The Airbus A-300, parked on a desolate spot adjoining Delhi’s international airport, scarcely attracts more than a look from passers-by. Little do they realise what’s going on inside its fat body. Some 30-odd pretty young things, neatly attired in navy blue skirt, scarves and stockings, listen attentively to their teacher Bhavna Tiwari, ex-air hostess, as she conducts a class for these aspiring high-fliers. Many of them are from small towns—places like Ludhiana, Karnal and Meerut—and seem a bit dazed by the new world they’ve been plunged into. Many have never been inside an airplane before. Bhavna chooses six girls to play the cabin crew and the rest of the students are asked to take the role of passengers.
The nervous students shuffle their feet and tug at their skirts, aware of their teacher’s hawk-like eye for detail. One of the girls addresses a ‘passenger’ with her hand on the head rest. Immediately, Bhavna points out: "You have to face him while speaking, your hands by your side or palms neatly folded one on top of the other in front, like this."...
