Flight Path to You

​The heat shimmered off the tarmac at the terminal, but inside the cabin of the Gulfstream G650, the air was ice-cold. We were grounded. A technical snag in the fuel line meant we weren't going anywhere for at least forty minutes, and in the world of Advait Nayak, forty minutes was an eternity.

​Most people see Advait and see an emerging and talented entrepreneur, a man whose wealth could buy almost anything. But sitting here in the pressurized stillness of his private business class cabin, I saw the reality. He looked like a storm contained in a bespoke suit, vibrating with a dangerous, restless energy.

​Up in the cockpit, my co-pilot, Rohan, was frantically checking the status monitors. "He’s losing it back there, Cap," Seema, one of the crew member whispered at the cockpit door.
 "He’s been on the phone with his assistant,  threatening to buy the whole airlines if we don't taxi out in five minutes."

​I sighed, adjusting my cap. "He can buy the airport, airline but he can't buy a safe takeoff with a faulty fuel sensor. Stay here, Rohan. I’ll deal with him."
​I pushed through the door into the main cabin. The scene was pure tension. Advait was standing in the aisle, his voice a low, terrifying growl that seemed to rattle the windows.

​"I don't care about 'protocols'!" he was snapping, his eyes flashing with cold fire. "Every minute this plane sits here, I lose money. Tell the tower we are taking off now, or I’ll find a pilot who isn't paralyzed by a warning light!"

​"The warning light isn't a suggestion, Mr. Nayak," I said, my voice projecting with the calm authority of someone who owns the sky.
​Advait spun around. The fury in his eyes was like physical heat, but as they landed on me, he stopped mid-sentence. He had clearly expected a stuttering technician, not a woman in a Captain’s uniform looking at him with cool, steady defiance.

​"I’m Captain Amara Mishra," I continued, stepping into his personal space, refusing to be intimidated by his height or his status. "And while you might be one of the richest men on the ground, inside this aircraft, I am the only law. We are grounded because I refuse to put my crew or my passengers in a coffin just to meet your board meeting. We move when I say it’s safe, not when your bank balance says it’s time."

​The silence that followed was heavy. Advait’s gaze traveled from my gold stripes back up to my eyes. The raw anger in his expression curdled into something else, a sharp, calculating interest.
​"Do you have any idea who you're talking to?" he murmured, his voice dropping to a dangerous, low silk.

​"I know exactly who you are," I replied, not backing down an inch. "You’re a passenger on my plane. Now, sit down, fasten your seatbelt, and let me do my job. Or you can walk to Bhubaneswar."

Advait immediatedly dialed his assistant, "Tanmay, find everything about Amara Mishra. She is a captain in Gulfstream. "


​The flight, once we finally took off, was flawless. I filed the logs and headed home, wanting to forget the way his eyes had burned into mine.
​But three days later, as I stood on the balcony of my house in Saheed Nagar, a black Jaguar crawled to a stop at my gate. My heart skipped a beat.
​Advait stepped out, looking wildly out of place against the backdrop of the quiet, leafy street. He looked up and caught my eye.

 I walked down to the gate, my heart hammering.
​"How did you find out where I live?" I demanded. "That’s a massive breach of privacy."

​"I’m Advait Nayak, Amara," he said, his voice low and vibrating with a strange gravity. "I have resources. And right now, the only resource I care about is a way to get you to have dinner with me."

​"I don't do 'dinners' with passengers who threaten my job," I countered, crossing my arms.

​Advait took a step closer, crossing the threshold of my gate. "I haven't slept since that day," he admitted, his eyes burning with an intensity I’d never seen before. "I’ve spent my life being the one in control. Then I met you, and for the first time, I realized I was just a passenger. You were the only one who didn't blink when I roared. Usually women are all over me. Some for my looks. Some for money. But you simply didn''t care. I like that about you."

​He reached out, his fingers trailing lightly against the wood of the gate. "I didn't come here because of my money. I came here because I’ve spent my life surrounded by people who say 'yes.' I think I need someone who knows how to say 'no'."
​
"Then what made you think it will be a Yes this time? Listen Mr. Advait, there might be people hovering around. But that's not me. Also you should respect some personal space. Now please leave." I said and turned around.

"Amara, what about coffee then? If dinner is too intimate. "

"You have resources for everything right? Maybe they didn't research well enough. " I said and climbed up the stairs shutting the door behind.

Advait had a smirk on his face. He liked this.
He dialed again, "Tanmay I want every detail. Her schedule. "

Next day, I woke up early, changed into a white chikankari kurti and started my way to the temple. Everytime I am in the town, I try to visit the Shiva temple nearby. He is my savior, my guide. When I lost my parent in an accident, it was really difficult to cope. But I couldn't lose it all. I had to take care of my grandparents, my little sister. The only thing that kept me sane and alive was my regular visit to the temple. Suddenly the world feels at peace. Mahadev gives me strength.

Me and my sister, Amisha left for the temple in the morning. After praying, outside the temple, I spotted a guy well dressed in kurta wearing sunglasses leaning against a Mercedes looking at his phone. 

I could recognise him at once. Mr billionaire is still on his quest. I was annoyed.
"What are you doing here? "

"What do you think? Visting temple obviously. Praying. Bowing down."

"You don't live in this side of the city Advait. Whole country knows that. Stop fooling me. And stop following me."

"Wait. A minute. A person is allowed to only visit temple in his area? Where is this rule from? My friend lives nearby. So i visit this temple since forever. 
Anyway, let me pray and come. "

He had a huge smile and he entered the temple. He was back quickly holding some Prasad but Amara and Amisha were gone. 

He made sure to travel in the flights Amara was the captain in to get a glance of her.

Few days later, Amara was back in the city after a hectic schedule. She reached her home to notice a very familiar Black Jaguar infront of her house. 

"I am gonna kill him."

I stomped near the car but it was locked. And then I could hear noises inside my home. I rushed in to find Advait sitting with my grandparent with huge smile on his face. Amisha was at college.

"What is going on here? What are you doing here?"

"Drinking tea." He had his devilish smirk.

"Naanu..naani why did you allow him in?"

"He said he is yiur friend beta..." Nani said.

"Best friend naani ji." Advait added.

I threw daggers at him. 

"How innocent you people are? If anyone says I am their friend, will you allow them in? Do you know how dangerous it is? Do you know how scared I was for a minute? Never allow strangers in. "

"But..."

I turned to Advait, " And you mister, meet me in my room."

Advait placed the cup on the coffee table and followed me in. 

"Amara, you scold them for allowing strangers but you allow stranger into your room? Bad. Too bad."

"Shut up. And what do you think you are doing here?"

"Meeting them. Gelling up. Bonding."

"Why?"

"They will be my family someday. So why not."

"Are you crazy?"

"A bit for the world and a whole lottt for you. 
And now when you said that was a wrong question when I asked you for the coffee. I did my research well and Naani helped me too. So let me ask the right question. 
Will you go on a Chai date with me?"

Annoyed me had a smile suddenly. He isn't that bad afterall.

"I need to think."

"Stop playing around Amara. Its killing me."

"Okay. At my favorite Chai ki tapri tonight."

"Finally..." He had a huge smile. A genuine, most charming smile.