So Amit took off screaming with his instructor behind, much too his chagrin. He wanted to go solo but Solo flights were not allowed. And after what it felt like an eternity to see him fly, it was my turn. I was next. If you have ever been parasailing, you will know that there are procedures that you need to follow. But for me they just decide to fuck up. I should have sensed right then and there that something is not right but I was not the one who is going to chicken out just because it does not get up to my standards.
I went through the motions. I get myself saddled up and as I was walking towards the edge of the mountain for the takeoff, I could feel a slight change in pressure, which normally indicates that a strong breeze was about to come up, but somehow I didn’t pay much attention. My instructor hooked me up to the sail first and then just as he was about to hook himself up to the sail - behind me, the breeze hit us. It hit us with such a force that it took us totally by surprise and it threw my instructor off balance towards the ledge.
Everything felt like it was happening in slow motion, 3 seconds per frame, the storm kicking up the dust, the instructor wavering towards the cliff with me leaning in his general direction, and the guy who kept the sail down - running towards us incredibly slowly. I tried reaching out for him, but I could only manage to brush his fingers and do nothing but watch him fall in the abyss below. His eyes were wide open. I could see him screaming for help but my ears just dint register anything. I tried to imagine how he must have felt in that moment. I wish I had made an effort to know him better.
This was not over yet, with the guy holding the Para sail down - now gone and running towards us, the next chain of events were unleashed, leaving us no time to recover. My friends realized this and they ran for my help.
I was still lying on the ground facing the abyss and when I turned around; I saw the most magnificent sight I saw in my whole life. The parasail was in full bloom. It had left me in a complete trance. I felt like I was frozen in my tracks, the world started going dark around me, I noticed that I was palpitating. That’s when I realized that I cannot just lie down there.
(To be continued..)
(To be continued..)
