Arjun's story

 

It was supposed to be a routine flight for Arjun, a frequent flyer who valued his peace and quiet. He settled into his aisle seat, hoping for an uneventful journey to Dubai. However, his silent prayer was interrupted when an elderly woman, Mrs. Sharma, took the seat next to him. She immediately struck up a conversation and asked for help placing her heavy bag in the overhead bin. Before Arjun, who was not particularly tall, could respond, a kind-looking gentleman across the aisle, Mr. Khanna, quickly stepped in and helped her.

Mrs. Sharma then turned her attention to Arjun, and her cheerful, friendly demeanor was infectious. They chatted for most of the flight, covering a wide range of topics. It was a pleasant distraction for Arjun, and he almost forgot his usual rule about not getting too friendly with seatmates.

As the pilot announced their descent into Dubai International Airport (DXB), Mrs. Sharma suddenly clutched her stomach and began groaning in pain. Concerned, Arjun pressed the call button for a flight attendant. When the attendant arrived, Mrs. Sharma's demeanor changed drastically. She looked at Arjun and tearfully cried, "My son, I can't take this pain!" The flight attendant, seeing her distress, told Arjun they could only offer a mild painkiller and would have to wait for the plane to land. The pilot then announced a medical emergency on board, and everyone was advised to remain calm. Mrs. Sharma started to sweat and cry hysterically, all while refusing to let go of Arjun's hand, making it seem to everyone that they were a traveling family.

Upon landing, Mr. Khanna approached Arjun and gave him a stern look. "Stay away from her, and make it clear to the crew you don't know her," he advised in a low voice. Arjun was confused but soon understood the gravity of the situation. 

As the cabin crew approached, they asked Arjun if he was related to the distressed woman. He truthfully explained that they had just met on the flight. When Mrs. Sharma heard this, she pleaded with Arjun to take her handbag. Mr. Khanna caught Arjun's eye and shook his head firmly, slipping him a note that read, 

"Let the crew handle her."

Following the advice, Arjun deplaned, leaving a distraught Mrs. Sharma in the care of the flight attendants. 

A few minutes later, as he waited for his own luggage, he heard a commotion. Mrs. Sharma, having managed to get out of her wheelchair, was attempting to flee. 

As she handed her handbag to a flight attendant, she made a dash for the exit. Airport police were faster, catching her and bringing her back in handcuffs.

"My son!

 How could you do this to me!" she screamed, pointing at Arjun. It was then that a horrifying realization dawned on him: she was a drug mule trying to frame him. 

Mr. Khanna immediately stepped forward and corroborated Arjun's story to the police, explaining that they had only just met on the flight. 

The police asked Mrs. Sharma for Arjun's full name, and since he had only told her his first name, she couldn't answer. 

Despite this, Arjun was taken to a small room for an intense interrogation. 

His luggage was thoroughly searched and dusted for fingerprints. Similarly, Mrs. Sharma’s belongings were also checked, and authorities found no trace of Arjun's fingerprints on any of her bags.

He was released with a powerful lesson: 

never touch a stranger's luggage. To this day, Arjun's travel policy is simple and firm: "Your luggage... your problem." If a stranger asks for help with their bags, he simply directs them to the cabin crew, a lesson he learned the hard way.