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𝓘 𝓭𝓲𝓭𝓷'𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓮𝔁𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓾𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓘 𝓼𝓪𝔀 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓘𝓷 𝓪 𝓬𝓻𝓸𝔀𝓭 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓼𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓼

T H I R D P E R S O N

"We, Wonder Airlines provide you with fresh refreshments on your firstday. What do you want to have Ma'am?"

This voice, she knew it very well. No one knew the voice more better then her. This voice had made her crave for years. This voice which immediately soothed her ears.

She slowly turn around to look at the flight attendant who was none other than Ruhaan!

Humaina's eyes got wide. She couldn't believe her eyes. Neither could he believe the fact that he is seeing her after soo many years. He missed her chocolate brown orbs that always melt him.

"Aina..."

He muttered. Humaina turned away from him.

"Aina... It's been soo long yaar."

He was about to turn her to his side when she surmised,

"Don't you dare touch me and Who is Aina? I am not Aina. My parents had named me Humaina. And for your kind information, I don't even know you."

She turned away.

"Please leave Mr. Khan. I have no time to waste on you."

Ruhaan felt his world crashing. Seeing her after soo many years was like a blessing to him her behaviour made him feel the amount of hate she had developed for him. It was all because of one misunderstanding.

He left without saying anything. What was his fault? He wasn't responsible for the humiliation Humaina's father suffered. Asshar had removed her father from the airlines. He still remembers that day clearly when everything broke apart.

"....Can someone please give me water?"

Ruhaan sat down in the couch tired. He closed his eyes and Humaina's face was all he saw, he smiled unknowingly. Emotions developing for her. All he can remember is her scared face when threatened her with an ink filled cartridge. A blasting last day of school that it was!

"Why are you smiling soo much?"

Ayzal, Ruhaan's sister bought a glass of water while also enquiring about his weird smiles.

She gave him the water and sat beside him.

"Kya ho raha hai?"

(What's happening?)

Ayzal asked. Biting her lips out of curiosity and looked over at her brother.

"You tell me what must be happening?"

He teased.

"No idea..."

"No idea?"

He repeatedly asked.

"I fell in love."

He surmised proudly. His eyes clearly depict the love of his heart for her. Ayzal burst into a pit of laughter.

"Yahan mazak ho raha hai. Kuch bhi bolthe ho!"

(Are we joking here. You say whatever you want)

"Ayzal, I am not joking."

He warned but nothing could make her believe that his brother loves a girl.

"Ammi! Aapke bete ku Ishq ka nasha chada hai. Aap zara aa kar dekhein."

(You son has fell in love. Please come and see what's happening.)

Ruhaan jumped in his seat and walked tried to stop Ayzal's words but she had already stated it. Ayzal chuckled and rested in the couch.

"As if you really fell in love. Huh!"

She closed her eyes.

Later, Ruhaan's father had called him in his office for some work. He quickly got ready and departed towards his destination. Reaching the airport, he entered the airport after he got permission. He was going towards his father's office room when he heard,

"You are fired Mr. Aamir!"

He clearly knew whose voice was it. His father Ashhar. His eyes wide open when he recognised the surname.

'Mr. Aamir'

He walked towards the voice. He entered the place where he saw a lot of pilots and flight attendants standing. He looked towards the victim who was criticised badly. To his shock, it was Humaina's father. He was half conscious. He could barely open his eyes. Humaina beside him, shedding tears of sadness. No one could see her face as she was wearing a mask. The reason of her wearing the mask was because of the polluted roads she traveled from.

Hashim Ahmed yelled,

"Don't you have any shame Mr. Aamir? You had taken drugs before attending a flight. If the First Officer haven't landed safely with the help of the flight attendant. Do you think it was possible to save the life of soo many passengers aboard? That was so unlikely of you, Mr. Aamir."

"Exactly Mr. Ahmed. It is still unlikely of my father to have drugs! I am damn sure that he wasn't the one to have it. He must have been eating his morning tablets that everyone has mistook as drugs. The CCTV is just showing the back of my father mixing tablets in his coffee."

Humaina declared in front of everyone.

"Uh-oh! You have no rights to just say things like that. Having drugs is violated in our airlines and strict action is taken against it, Ms. Malik. You think we didn't checked the tablets. In the facade of having tablets, it was drugs in the tablets' sachet."

Mr. Ahmed's voice was being annoying to her ears. She looked around seeing how people murmured about her father.

"Please leave now with your father Ms. Aamir."

She glared at Hashim and looked at Ashhar who had his head hanging down. All the proofs showed that Captain Zahid Aamir did had drugs which broke the hearts of many.

"I will not leave it this way Captain Hashim. I will not. I know now who may have bought my father to this situation. I will never forget this. I will regain the respect that he had lost today. He will have to regain it."

"We will see."

She left with her half-unconscious father after glaring at Hashim. Ashhar still didn't uttered a word except removing Zahid from his airlines. That was ofcourse violation of rules. Some of the reputed pilots standing there helped Humaina to bring Zahid to the exit carefully. Even some of the flight attendants ought to help but one glare of Captain Hashim stopped them.

