my children and me to lighten the mood went in vain. Soon, we boarded the plane. As the plane was to take off, my daughter observed that it was 1 pm which in effect was 1300 hours. I gave her a menacing stare.

While welcoming us, the air hostess said that the flight commander is from Columbia. My son reacted loudly, “Dad, most recent air crashes in India are due to lack of comprehension of air traffic control direction by non-English speaking pilots.” My mother asked us to beware of Astu gods who make true whatever we say and keep quiet.

An hour into flying our airplane hit turbulence and started shaking like a leaf in a storm. My mother firmly clutched her seat rest and started reciting the Hanuman Chalisa loudly. Fellow passengers joined the chorus. As the prayer ended, the plane entered clear skies and there was a collective sigh from the passengers.

We landed smoothly. As we came out of the airplane, a light drizzle started. My mother looked at heavens with both hands folded and said, “This is a good omen. Gods have pardoned you and saved our family. Never again embark on a journey on shashti.” I said, “Okay amma. But I hope you have no objection if I travel on Friday, the 13th”. “Well, you have to be a Roman when in Rome,” she said.