Anti Airport

Today Saturday, August 22, 2009 I Quratulain Binte Khalid Riaz Ahmed declares my dislike for airports. I had never realized this before today when Omer took me to the airport to gaze at the undoubtedly beautiful view ahead as the airplanes took off and landed before us. The idea was to relax and have some serious “creative discussion” at a place where one is forced to “think” like an artist which I believe we both are in our own ways.
The moment we had entered the parking area of Jinnah Terminal I felt a very old yet familiar feeling of depression coming over me and my mind immediately drifted back to last year when I had travelled to Lahore from Karachi to conduct an audit for a branch our Bank had opened in Lahore a while ago. Trying to still calm myself by silently assuring myself that all is in the past now I still couldn’t drive that uneasy feeling out of my heart. It all really depends on how you look at things actually. To some, like my friend Omer, a positive feeling comes when he sees the passengers eagerly waiting for their relatives or friends to reach the destination after a long wait and also those who bid their loved one’s goodbye with tears in their eyes (in fact we even tried imitating how people cry when departing a loved one right there at the centre of the airport with people giving us both a strange look). Anyways, for me the entire scene is actually very depressing. Like being pulled away from the people you love, places you have a million memories with your friends and family etc. Whenever I am there I feel alone and gazing at the plane flying away saddens me as I feel that it pulls a person away from the solid earth where he/she had once been so happy.
I see a man flying in that plane on his way to a lover selfishly leaving behind a broken heart. I see a young girl flying away in search of a distraction from someone who has so willingly and happily left her for someone who offers him wealth instead of the immense love the girl so honestly gave. I see people eagerly flying off to a destination in hope of striking rich in the new land leaving behind friends and family shedding tears after them.
Gone are the days when I used to be so excited about watching a plane fly.

AK filled with grieve... 