New Delhi:
I am from the balmy south of the country, and fog is not a frequent occurrence in my life. So when I looked outside as dawn was breaking on Monday morning and saw fog outside the house where I was staying in New Delhi, my innocent reaction was, "How nice!"
An hour later, still sleepy and on the way to the airport - I began to realize it was not the mists of sleeping fogging up my vision - but fog itself. It got thicker as we approached the airport - and I began to suspect I could have stayed tucked up in the
razai (quilt) for longer.
Sure enough - as I entered the old terminal, the flight departure boards all said 'Delayed.' Hmmm.
But queues to check in and get through security do keep you occupied in the modern airport and it was quite a while later that I reached the departure lounge. A place that was to be my home away from home for quite some hours.
Apart from the coy 'Delayed' message on the board there was not much more information forthcoming. And you know how it is in airports - you can't really relax in the shops selling overpriced jewellery, clothes and even food because of that nagging feeling that the indecipherable announcement being made is actually a desperate appeal to you to report at the gate before your plane takes off, without you.
So I lingered within sight of Gate 9. Along with a few hundred other people who also hoped that their very presence at the gates would have the fog melt away in shame. It didn't.
The airline officials at the gate kept their cool and sense of timing. Whenever you asked for an update - it was always exactly one hour from the time of your asking.
I parked myself on the steps leading down to the gate keeping a keen eye on proceedings. A child sitting on the step above me gently kicked me in the back. A group of office employees asked me to take their photograph. I made a close study of Delhi winter fashions - wondered again how much skill it must require to travel in high heels.
Just as it was entering the fifth hour of my arrival at the airport, the employee at the gate waved at us all, and we dutifully thronged towards him. Then onto the bus and onto the plane!
We belted our seatbelts and waited for take-off. And waited, and waited. All those planes ahead of us in the queue had to leave first, right?
And I had thought I would get some relief from Bangalore's traffic jams.
But we finally took off. It was still foggy and the planes on the tarmac soon disappeared from sight. I've looked at fog from both sides now.
I am back in Bangalore now - and beginning to miss dear old Delhi airport.
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