History is interesting revisit of our past. Interesting historical stories are a gripping read. But just imagine what might have gone through the minds of people who faced it. History has witnessed many such wonderful and awaful historical events, one such story that can be added to the travel adventure books or horror stories diary is the experience of plane hijack.
This is an imaginary narrative of one such incident from the eyes of a fictional passenger, where even the places are imaginary.
“I boarded the plane to avoid the journey of 36 hours on road from Ottoduu to Etheda and found myself under the trap of the hijackers!” exclaimed Rajeev, a passenger from flight from Ottoduu to Etheda on 28th December.
“These 36 hours costed me more than 4 days. But finally, am happy that am still alive!” grinned Rajeev. Recollecting the whole incident, as if it happened just yesterday, Rajeev, was narrating this story to his grandchildren.
“That day, in Katmandu, the plane was late for 2 hours in the Turburan airport. At about 4:30, the flight took off. We were about 323 of them in the flight. A few of them newly married couple, students, business men, old couple going to meet their grand children, a few families going on a holiday.
Exactly at 5 PM, after the airhostess completed serving food, a passenger walked from the business class. He was wearing a woolen cap, covering his face. He raised his hands and shouted…” The plane is Hijacked!”.
He was carrying a gun in one hand and a hand grenade in the other. While all of us were puzzled if this was some kind of a prank?!! Another one with a face mask stood up and barged into the cockpit. After a few minutes of hush hush, fear, anticipation, the Captain officially announced that the plane has been hijacked. He further said, not to create resistance and just act as instructed.
The hijackers, asked us to close the windows and ordered us to lower our heads. Everyone in the plane were in a horrifying state, not knowing what to do? Not able to imagine if they will see their sun again??
The hijackers started moving all business class passengers to economy. There were about 3 hijackers at the cockpit and about 3 of them were passing instructions to the passengers on what needs to be done. They threw the hand baggage to block the way.
At about 7:35 PM, the flight landed in some unknown land. He called two of the passengers to help them pick the body of a dead passenger, from the business class, who they shot on head as he resisted their instructions. Two of the passengers, Haji and Samuel picked the body, and had to throw it on to the runway from the exit door. Though scared and reluctant, they had to obey the instructions of the hijackers as they had no other choice. This created more panic amongst us and his wife cried in agony, and all of us had no other option and started praying and hopping harder.
At about 8:15 PM, the flight took off again. Where, we understood that they stopped to refuel. Silence prevailed for long. For the first time in my life, I felt that silence was killing. Being a librarian, I’m used to silent environment, but this silence was very difficult to bear. It felt like cutting my throat into pieces. I felt hard to gulp even air. Same was the situation of most of us in the plane.
It was about 1:35 AM, the flight landed in another airport. None of us had a clue of what is going on outside. After a few conversations amongst the hijackers, they called about 27 passengers by names. None of us knew the reason. Each of equally scared of what the consequences could be. They asked all the 27 passengers to get of the flight. Rest of us didn’t know if they were alive or were shot dead. Later, the airhostess, sitting next to me, murmured into my ears that these are patients either with some heart diseases, recent surgeries or some kind of illness. And they were allowed by the hijackers to get-off after a few discussions with the government officials.
Hearing that, I had mixed feelings. I was both happy for the passengers and jealous that I wasn’t one of them! I found that feeling strange and was thinking in myself if I were good or bad. Lost in deep thoughts, I didn’t realize when I fell asleep. One big noise woke me up, when one of the Hijackers shouted and started beating us up, for no reason. Unable to take this nuisance anymore, 2 youngsters, about 21 – 22 years old, started fighting back with the hijackers.
They hit the hijackers on their face and stomach, and the hijackers got furious and shot one of them on his head, and the other on his left hand and right leg. All the passengers suddenly started screaming, yelling and crying. A few of them were praying loudly. This continued for almost 30 minutes, till the head of them, about 40 years old came out of the cockpit and calmed the situation around. They pulled the body of the youngster into the business class and threw the injured passenger there. They left him bleeding and didn’t allow any of us to give him first-aid. These kind of sudden rigidities and panic moments continued for almost a day and half.
Except for water, some bread and a few biscuits, none of us had proper meal for the last 2 days. We were weak, tired, and were not in a position to move. Suddenly, a few of the passengers fell unconscious. The airhostess in the plane requested the hijackers to request for some food and allow basic medication. Fortunately, that night, we got some food packets to eat, along with some essential medicines, a few of us needed.
On 31st December, at about 11 AM, there was some unusual tension amongst the hijackers. It was almost 3 days now and we were all locked up in an airplane, which by now is stinking, with no knowledge about where were we, why are we here, what does these guys want, will we ever see the daylight again??? One of the hijackers pulled a young lady from her seat by hair. She was given a newspaper to hold. They opened the door and pushed her out. We thought they shot her, though we couldn’t hear any sound. Losing hopes we sat in silence, wait our turn to die. At about 3 PM, the hijackers asked the ladies and children in the plane to come forward. They handed a newspaper to each of them. Asked them to hold it across their face and get down one after the other from the front gate. While they were getting down, I noticed that from the back entrance, there were a few people getting on to the plane with masks and weapons.
Both in anticipation of something good, and dismayed of the past few days, the rest of us remained inside the plane. The head of the hijackers shook hands and warmly hugged his new mates. They greeted each other and celebrated their journey of victory.
About a 100 more passengers remined in the plane, and there was no sign of our release, even after an hour or two of the release of the women and kids. The hijackers started celebrating. now started having more questions in our head and our panic mounted. We still could see the dead bodies of a few passengers that the hijackers shot. Unable to imagine what our future is going to be, we started murmuring with each other. One of us gathered some courage and asked one of the hijackers, what was happening. As he was in a good mood, he replied in a pleasing voice, “We are waiting for a few more of our mates to join us. If things go as planned, they will release us as soon as they are boarded onto this plane.” “Thank your government, thank your god! They accepted our demands.” He continued.
This gave some positive ray of hope to all of us left in the plane. While we knew that fulfilling their demands is not a healthy decision for future. But with all that we have gone through in the past few days, we had no strength or courage to thing what is right. For us at that moment, getting out of the plane was all that was important. At about 10.30 PM on 31st December, the rest of us were asked to carry a newspaper, hold it across our face, and get down the plane one after the other.
With absolute silence, discipline and thankfulness, we walked out the plane. When I came out of the plane after 4 long days, I saw myself surrounded with military men. We were taken to the airport and in another hour, we were asked to board another flight, from where we were accompanied by the military men and flew back to Ottoduu at about 12 AM. I’m sure, none of us remembered the last 1-hour journey from the rescue airport to Ottoduu airport. After coming out of the airport, I saw your granny, my parents, my brothers and everyone running towards me in happiness. I saw the same happiness around in the airport that day. I can still remember the faces of the passengers and their families who greeted each other, cuddled, kissed, prayed and cheered all of us for surviving the most adventurous and horrifying journey in our life.” concluding his story, Rajeev, had tears in his eyes and a smile on his lips. “That was probably the most memorable, and thankful new year in my life.” Sighed Rajeev
His grandson, asked him, “Grandpa! What were the demands of the hijackers?” Rajeev immediately replied, “Till date, after the incident, I never discussed with anyone, checked in the newspaper or read anything about the incident. This is a chapter I always wanted to forget in my life, but it still keeps haunting me. Not sure for guilt or fear or pain!”
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