66 - IF I COULD, I WOULD . . .

There are a few things that I would like to achieve just by waving a magical wand.  Or even by using the help of the genie of Alladin's magic lamp.  Needless to say that I shall only mention the positive thoughts, because I do have negative wishes too, and would not hesitate to use the wand to get revenge too.

Here are a few things that I would change with a magic wand, in random order.

Walking along or travelling in Mumbai, I hate to see the air conditioners popping out of buildings, because they look ugly and they drip too.  So I would make them very tiny and yet effective, and not an eyesore anymore.

Footpaths with two wheelers on them is one of the biggest problems that pedestrians face in Mumbai.  I wish I could just wave my wand and make them disappear completely.

Visiting any public toilet is a real torture, as they are so unclean, or without basic water or a wash basin, and even the door does not latch or is broken.  I would wave my magical wand and turn the toilets into the most beautiful ones that I had seen in Paris, with perfume and music and clean tiles and mirrors and lots of soap and toilet paper.

Anyone who walks anywhere in Mumbai has to deal with illegally parked cars, on footpaths or on the road.  But the worst part of this is that the drivers are sleeping inside, with their feet popping out of the driver's window.  These tired souls would get a gentle pedicure with my magical wand.  At least then I would be assured of not having to witness dirty soles and soiled, uncut toe nails.

In Pune, there are many footpath stalls, with vendors selling scarves and purses and tee shirts and junk jewelry and footwear and artificial flowers and toys and foodstuffs like corn bhel, kulfi,etc.  All this commerce has a collateral of refuse, which is discarded along the footpath.  At one place, on M G Road in the camp area, the hawkers have stuffed the paper and plastic rubbish into the space between the tree trunk and an enclosed wire meshing around it.  the meshing is very closely hugging the tree trunk and upto two  metres high. which is now filled with the wrappings.  Mr. Adar Poonawala's cleaners would need to put their vacuum suction pipes to good use, but they have not, so I would use my magical wand to clear the garbage and make the vendors disappear too.

At any traffic, sometimes pedestrians just run across at the wrong time, and sometimes the traffic, mainly two wheelers do not stop when they have to.  My wand would then do the needful to restrain both, unless the traffic police have switched off the signals, then all are entitled to do whatever they need to.

Travelling in the train, locally or out of Mumbai, when passengers are throwing trash out of the window, I would let a dustbin catch the thrash and follow the train with a drone.  And whatever garbage is along all the train tracks, I would turn into green grass and pretty flowers and tall trees with butterflies and birds and bees and monkeys.

When I see many vehicles parked outside any police station, blocking the walking space, my magical wand would help me to stack them over each other and clear the space in a jiffy.

It is very depressing to see minors begging or selling flowers or toys at traffic signals.  I would make a very palatial dormitory appear and house all of them into it, and of course take care of all their needs, bathing, clean clothes, education, food, a place to sleep.   The same for old and lonely beggars on the roads, would be housed in a special home, and be taken care of.

When vehicles zip past during the red signal, I should just point my wand to the license plate and the owner's name and address would be registered to the police directly.

Anyone who is sick, especially my family members, I would cure with a wave of my wand.  This I would need urgently too.

During the rain, I would have the latest invention of the Japanese, the drone umbrella, follow me.  I think I am allowed one or two selfish wishes too.

I would want a magical flying carpet, to take me to Australia and Spain and Florida and Canada.

And I would want a mini television set with all the possible channels, in my bag.  So while I have to wait at the bus stop for hours and hours, or sit in a cab in the traffic jam, I would watch the news etc.  No, I do not want a mobile, I want a TV, because I am a TV addict.

25 - PROMOTING AIB'S "HONEST INDIAN FLIGHT"

I do not like to travel unless there is a specific mission to accomplish at the end of it.  And I hate crowds and avoid getting caught in them, unless it is unavoidable. The claustrophobic feeling has made me stop visiting cinema halls.   One crowded place during travel is Mumbai's local train.   And another congested way to travel is the airplane.

If one has to travel by air,  the seats have to be booked months in advance, to get a good bargain.
Since I can just afford the economic seats,  I have to tolerate the tiny cubicled seating for the duration of the journey. 

The waiting starts at the airport, in the immigration  queue.  After luggage is weighed and tickets are issued, you have to wait and wait to walk through the check in, where body checks and hand luggage checks are done.  Then  you check the display board, which shows the gate  that you need to match with your flight.  And then you walk and walk and walk upto the assigned gate, where the waiting for boarding begins.  I must admit that the international airport in Mumbai is very well decorated, with traditional frescoes along the walls, colourful Indian installations along the long walk towards the gates.  Everyone stops to click selfies with the aesthetic and colourful decos.

The duty free shops are also very interesting and luring at the Mumbai airport.  But the restaurants are not so attractive. 

At last it is time to board the plane and the passengers enter the plane, where 2 crew welcome us with bored mechanical smiles.  And as I enter the plane,  I walk past the business class seats, with extra leg room and softer cushions.  If it is the dream liner, then almost 400 people will board, with two aisles and 3+4+3 seats in each row.  Hand luggage is stored overhead and we settle down into our seats.   If you are lucky, then you will not have a cougher or a sneezer or a wheezer near you.  But your luck can still run out, if the passenger in front of you pushes the seat back in recline position.  Then you may not be able to enjoy the built-in video, unless you too push your seat in the recline position and then suffer in that uncomfortable position for the next 10 or 15 hours.   The other hazard is a howling baby or a very loud conversation between the passengers close to you.

The seat belts are fastened and the plane begins its slow drive along the airport path assigned for it, until it reaches the runaway,  where it speeds up and takes off and is airborne.  The speeding up invariably is a fist clenching time and so is the landing time.  But it is a great lesson in spirituality, because I'm sure that each and every person on the plane prays for its safe landing, at the end of each journey. 

What a miracle man has discovered, to be able to fly among the clouds, and visit far off lands.  All the petty discomforts are forgotten, once the miracle is done.