The Jet Airways flight back from London was uneventful. Uneventful in terms of disturbance and discomfort. Most of the 8 and a half hour journey was smooth and quiet, except for all the shooting that transpired on the Johny Depp film where he plays the out law Dillinger The film apparently did not fare well, but for me it was a most interesting film. Visually it was different. The settings for each frame of celluloid was like a painting done with a certain obviousness, yet made so casual and natural that it never impacted the film’s story scene and style. I quite liked it … liked the way it had been put together. I had wished though that Dillinger would have lived, but he got shot and died. When you worship a hero in film, you wish for him to survive and come out victorious. Here in the film that is the element that was missing. Or maybe I am too biased on Mr Depp !!

The stewards and the charming air hostesses were so concerned for my well being that it was quite overwhelming. They do care for me and do still feel like having a photo opportunity with me … in the galley quietly. I notice that on local inland flights as well. I sometimes wonder what it is that drives them to get that moment. Younger AB yes, the younger lot - SRK, Aamir, Salman, Hrithik, Ranbir yes yes.. but for me .. no it does not make sense !! Anyway enough of this tale, before clientele starts erupting about deliberate modesty from me .. but seriously though .. even the Commander of the flights come down. As did … no no … cannot mention names … would that get them into trouble ! Yes it sure would. Not so much these guys, but those that I encountered a short while ago on a national flight. Both the commanders were out in the galley … when a horrified me was summing up enough courage to ask in bewilderment - ” Hey !! Who’s flying the plane .. then …??”

I slept a bit, but most of the journey kept awake peering from the window, watching the world go by. Overnight flights have this peculiarity. You are always flying towards the morning and so the day breaks early on the aircraft. The early morning hues in the sky, the faint clouds here and there, lands, lakes, mountains, cities, civilizations, the odd crossings of other aircraft - they are getting a bit too frequent and bit to close for aero comfort, but sometimes its nice to know that you are not alone in the hemisphere !!

Closer home as you come over the lower parts of Afghanistan and into Pakistan and Dillinger Depp has been eliminated, the terrain below is some of the most beautiful you shall ever witness. Stark dry mountains, sharply cut into plateaus and drops as though they had at some point been under the sea or a part of it. Their monotony broken by a sudden patch of the lightest blue ; a mismanaged lake spreading lazily over an expanse of land that has not bothered to ask its existence, has not demarcated barriers or divisions, but just is there with its unformed rugged barriers !! And then as soon as you fly over the Rann of Kutch, even from this height of 36,000 feet, one cannot but marvel at this great visual of nature. Miles and miles of white barren expanse, this morning, tinged with the lightest pink across the length of it .. an accidental spill of pink ink over a white sheet of paper … !!

Jaya is flying somewhere in UP in a helicopter and she shall land in time for all of us to get together for the function. Aishwarya too is being rewarded for her contribution, so its another family affair. Shweta is informed and she is told we shall pick her up since the venue is on the way. We are running late. The ladies have taken their time in getting dressed and yes they are looking gorgeous, but as we drive in to Shweta’s house and wait for her to come down into the car, the staff comes rushing out -

‘Madam has had a fall she is calling you !!”

Jaya, Aishwarya and I having got together at Sopaan to change and wash up are in the car and out of it in lightning speed. We run inside and find Shweta on the staircase, on her haunches and in tears. Her foot and her sandals have slipped and she has landed on the edge of the step midway on her back. She is unable to move. We gather her up and gently pick her and take her to her bed. She is in deep pain and we try to calm her down within her tears that are beginning to ruin her glowing face. She is looking so beautiful and her dress so apt and smart for the occasion. But now distress has taken over. Feel so bad for her. She was looking so pretty. Would have stunned everyone at the function. Cold compresses and reassurance later she begins to settle down, but has difficulty in walking. Agastya and Navya that had been tucked away to bed, have run out from their bedroom and look on helplessly. I calm them down as does their Mother who is now the recipient of some cold fermentation from Jaya. Sadly Shweta decides not to go along, obviously, and we leave her with a heavy heart as she settles down and insists that we carry on.

