'Its extreme. We all have a story, depends on how we perceive our story. It makes its own path and sets up a new tier, a tier that defines what we are today and what we will be tomorrow just stick to it and your story will be the path changer .'

In a glistening night I was sitting in the three seater Cessna. Rauplh,the pilot, was doing the pre-checks on the flight.
To kill the boredom, I enquired :
You dont seem to be happy about something? I broke the barrier by asking.
There was no response!
I enquired again: Excuse me, are you ok ?
Raulph : aah, yyeahh.. I am all good, nothing much..
I was sure that something is off with this guy, he had a stiff, more of a snobbish personality.
I glared at him and asked : Where in Norway are we headed, "Bergen", he replied!
And what is the flight time between the two places? I asked...
3 hours and 30 minutes, he replied!
How about we go along between these two,three hours, my tone was stiff..

Without uttering any word Raulph revived the engine and the propeller in front of the wind screen started rotating.We are ready to rumble...

He checked my seat belt and tighten it up from the waist to set me in the seat perfectly."Ok lets begin the journey", he muttered.
He pushed the throttle and we were soon taxing towards the runway. I was looking out of the window all the time, and enjoying the midnight's glory as the plane approached the runway.
"This is Alpha-303, asking clearance for take off,over!" Raulph spoke through the tranmitter and was at stand by for clearance'.
"You are clear to take off,over!", ground control gave clearance.
As soon as the he got the clearance, he pushed the throttle stick forward and maintained full throttle.
We picked momemtum slowly, a voice in the cockpit was periodic.. 50 knots, 70 knots, 90 knots.
It was a matter of time when Rauph pulled back the yoke and we airborned. The cessna was up in the air...

Its was a smooth take off, I must appreciate, he is apt.
'This is Alpha-303, I have clear visibility and I am maintaining altitude, over!..", Raulph.
"Maintain speed and altitude,over", Control tower.

While Rauplh and ground control were busy, my focus was outside the window because I, love takeoffs during night flights. They are fascinating, you are all above the world, it seems like a light hub where you are finding your self above the stars and never ending cobweb of lights zooming out and out till the extent of the eye. You leave behind everything, and move one step closer every second to the destination. It makes me admire the beauty of nature!

The night was young and there was an eerie slience in the cockpit. I was humming to Ellie Goulding - 'Love me like you do'. I had my eyes closed and was tapping the floor, in my own groove.
I had the reporters camera flashes in my head, I had a guilt of slapping a fan in my thoughts, I had the anxiety of the award in my subconscious, and biggest most was thought was my silent exit from the scene but, I was still relaxed.My bits and pieces had gathered and pushed to me to this fortress, a feeling I had been longing.

My thoughts had me occupied when Rauph suddenly turned towards his bag and pulled out a water bottle.. He seemed nervous,suddenly.
What happened? is everything ok with you? I asked.
He was more focused in gulping, than replying me, he remained quiet until he had drunk ample water.
"Its nothing just the stress", he seemed from perfect to lax in moments and I had to change my initial perception about his skills.

What?? You must me kidding, I inquired.
Raulph : Why? What happened?
Me: You're stressed, thats what I am apprehending!
Raulph : Calm down! I am ok, he was rotating knobs on the instruments panel when is replied vaguely.
It left my heart thumping. Still 3 hours to go on this flight and he is stressed, is this a joke?

Me: Why did you sign for the flight if you were not in your best state.
Rapulh: Its nothing, I will be fine! It happens sometimes and I have managed everytime... !

What a jerk!! He must be in a state where his wife and kids have left him to rot and he is taking this all frustration on the people, he meets.. May be he is a fanatic with a death wish!

I shouted: Please land this aircraft safe, we can go back right now we have just gasped air it wont take long to turn around..
Raulph coughed and replied: Don't panic lady, Like I said, I am fine!!
It was tantalizing and I wanted to kick him out of the jet after these comments.. I have nothing to do with your life but alot with mine. I have paid you and its my right to be demanding... please turn this jet right now or you will have to face the consequences, I thought this might give him some jerk ..but he rather became more skeptical .. "Please relax in your seat" I just wanted to say its not as bad as you think it is... he coughed!!

Whats the cough about ... didn't you have thorough checkup at the start of your workng hours??, I asked in a perplexed tone ..
Rauplh: No, its nothing serious celeb, I told you,we are in the middle of a flight and the aircraft is going smooth .. look at the peace around you ... till the reach of eye there is only cloud cover and moon light and you are flying 7000 feet above the ground but all you are interested in is, a mid aged pilot who is just chartering you off shore...!!
On his call,I gazed outside and was taken by surprise, yes, it was out of the world. The weather had never been so beautiful in the private jet or in a business class.. The silver lining of the clouds shone by the moonlight was breath taking. The moon was standing as a lone soldier in the sky, who had risen from the dark sky. Far fetched lights and reflection of the sky, in the sea was mesmerizing .. I became calm, may be I had reacted way too much once again.

There again was silence in the cockpit, only sounds were of instrument panel and the propeller's rumble.
But this time I broke the silence soon!

We are flying over which sea? I inquired.

'We are flying over the north sea right now it will connect us to the Norwegian sea in a while which is north west of Norway. It connects Great Britain, Scandinavia, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and France together which connects to the Norwegian sea in the north.' Raulph replied.
Me: Great, that was technical, I dint get the gist of it but what you are telling is that we are over the North sea right now?? Raulph nodded and and smirked.

We were gradually travelling to Norway and boredom had taken its toll, I yawned, wanted to push back the seat like a recliner and lean my feat forward but that was not possible in a cessna. I was already compromising so much and the pilot was one boring chap,I squinted at him, he was reading some map of some sort, then I, laid my feet on the on the dashboard to stretch my seat back in search of more comfort..'Please keep your feet off the dashboard..he said
Whats wrong? Its just feet... "no keep them down".. he suddenly shouted. That was really embarrassing .. please don't shout ..hearing my words he started scoffing Alisa the star, embarrased to an average pilot.. 'Whats so funny about it...?'.. I in a provoking tone said.
He seemed to have enjoyed the state more than he enjoyed flying ...
Why was he so happy about it suddenly, It was that fateful moment when he had a grimmish smile on his face and in that moment he again coughed and this time it was not normal.. as he coughed blood rushed out of his mouth and due to this he shook and jet swayed in the air due to a sudden jerk to the yoke.. I slipped out of the seat and banged into the floor, this was a sudden thud.. I tried to gain control of my self and there was this sudden thud again as pilot coughed again and more blood rushed out of his mouth again.. I was unable to understand the situation. I got up.
Raulph: "coughing" ... Seat belt .. cough!! Please pass me the medicine its in my bag, please hurry..! I grabbed the bag, and tried finding the medicine .. I searched the main pocket it was not there . I checked the side pockets, but it was nothing there .. I was trying to keep a conversation with Raulph, he seemed ridiculously in pain.. He tried his best to stay focused... I searched the bag and in an inner pocket I got hold of some packet .. as soon as I grabbed, he coughed again .. this time the blood spray was even worse. Very next moment he collapsed on the yoke, left me shrieking , in the middle of no where, up above the ocean, and in the middle of the sky ...!