The flight had taken off and what it left behind was a wait and the goodbyes. The wait that had been there before the boarding and after the takeoff. It had been planned and it was to happen. It has happened to each one of us. The wait varies from person to person and the duration as well. What is the wait? Is it the separation, the time when you have to leave your dear ones behind?. Is it the reunion of the two who had looked forward to this day? Is it a wait to just return to where you belong or escape from where you never wanted to be.? Whatever it is, the wait is always there either alone or with many. Either for a special someone or for the many. You are either out of some uncomfortable situation or you are into something that you welcome. The wait always calls for celebration once it’s over be it good or bad. The wait is a relief from the situation you are in to the situation you wanted to be in. The wait could put an end to the long duration you had been away. The wait could be the end of a long journey that needed a break. Haven’t you seen yourself checking on the time when you wait? You have counted days, months and even years for it to end.

Strange it is but every wait ends with a goodbye. The hands that wave with a tear in the eye and the smile on the face. The tears could be of joy, you are to leave for somewhere you wanted to be or longed to be. The smile often hides the sadness, giving strength to the one who needs to leave. The smile is also for the excitement to be back again with someone you love or people you like.  A goodbye is always hard for the ones who stay behind. Those who leave have something to look forward to, some dreams that were to come true. What about those who see you leave? Even if they know when you are to return or are not aware of how long you will be away, a goodbye is difficult. There are some goodbyes that are welcomed, a relief from anything or anyone who caused discomfort in life. The smile broadens with a sigh of relief. This is for those who love to be in their own shell, away from the maddening crowd and the complexity of relationships. They wave a more happy goodbye. Have you realised one thing? With this goodbye comes back the wait, the interval or break. If it is a tearful goodbye, the wait seems very long and unbearable. Yet you somehow manage to wait for long. If it is a happy goodbye the wait is over with the take off.

How do you feel when the flight takes off? Jittery, scared, happy, excited or sad? Emotions take the flight which was waiting for the goodbyes. The takeoff makes you realise it was over, the stay, the reunion, the separation. You were now on a flight that just left behind so much. The feelings, the smiles, the tears, the happiness, the nervousness and the unhappiness.  What you left behind was somewhere part of you. Once you were up there it was then that your wait was over. You had controlled every feeling and emotion to stay strong as you departed. It was also over for whatever you had vented out, not being able to hold on in front of everyone.  You had waited long to be on board so that you could calm yourself down after the goodbye. There are some who feel happy as they are excited to be soon with their dear ones or to get back to the place that was theirs. There were some who were jittery, scared and anxious to be alone, to move ahead in life. What was it going to be, will the destination help you reach your goals? Will the place welcome you and feel like a new home? There were some who felt heartbroken and sad with the takeoff. They never wanted the wait to end, they never wanted the goodbyes. They wanted to just be there and never want to leave.

Every takeoff is a decision taken by you, voluntarily or involuntarily. But we all pray for a safe landing as that is most important. All the wait, all the goodbyes and the takeoffs are for a safe landing. Landing safely is most important, with people or in a place that feels secure. People who are either family or new, ready to become family, need to make you feel secure and happy. The place whether home or a place you make home needs to feel cosy and close to the heart. If these are met then the wait is worth it, the goodbyes of value and the takeoff to be with or be there is necessary.

In all these waits, the goodbyes and take offs what matters most are the people whom we are surrounded with. These people who are connected to different aspects of our lives have a major role to play in the wait, the goodbye and the takeoff. They decide whether your wait for them or theirs for you is worth it or not. It is they who give a description of the goodbyes. Whether it is difficult to deal with or easy to handle or absolutely acceptable. They decide whether your take off bothers them or you find it hard to cope with, leaving them behind and taking off.

The question is how complicated or easy do you find all these things. These three things which are a very important part of everyone’s life. We have all waited for the safe arrival of a life. We have always said goodbyes from a very early age and even learnt to wave a goodbye whenever we meet and leave. As we grow every phase of life prepares us for a longer goodbye. When we start going to school, for work, for leisure or in urgency. Strange it is that we never wait for the time when we finally bid a goodbye forever and take off in a flight of no return. The destination is the same for everyone but the duration of the flight we are not aware. The wait is over, the goodbye forever and the takeoff to land in a world which is a final destination of any life.

About the Author

Mansi Chaturvedi is a published author of the book Shades of Solitude and The Rainbow in the Palette. A homemaker, based in Kolkata, India. She is a poet and writer, who has used her words to connect with the outside world. She has got her works published in various anthologies as co-authors. An active participant on various online writing platforms like Story Mirror. She is a blogger who connects globally through her blog Pennedconnections@wordpress.com. Her YouTube channel The Lesser Known and her podcast Live Wires on Spotify is her way to spread and share her words in audio and visual format. She has two e-books published by Shabd.in called Bonsai and Spectrum. She even contributed articles to the blogs of Times Of India and magazines like the WomensEra. You can even read her work in online magazines like The Beautiful Mind, Unicorn, and Literary Hues.