The Audience in Aeroplane

  

After the Global pandemic, almost all the youths of Bhutan started migrating to Australia in hundreds for studies and work. On top of that, there were civil servants taking premature retirement from the service and joining the exodus.

It was during such times that His Majesty the King was also traveling in the Air. Although he was in the business class, His Majesty decided to visit the economy class of Druk Air. As he walked towards the economy section, he saw the airplane filled with Bhutanese of various ages, especially youngsters, traveling toward Australia.

“Where are you all going?” His Majesty asked, directing his question to no one in particular.

There was a pin-drop silence. His Majesty Jokingly continued, “You guys want to leave me and desert to a foreign country? Hmmm?”

There was no reply to this light-hearted question. Instead, the sound of sobbing began to emerge from some seats. Everyone on the plane was uncontrollably sobbing. They were not deserting but felt they had no other option but to go to Australia due to the lack of jobs and employment opportunities back home. They never imagined that His Majesty would be so concerned.

The sobbing was so contagious that His Majesty’s eyes were also seen glistening in the glimmer of the hidden lights in the plane. The helplessness of the King and his subjects could be felt to the core of the heart. The only difference that day was that His Majesty did not have the luxury of deserting to other countries like his subjects depending on the situations in the country.

Everyone cried that day as the flight took off from the tarmac including the people on the ground watching their loved ones leave the country, searching for greener pastures, from the ‘Gefa Zor’, oblivious of what happened in the airplane that day.