Damsel in distress

CHAPTER 6

Raymond slowly finished his coffee and walked toward Gate number 19. Boarding was just starting and as he was Business class passenger, he went in ASAP. He kept his laptop out and stowed his bag. He again immersed himself into his laptop, planning new strategies as to how to poach in new investors.

The flight was about to take off. He was really glad to see the seat to his left empty. He really hated when people snored. Since it was a 23 hours flight he just wanted to relax. He was just about to hibernate his laptop as per the takeoff protocol when he saw a flight attendant escorting the girl with whom he had an encounter today.

She looked pretty distant and broken. She looked pretty tired too. There was something about her that drew his attention. Something very sincere. She looked very frail and sank into her seat immediately. Then she started looking out of the window.

He was shocked by his own behavior.

"What is wrong with her?"

"Why is she in such a state?"

He is usually never interested in women. Never prefers to speak with them until it's related to work, was never involved in any romantic relationship before. He always felt that falling in love was just a waste of time. And according to him, there were far better things to do in life than fall in love. He loathed women. He had his own reasons to do so.

Just then the flight attendant came and asked her to put her seatbelt on. It was only then he realized she was still crying. He saw her putting a fake plastered smile on her face for the attendant as she was worried about her. She told her that she was ok when clearly she was not.

After a few minutes, the flight took off. Raymond moved his glance and started to re-focus on his pending work. Seat belt signs were now off and he switched on to full work mode. As it was a super early flight the lights were switched off for people to sleep. Raymond had his reading light on to complete his work on the laptop. Even though his fingers were swiftly moving on his keyboard, he was still stealing occasional glances every now and then. He was unsure whether he was worried or just curious about her.

Tears were streaming down her cheeks. But even in pain she still looked beautiful. Her hair was messy with strands falling all over her face. She was a nobody for him, but her tears were shaking him to his core. The moment he saw her wiping her tears with her sleeves he felt a lump in his throat. "Why is she affecting me so much?", he wondered. And in the next moment, he called the flight attendant and asked for some water and tissues for the damsel in distress.

He was himself surprised to the core with his own actions. He was a man of few words who considered women 'morally repugnant'.

'Chivalry' was so not him.