The Truths Untold - Part 3

The next day after the party was very hectic as everybody was busy in the preparations for the journey. My cheek had swollen by now.

Mother was really furious about it but did not say anything.

Palak chachi (father’s brother’s wife) was helping me pack up. I had already put on the watch that Arjun chacha had given to me and no matter what anybody would say; I was not going to take it off! Watches were my second obsession, after planes.

After the packing was done, I spent the whole day playing PS1 and also opening the rest of the gifts.

Rahul had also given me a gift but I was in no way, interested in opening it. It was shabbily wrapped in brown paper, so I went and threw it in the dustbin! I thought that it might be wrong, what I did, but I was not at all going to take a gift from a person who had talked so rudely with my father and had slapped me for nothing! Oh leave it, how did he even slap me? Reason or no reason, it doesn’t matter.

The next morning, I woke up at 4:30 am and did not even let anybody else sleep after that.

We set out for the San Francisco International airport at about 8:30 am and directly entered our private hangar where, after the check in, we were inside the big black beauty! My father himself was a licensed professional pilot so he chose to fly the plane himself. Around 10 am, we were air-borne.

Most of the journey went really smoothly and dad was constantly informing me about various controls. We were about seventy-five miles away from Los Angeles when dark clouds started forming over the plane! Dad could not understand what was happening.

I heard him curse Rahul under his breath. I could not understand why but it felt good.

By the time, we were 50 miles from LA, it was becoming almost impossible to steer the plane! Father decided to contact the flight control deck at the LAX.

At first, the connection was not made, but when it was established, I was surprised that it was so clear, that too, in the middle of this snow-storm! But I thought that he had other things to worry about.

The voice from that side said,

“This is Ashton Keller from the Los Angeles flight control deck. How may I help you sir?”

“This is Raj Singhania from flight r191. We are at a distance of 50 miles from Los Angeles and we are struck in a snow-storm!”

“But sir, our screen shows nothing that might be called a snow-storm in the minutest place!”

Dad was extremely furious! How can this idiot care about what his screen is showing and not believe me!

“I don’t give a damn to what your screens are showing. We are in danger and we seriously need help!”

“When I don’t see a problem on your route, let alone a storm, how can I help you? Goodbye and have a safe flight.”

“You son of a—“

He could not complete the sentence. The air pressure in the plane had dropped very low and he had not worn any gas masks! No one knew where mother was and what was her condition?

He fainted and in an instant, the plane lost all control! It began swirling like a stranded boat in the midst of a raging sea, and soon, the plane began to lose altitude. Nose down, it was going to hit the ground!

I could not understand why father was not controlling the plane. When I tried to do so, I was thrown off balance because of the pressure. I hit the compartment at the back of the cockpit and fainted!

Meanwhile, chacha and chachi drove into their personal hangar. They were going to India for some days and they were about to go through the check in counter when Palak chachi saw the news report on the TV and shrieked with terror!

Chacha also looked up and his heart skipped a beat!

The news anchor was reading,

“This just in; Raj Singhania, one of the leading businessmen in the world got killed in a plane crash!

Experts believe that the plane went through a snow-storm but they cannot understand how it was possible! But still, the plane shows signs of being in a snow-storm. Mr. Singhania and his wife were found dead but somehow, their son, Vansh survived the flight and has been admitted to the Air Force hospital.”

Next thing that Arjun remembered, he was running towards the exit sign and chachi was just behind him.