Dance - Drama!

 

He used to be a fan of spicy food. However, after crossing his 40th (though you remind him of age, he gets irked) he has developed gastritis and acidity, and cannot eat spice like he used to when he was younger. Whatever might be the reasons, he blames Covid for his gastritis. “It is a side effect of having suffered covid multiple times. I got Covid twice after my vaccination”, he explains. He also points how his parents still eat spicy food and nothing happens to them. When his partner points out they too had suffered covid, he dismisses that. “Well, they’re from a different generation with better immunity”, he argues. 

As a result, everyday the cook makes two sets of food - regular spice levels for parents and partner, less spicy fare for him. He and his partner usually eat their breakfasts and dinners together. And, it’s customary for him to point out which one is the spicier version of the day’s food to his partner. 

It’s a day of several meetings, and in his rush to head to work, he doesn’t wait for his partner  to join in, and serves for himself and begins eating. The partner soon joins him in a while, and serves for self and sits next to him to eat. 

He: Did you know which one was for you?

Partner: Yes. 

He: Is it spicy?

Pr: Yes, moderately so. Not very spicy. 

He: Surprisingly, I feel my portion is spicy today. 

Pr: Did you serve yourself the other one by mistake?

He: No! My lips are already burning with this level of spice. If I were to eat yours, I’d be dancing!!

Pr: Oh then your childhood dream would come true. 

He: I wanted to do Bharatanatyam, not taandav!

Pa: Same, same but different! 

"Both of Us Are Assigned The Same Seat!"

"Your ID proof Sir", said the girl at the check-in desk.  I handed over my ID card issued by the office - a departure from my usual behaviour of carrying the passport, after several admonitions from SK. 

"Could you please give me an aisle seat?" 

"Sure Sir". And soon enough she handed me the boarding card and said, "Your seat number is 3D and the boarding gate is yet to be announced".  I thanked her and left, duly handing over my baggage.  No crowds at the security check meant I had more time to spend on FB - my reading almost having dwindled down to a nought these days.  

The departure was announced and I noticed that the same girl who had issued the boarding pass was manning the counter here too.  I smiled at her as she presented my boarding pass to the machine for record purposes.  Twice she had to repeat as the machine didn't accept.  The third time she possibly overrode the error message and let me in.  

"Excuse me, you are in my seat", I said to the man in the seat 3D. 

"What is your seat number?"

"3D"

He took out his boarding pass and checked it and said, "mine is 3D too"! 

It was my turn to be surprised.  Thankfully the seats on the other side of the row were vacant and I was one of the last to board, I chose to sit in 3C, until the confusion was sorted.  No sooner, two gentlemen walked in with boarding passes for 3A and 3C; I moved in to the only seat that seemed vacant - 1D. My seat-doppelgänger had already sought the attention of one of the hostesses and she came gliding.  "Yes Sir?" "We both seem to be assigned the same seat number".  The lady appeared a bit perplexed.  In the meantime, I checked my boarding pass only to discover to my horror that the name on the boarding pass was not entirely mine! 

"Oh they have got my name wrong too here" I exclaimed.  It said 'Narayana Swamy' and not 'Narayana Sudhir'.  Soon the captain of the flight too was there, his face set in stone.  "Two of us have got the same seat, and they have even got my name wrong on the boarding pass".  Only after uttering this to him did I comprehend that the same boarding pass had been issued twice while I was not checked in at all! I wondered what would happen next.

The airline to avoid embarrassment to itself - a major security breach probably - covered my ass too! My boarding pass was duly brought in to the craft and issued to me inside.  I breathed a huge sigh of relief - what if I was deplaned and I had to face questions, as procedure, and stay back in Pune and not return to Hyderabad?! 

Drama in my life this year reached the sky with this incident!

Image 1: The boarding pass issued

Image 2: My real boarding pass