While walking towards the gate to catch my flight on Vande Bharat, the rescue mission Air India flight to New York. I stopped at the book store to pick up some magazines to occupy myself on the fifteen hour flight which was offering minimal in flight services. At the bookstore I also spent time looking for some healthy snacks for the flight. Ignoring my temptation for eating salted potato chips I settled for some roasted lotus seeds (makhanas) reading the label careful for the rock salt content, zero fat and protein along with an apricot almond bar and fresh juice. Tucking all the goodies in my bag I rushed to the gate for the flight.

As expected the flight was full but the sight of the airline staff covered under the PPE suits was a bit surreal. Struggling to maintain the social distancing, dragging all the carry-on bags and feeling disoriented with the face mask and face shield I finally reached my designated window seat. Carefully I sanitized the seat, the armrests and after settling down inspected the pre-provided food packet. The airline food appeared insipid and for a moment I felt cheated on the cost of the ticket. But trying to look at the positives I felt grateful that my sister had packed a mouth-watering gourmet dinner along with the healthy snacks that I just bought made me feel settled. I put all my eatables in the large white plastic bag that contained the airline food and mentally decided to eat a bit after the plane took off as it would help in getting some sleep in the red eye flight. Just as I was bidding goodbye to New Delhi and sending out a prayer of gratitude to all those who took care of me during the lockdown the air-hostess approached me. She requested me to move to another seat in order to accommodate some crew members. At first I resisted but on her insistence I hurriedly gathered my belongings and moved. The new allocated seat was slightly better with more social distancing but I missed the window seat. Just as I kept my belongings on the seat the captain announced that the flight was ready for departure and passengers were required to stop moving around. Sitting with the seat belt in place I tried to look through all my belongings to make sure everything was there, when I realized that the bag with all the food had been left at my earlier seat. With no air-hostess in sight to help me retrieve my food bag I had no option but to wait till the flight took off. As we reached the requisite altitude and the seat belt sign was switched off I jumped off my seat and went to the previous seat to retrieve my food bag, but the bag was missing. I asked the air-hostess and she said that another air-hostess had picked up my bag along with some other extra food bags to distribute to the passengers in the economy class as there were short a few food bags.

At this my face dropped and I felt cheated! I requested the air-hostess to find my food bag as it contained the special snacks and the home cooked meals that I had brought along. The air-hostesses half heartedly searched but could not find it. I was furious but helpless and resigned to my fate. Although it was just a snack and some home cooked food it rather felt precious….telling my mind to surrender to the divine will I started the long haul flight back home. As I was trying to catch some sleep my mind kept wandering to the food bag. And then it flashed….oh foolish person no matter how much you plan the divine plan takes precedence. So always remain in surrender with gratitude. Divine design always ensures that each person gets what is due to them, no more no less! All the food that I was hoping to relish had someone else’s name on it….some unknow person traveling with me in the same aircraft. Suddenly the phrase “dane dane pe likha hai kane wale ka naam” became so clear that a prayer of gratitude welled up for this realization several times in my being. Supreme is fair and provides all that is required for one’s physical mental and spiritual growth….never more never less! So carry on, O human with faith in Supreme Consciousness spreading love and light.