I hate it to see my children like this … but she is a brave girl and manages to bring on a faint smile to make us comfortable. We leave for the function and tell her to relax and we shall see her soon.

NDTV … Indian of the Year … acknowledging 21 years of the existence of the channel and simultaneously acknowledging Indians that have been an inspiration for the country in these 21 years !! Young Rukhsana, the teenaged girl from Kashmir who when attacked by a terrorist, snatched his own weapon and killed him. Aradhna, the brave Mother of her daughter who after being molested by a police officer committed suicide and is fighting for 19 years now to get justice when she discovered that the officer had been let off with a warning and nothing more. Executives and bureaucrats and finance wizards that have helped in forming the modern image of progressive India. Ministers, politicians that have shaped well. Film makers and twitter artists - Karan Johar, Shahrukh Khan, Aishwarya, Priyanka, Ranbir, proud parents Rishi and Neetu, AR Rahman. Sportsmen - Sachin, Dhoni, Saina Nehwal. LK Advani and Chidambaram. LK Advani presents me mine, and admits on stage that he has not missed a single film of mine from the very first Saat Hidustani, for which he had been dragged to by my Mother - Advani having had a very close relationship with our family since very early years - right down to Paa !! I am so humbled. So many luminaries in the audience. The most powerful in the country in politics and the services. The three Army chiefs, and the people that matter in India’s presence, all mingling in a vast multitude of acknowledgment to those deserving candidates in the last 21 years of the country.

And in the middle of all this - Sachin playing the one dayer with South Africa in Gwalior creates history by being the first human in the universe to have scored 200 runs in an ODI … and India beats So Africa by a huge margin to retain their world position. Dhoni on tele conference from the cricket venue, including me as one of his inspirations in life … aaahhhh !! Just so much praise … humbling humbling ..

I send Sachin a congratulatory sms and he responds back with his customary thanks and love, inquiring after the family, affected I would like to believe by this horrific Mumbai Mirror article ; as have so many that we meet wherever we go.

So much in a day …

From Gordon Brown, Prime Minister of Great Britain and being seated by him at dinner, over night to Chidambaram, Home Minister of the country within 24 hours. From Jyoti Basu longest running Chief Minister of Bengal and charismatic leader of the Communist Party, to Karunanidhi in Chennai, the Chief Minister of Tamilnadu, to Yeddurappa the Chief Minister of Karnataka, to Kerala among their authority, to Shiela Dikshit, Chief Minister of Delhi who runs up to me at the President of India, Pazhassi Raja Award to check if the tax exemption for Paa has been picked up from her office or not, I wonder now what the cynics who saw ulterior motive in my visit to Gujarat and my meeting with Narendra Modi, cook up.

Labor Party to Congress Party to BJP to DMK to back to Congress to Bala saheb Thakeray … to Narayan Murty of Infosys, to Raj Deep Sardesai of CNNIBN to Pranoy Roy of NDTV …the cynics and sooth sayers, the analysts and prediction pundits, political and social psychologists, sporting commentators and film fraternity ( SRK dramatically posturing himself in servile mode in front of me on stage today in response to a question by media as to how I handled my iconic status and me saying I do not handle coz’ i do not hold such status, and SRK jumping in and saying I tell how we handle it and then he bends down in reverence in front of me to my great embarrassment ) … all .. must be having a field day trying to pin some fault in my associations with these eminent people .. Ha ha ha !

O ! Dear Lord ! Forgive them for they know not what profound fools they make of themselves in assuming grave meaning behind these visits of mine.

I am but an ordinary man, possessing very ordinary traits and content with the happiness that this brings me. Do not align me with the complexity of your thoughts. They can be put to better use. Use them !!

‘Tis 3 : 19 AM …

I have no idea of time or place or location … tomorrow is perhaps back to Mumbai …

But no perhaps in my love for you ..

Amitabh Bachchan