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Sanjana was on cloud nine as she ascended the steps to the plane. She beamed at the pilot and first officer and told herself she wanted to do what they were doing one day, sooner than later. It was hard for her to stay composed and have a pleasant smile when all she could think about was running into the cockpit, screaming with joy and feeling the control panel.
Instead, all she could do was keep calm. She could not let her secret out about her wanting to be a pilot, especially when most of their family had served in the Indian Administrative Services, working for the betterment of their region and its people and continuing to do so, even after retirement. Her father continued to be of service to the people in the form of his non-government organization calledLok Shakthi. Her sister followed in the same path, but Sanjana did not pass the entrance examination in her first attempt, tried flying as a distraction, and was hooked.
“This is nice,” she managed to say as she sat in one of the luxurious seats next to her new husband, one whom she was becoming impressed by with every passing minute. “I didn’t realize there was an airport so close by.”
He nodded knowingly. “You’re not the first one. This is family-owned land, and we were able to convert some of it to an airstrip so guests who will be staying at the resort can use for their convenience.
Too fancy for her!
What she was most interested in was the cockpit and all the fun that was happening there. She leaned to her side slightly to catch a glimpse of the cockpit, and she swore she felt goosebumps when she saw the lit-up panel as the pilots ran through the pre-flight procedures.
“We could get the captain to give you a tour of the cockpit once we are cruising if you’d like.” The words were music to her ears, and all she could think of was to hug him and give him a tight kiss. It was a thought, but before she knew it, her arm had gone around his, and she hugged his side, blinking away tears of joy.
What was the guy doing to her? How well did he know her or worse, was he reading her mind? There was no other explanation.
He chuckled, patting her arm before she pulled back to look at him. “Thank you.” Her voice came out as a whisper as she managed an array of emotions.
“You’re welcome,” he said, followed by a slight wink, and that did something else to her. Her stomach knotted as her heartbeat picked up, and she looked away, not wanting to do anything stupid like hugging or, worse, kissing him. Thank goodness she stopped at hugging him and didn’t go further.
“So, we are going somewhere international, I suppose,” she asked, not caring that she had not packed her passport. Somehow, she knew it would be taken care of, especially with how things were happening the past couple of days.
“You got that right, but where do you think we are headed?” he retorted with a spark of challenge in his tone.
Her lips broadened with sheer joy as she thought through the possible international destinations that were most visited during that time of the year. “Based on the time of the year and we only have a bag each for clothes with no sweaters or jackets, it has to be somewhere warm with a Mediterranean climate.”
He pressed his lips together and nodded. “Name the country.”
“Hmm,” she said, unable to stop smiling like a fool. “Since this is technically a romantic trip, it has to be…” Her words drifted as she felt her cheeks heat up under his gaze.
“Has to be,” he prompted, and all she could do was keep grinning.
How did he have that effect on her?
“How many guesses do I have?” She was enjoying his company already as he was feeding into her competitive side.
He only chuckled. “How many do you think is fair?”
He is good.
“Okay, how about I get five chances, and I get to ask you five questions for each guess, and you tell me if I’m close or far off?” She was having fun with the exercise. When he nodded in agreement, she let out a squeal of joy and started, “Is this a beach destination?”
His mouth twisted mischievously. “You could say that.”
Her eyes lit up, thinking of the possible countries. “My first guess is Greece.”
“Nope…” he said, shaking his head and adding, “… but not far off.”
Sanjana was no longer interested in the flight procedures the pilots were going through and announced as the man sitting next to her had invoked the vagabond in her. “Okay, is our destination east or west of Greece?”
After a round of playing the do-you-know-your-countries type of game, he revealed to her that they were headed to Monaco and would be visiting the surrounding islands. The marriage may have been fake, but she was already starting to enjoy the perks.
*****
Sanjana lay in bed feeling the waves under her, which only made her stomach twist. After a beautiful morning in Monaco and having breakfast outdoors, enjoying the beautiful weather, they made their way to the port. She had no idea they were staying on a boat for the next few days—a yacht, he had clarified.
At first sight of it, she was excited, but fifteen minutes in, she emptied her stomach’s contents due to the boat’s bobbing on the water. She had no idea she was seasick and had crawled into bed to get her body used to the movement.
A couple of the crew members had come by to offer her medications for the sea sickness, but she declined. As a future pilot, she felt determined to have her body learn to adjust to various scenarios. The turbulence in an aircraft was different from the bobbing of a boat, but she wanted her body to take the time to adjust.
