The Mysterious Stranger

THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER

The flight had landed and she was anxious. Her heart was fluttering, beating loudly and ready to jump out of her chest. It was as if she had stepped out of a strenuous cardio class. Thankfully there was no accompanying sweat or else she would be deeply embarrassed. She tried to control herself, her emotions, and her random urges to get up from her seat and run down the aisle screaming loudly. What was happening to her? Was she out of her mind? The cause of her anxiety and almost panic attack was the person sitting one row behind her.

She did not understand. She had never seen him before, and she had a pretty good memory. She didn’t recall ever in her life coming across this person, so why did he seem so familiar? And most importantly why was she suddenly reacting so strongly on seeing this stranger? The reactions had started the first time she had eye contact with him, which was when she boarded the flight and was trying to stow her small carryon bag into the overhead bin. The 6 feet tall stranger with a better reach as compared to her 5’2 self, had graciously offered to help her and she had let him. His hand had grazed hers making her freeze. She had inadvertently strayed few seconds looking into his blue eyes while she thanked him. She had goose bumps all over her arms. Suddenly her teeth were chattering as she managed to utter a jittery “Thank you”.

Later when the seat belt sign was turned off, she had made fake bathroom trips just to get a better glance at him, to get a better chance at recognizing him in case she had missed it is the first place. Blue plaid shirt, black jeans, with blonde hair, a slight stubble, and hint of an Australian accent which she detected when he spoke to the little girl sitting next to him - there was no way she knew him. He seemed to be traveling alone because he was asking the woman sitting with the little girl (presumably the mother) for good places to eat in Manhattan. The flight was headed to New...