Ruhaan watched everything in shock. He couldn't believe his eyes. He was a little far from where everything was happening. He was feeling desperated to know what was actually happening. He couldn't move his leg as if his leg was stuck in a thick mud. She had already left. When he realised that she might need him, with great difficulty, he turn around towards the exit from where she left. Ashhar saw and was about to call him but he already left. Ashhar knew where he was going. He knew Humaina was one of his best friends and the fact that he admires her soo much. Even he admired Zahid Aamir soo much yet destiny had different plans.

° • ° • ° • ° • °

Humaina entered their apartment with Zahid still half-unconscious. Her anger was beyond anything. She was hurt because of the pain she saw when her father was humiliated.

Naimal, her elder sister who was studying in the calm silence of the apartment, got up totally thrilled after seeing his father's appearance.

Both of the sisters, carefully made Zahid lay down in his bed of his room. His eyes were drooping. He wanted to sleep. He slowly fell in deep slumber.

"What happened Humaina? Why is Papa's condition like this? Why are wrinkles there in his uniform?"

Humaina let everything out and cried. Naimal couldn't stop herself from crying too. Both the daughters weeped for the humiliation their father suffered. This was worst then any nightmare for them.

The door bell rang continuesly. Humaina walked out to check who was in the door. To her surprise it was Ruhaan. She opened the door and let him in the living room.

After he entered, She stood in front of him. Tears blurring her vision.

"Why are you crying? Aina."

He asked.

"Why am I crying? You wanna know why am I crying?"

He looked at her totally confused with her demeanor. He has never imagined this demeanor of Humaina.

"What happened?"

He asked.

"Ruhaan! Please stop pouring more fire in my anger. You know the amount of anger I am feeling towards everyone related to Wonder Airlines right now is beyond then anything."

She yelled at the top of her voice.

"What do you mean?"

He questioned.

"Your father unemployed my father in front of the whole airlines for the mistake he didn't commited."

Humaina stated.

"About what?"

Ruhaan asked. His voice barely audible because of the fear of losing her. She sighed before speaking.

"Someone had mixed cocaine in my father's coffee just before his flight. Due to that he was unable to concentrate. Thankfully the first officer managed to do landing with the help of a flight attendant. But after landing that Mr. Hashim didn't leave any ground for my father. He had insulted his ability and character."

"Listen Humaina I'll talk to my father about it. Please don't worry. I know Zahid uncle would have never consumed drugs."

Ruhaan tried his best to control her from crying but she was flowing tears of agony.

"There's no need of you talking to your father. I don't want any sympathy from anyone. It's better if you live."

She dragged him towards the door. After he walked out, she decreed,

"Think about this friendship as over."

Humaina closed the door. She could hear his voice,

"Humaina please open the door. It's not my fault please. I will support you. Please open the door."

She sat down near the door and cried her eyes out. It wasn't his fault but she couldn't befriend someone whose father had insulted her father.

No one in her place ever could.

That's when she made up her mind that she will make sure to become a pilot. Join the same airlines and get her revenge.

• ° • ° • ° • ° •

E N D O F T H E P A S T

"Good morning First officer Humaina!"

The Captain came in to the cockpit and greeted her. Removing his coat, he sat down in his seat.

"Good morning Captain!"

She greeted him back.

"I am glad that you are my co-pilot."

He appreciated.

She quickly read his name in the batch and the visual expression that her father has told her about.

'Captain Ranawat'

She smiled at him. She remembered the things Zahid had told about him that how naughty he was!

Zahid had told Humaina about the half of the airlines staff because of his experience with them.

"You are Captain Zahid's daughter. Aren't you?"

He asked.

She nodded smiling towards him.

"A man of gentleness, kindness and honesty that he was. Indeed I can never forget. He informed me about you becoming a pilot. I like your determination towards your goal First officer."

He appreciated.

"Thank you Captain."

He smiled,

"Give me the checklist please."

After some time passed, Captain Ranawat asked,

"Ok, now we are ready to take off. Cockpit progression?"

"Completed."

She answered.

"Fuel quantity?"

"Checked."

"Take off data?"

"Set."

He asked according to the checklist.

Humaina took the small telephone which connects the pilots to the cabin crew.

"Flight attendant Jiya, Report to me."

The flight attendant entered,

"Yes First officer?"

"Flight is ready to take off. Are all the passengers aboard?"

"Yes First officer."

She answered smilingly.

"That's great prepare for take off, Jiya."

Captain Ranawat surmised.

"Sure Captain."

She left.

"ATC Mumbai, Can you read me? Over."

"ATC Mumbai Can you read me? Over."

Captain Ranawat repeated.

"Yes Captain Ranawat, we can read you. Over."

The latter answered.

"Airbus A790 is ready to take off. Do we have permission to take off?"

Asked Captain.

"Yes, you have permission to take off. Over."

Captain Ranawat said,

"Now First officer please make the announcement."

"I? I mean I have to make the announcement?"

"Yes ofcourse. It's your first flight, officer. It has to memorable right? Please proceed."

He encouraged her. Sighing in happiness. She proceeded,

"Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen! This is your first officer Humaina speaking. I would like to welcome you to Airbus A790 of Wonder Airlines in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International airport. From Mumbai to Jaipur. Thank you for choosing to fly with us. I hope you enjoy to fly with us. Cabin crew prepare for take off."

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