Cry for Rescue!

‘Is anybody out there?’

‘Can Anyone help me?’

It sounded like a cry for life! The sad part was there was nobody around…….

Rahul cried for help. He felt this was it!! He was doomed. Now, there was no way out! What would happen? What could happen? No one could tell……

It was the newly constructed extension of the Hyderabad airport. Not much had extended in this area. There were no lobbies, no shopping arenas, no food-courts…..Not that it was not supposed to be there. However, all of them were still under construction and in steady progress.

Irrespective of all this, the government and the aviation department had approved upon the initiation of flight-boarding from this area. What would the boarding require after all? It would merely need a security check at the entrance of this area and then would require the passenger to walk till the relevant boarding gate and step into the bus or boarding stairs or maybe even directly into the flight. All this would depend on the flight to be taken. There was helping staff but for assistance wrt any flight details or relevant boarding gate. There was obviously no staff in this newly constructed zone to tell you the direction to the washroom.

It was an early morning flight and as Rahul had sleepily taken his cab to the airport, he had no time for ablutions at home and was mentally prepared to use the airport washroom. After all the regular process-checks, when he had entered the restroom it was squeaky clean and looked like it was superbly maintained. Least was he aware that such was the situation because the water supply to the same had not begun and nobody was using it. Maybe he was the first person doing it!

And here he was…… stuck in the lavatory…… at 5 in the morning…… with no water or tissues around. He wondered why he did not bother to check on that before proceeding with the usage of the washroom. Taking things for granted was a crime! Not only in this circumstance but in any other scenario! He still had half an hour to board. But that was only if he could get out of this plight within half an hour. And with his sense of hygiene it was not possible to simply stand up, zip his jeans and walk out.

He wondered what could be done. Calling anybody on mobile would be of no help. He did not know anyone from the airport. If he called some acquaintance from outside, no one would be allowed to even enter the airport or as a matter of fact, no one would be even bothered to travel to the airport to deliver him out of this absurd situation. He finally concluded, only his sense of creativity could deliver him out of this bizarre situation.

He decided to give himself fifteen more minutes before bringing his creativity into practice. In this time span, he was bombarded with all random thoughts and ideas. From the gift he had to buy for his niece after he landed, to booking the flight back. From his pending office-work which he needed to conclude upon before he gets back to work, to his pending car-wash. From paying off his mobile bills, to checking upon his electricity bills. His thoughts also hovered around why did God have to make such a complex procedure of earning for food, eating and even hygiene. If at all that was simple, life would have been so much simpler for every single human being. All varied thoughts grazed his mind while he simultaneously self-pitied upon himself in this helpless state. There certainly were people in more helpless and pitiable situations. But his helplessness was unique!

Suddenly, there seemed to be some commotion outside which knocked him out of his contemplative, depressed, sombre state.

‘This was his last chance!’, he promptly thought to himself.

‘Is anybody out there?’

There was no response. He dejectedly asked once again in a gloomy voice.

‘Pleaseeeee…… if you are, I desperately need help. I’m stuck in here!’

‘Hi sir’, was a bleak reply. ‘What happened?’

Rahul hated to divulging this disgusting secret, but he did not have much of a choice. This was his only chance of rescue. He gathered his guts and spoke.

‘There is no water or tissues here and I am stuck in the lavatory. Please help!’

There was pin-drop silence. And then, that person responded after fifteen seconds.

‘Sir, I’m the flight host getting on to the next flight which is due in another fifteen minutes. I’m not sure how I shall be able to help.’

Seemingly, this guy would be very much traveling on the same flight as his.

‘I am very much boarding the same flight and would end up missing it if you didn’t help!’

‘Let me try an inform someone’, said the hasty voice as it became faint. It was apparent that the person had exited the washroom.

Rahul had given up. And finally, decided to bring his management tactics into application.

God helps those who try to help themselves, is an adage.

And…….God bless that soul! There was immediate support for Rahul as the cleaning staff seemingly a janitor, was there in the next ten minutes.

‘Is someone stuck out here?’

‘Yes!’

‘Sir, I have kept half a bucket of water just outside your door.’

Rahul opened the door, wielded his hand, grabbed the bucket and pulled it in.

He came out within five minutes. The ‘Save our Soul’ person was standing right there awaiting at the washroom exit. Rahul dived his hand into his pocket and took out whatever cash which came to his hands. He handed over the helper all of that and barged out of the restroom hastily. The helper was not interested in saying ‘hello’ or trying to recognize him or following him. Apparently, he was happy counting his returns. Good work does pay…..at least sometimes!

Rahul was the last one to board the flight with the loudspeakers resonating his name to board the flight promptly. And there he was, bang-on on-time!

He entered the aircraft looking for his seat with the flight staff greeting and willing to help each of the passengers. However, he was too embarrassed to ask for any assistance. Seemingly, the guy who had reached out his rescue-hand would also very-much be a part of that supporting staff. Rahul just secretly wished that he should not be able to identify him……Hope his wish came true.