Monday, June 27, 2005

Novel Ideas

Reading the Da Vinci Code has certainly brought about certain changes in the way I think and express myself. Besides the controversial plot that literally shakes the foundations of Christianity, the style of writing and spell-binding revelation of the story has me clutching the book for hours together. Yesterday afternoon, was well-spent with me in a cozy corner in my room, reading the Da Vinci Code. I found myself cribbing that the left half of the book felt heavier than the right one. Obviously, I was enjoying every second of it and actually wanted the book to last longer!

One of the positive effects of reading the book is the plethora of words and ideas that have started flowing to my fingers. Right below is a draft of what I call the first chapter of my untitled novel. Read on, and be sure to tell me what you think of this!

Chapter 1

Flipping feverishly through the pages of Time magazine, Lindsay Atkinson sat counting each minute of the never ending hour at Heathrow Airport. She was to board flight BA139 to Mumbai. Each second seemed like a minute and each minute seemed like an hour. The articles in the magazine flew past Lindsay’s mind like the cold wind blowing against a closed window – unable to set in and relenting itself totally useless to her mind.

Meeting my love is just a few hours away, Lindsay said to herself as she peered back into the magazine, trying to make sense of the text she was reading. Just as she set her gaze on something interesting, a soft female voice boomed on the PA system.

Passengers boarding flight BA one-three-nine to Mumbai, please proceed to Terminal Four.

Lindsay heaved a sigh of relief, Thank God for that, I couldn’t have waited any longer. She joined the snaking queue of people, who seemed equally eager to get on to the aircraft. Lindsay wondered if everyone was as eager as her to get in and thought to herself, the waiting lounge is not such a great place, after all. How long could one sit staring at the magazines? How much longer can people wait before they set sail for their destinations? All in all, Lindsay was far more relaxed now and the excitement of meeting her love in Mumbai showed up clearly in her twinkling eyes.

The air hostesses’ aboard the aircraft stood arms crossed, beaming a plastic smile, welcoming passengers aboard, checking their boarding passes, and directing them to their seats. Lindsay held up her boarding pass to a blonde airhostess who pointed at a seat in the eleventh row, right next to the window. With a smile of acknowledgement, Lindsay headed for her seat, which was just right above the aircraft wing. As she settled down in what was going to be her home for the next eleven hours, she set her eyes outside the window and relaxed, yet again. Heights made Lindsay nauseous, throwing her into an extremely uncomfortable frenzy, a rare medical condition where nothing but a shot of sedative would calm her down. The presence of the aircraft wing blocking her vision of the abysmal depth made her feel comfortable and thankful to God. Placing her handbag in the closet above, Lindsay settled onto her seat and heaved a deep sigh. She closed her eyes and began thinking. Mumbai is just eleven hours away. The moment I have been waiting for is coming soon. How lucky I am to have found true love in this lifetime. Love is the only way to attain salvation. Thank you Lord for giving me this opportunity to serve you.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking…the voice boomed. The sudden crackle in the air startled Lindsay, instantly drowning her entwining thoughts into a deep abyss of amnesia. Lindsay sat on her seat with a horrified look on her face, her mind still reeling from the sudden interruption that got her heart pounding and cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. The captain’s words in the background made little sense to Lindsay. A sudden wave of silence slapped her across her face as the captain’s voice faded out reducing itself to only a noise of people chattering. Realization dawned upon Lindsay. She had been lost again in between the real world and what seemed like a parallel world in her head. With a sudden jerk, the aircraft started pulling forward, taxiing towards runway four. Soon enough, Lindsay felt a slight tap on her shoulder. As she turned to look, she heard a soft voice saying, Please fasten your seatbelt, madam. In the moment of bewilderment, Lindsay complied with what felt like a command, rather hurriedly.

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