Memorable take off to India

The characters in this story are NOT fictitious. They are people whom I know, however spread across the globe!

Vj Mac, Jai and Mony just cannot hold back their excitement! For their first vacation, they are going to India. Proud computer architects-in-the-making they are ...but all they could think of now is mom-cooked hot bajjis and puris! 

They queued up at Walmart and Kohls to pick chocolates and perfumes and T-Shirts for their parents and girl friends and relatives! One more day for take off – they are seen running up and down their tiny, untidy apartment in search of bags and suitcases to stuff in their extra baggage. Mony, from somewhere managed to find an age old bag, faded and whose handle is almost broken. 

But today, for all the three, anything and everything seems to be alright. Why??? …because they are going home - a place they are dying to get back to; but grew up wanting to leave!

At the airport, each of them stacked their bags one on top of the other and pushed the trolley counting down the number of hours left to reach home. Yeah... everything seems to be alright until the officer in black smart uniform asked turning to Mony, “Gentle man... something suspicious is spotted in your bag. Request you to open this reddish-yellow... no ornagish-yellow backpack of yours!” 

Mony mumbled to himself, “Did I keep my shaver or scissors in this? ...or am I not supposed hand carry my under garments? Huh?? What the hell does this idiot want to pull out?” 

The officer put his hand inside the bag and dug …to get the ‘suspicious’ thing exposed! The next moment he howled, grabbing the attention of everybody around. He shouted, “Anthrax... anthrax!!! I don’t believe... I just touched it! Oh Christ; Am I going to die?” His hand is covered with grey dust; poor fellow, in a minute got drenched in sweat! 

Our friend Mony is now experiencing the ‘Moment of Life’! 

He is surrounded by eight police officers, with their guns pointing right at his chest! Mony cried, “No no... this is not.. never Anthrax”. Trust me... I have not even seen that in my life. That is ‘bhasmam’. Kadavulai, Guruvayurappaa.. How do I make them understand?? Officer… you know, we Indians have this religious powder'!! So not to worry.. what u just touched is  our religious powder! The kind and understanding God in India will bless you! …n actually the bag is not mine, I borrowed it from one of my friends.”  

Turning to Vj, almost in tears he asked, “Allada Vijayaa…? Nee satyam parayada…” (Isn’t it Vj? Tell him the truth)

Vj and Jay are witnessing the play as if they were watching a dramatic Bollywood movie. Prankster Jay whispered in Vj’s ears, “Why don’t we add little more spice to the whole episode, to make our journey absolutely unforgettable?” He continued at Vj, “What will happen to Mony if we shout, Escape... there is a bomb too, in that terrorist’s bag!” 

Vj couldn’t help laughing, thinking the after effects if they had actually shouted that! While these two are found giggling, the rest every single soul at the airport stood frozen, waiting for the result. 

In a few minutes, there comes another officer. He shook hands with Mony and said, “May be next time, you should bring your ‘religious powder’ in a zip lock cover!!” “Guruvayoorappa… rakshichu…!!”, Mony murmured at himself! 

The three of them are delighted; right from the start of their vacation, things are turning out to be eventful..!