As a little boy Shyamal dreamed of flying those
magnificent flying machines that take to the skies so gracefully! He would
imagine sitting in the cockpit and charting a safe course over land and sea not
just for himself but for many others. As he grew up life threw up many
challenges not least being disdain from teachers who never understood him.
While his father loved Shyamal dearly he harbored a strong desire for him to
join the family business.
Throughout his childhood and well into his
eventful adolescence Shyamal kept his dream alive. Every time academic
pressures threatened to overwhelm him he would retreat into a private world in
which he vusialized flying aircraft of all kinds. The boring accountancy
classes were the perfect runway from which his fertile imagination took off!
Since his heart was in the cockpit and not in the ledger books he neither did
well in his BCom exams nor did he succumb to familial pressure to join the
well-established business.
The family held intense discussions with Shyamal about his career. Through it all his mother was a refuge of
unconditional love and encouragement. As a friend and mentor to the family for over
25 years I was naturally concerned about the imbroglio. At one particular
meeting I could see the tension eating into the vitals of the family. But I
could also see the passion for flying that was consuming Shyamal.
Having observed him for years while he was growing
up I also knew that Shyamal’s motor skills, hand-eye coordination, powers of observation
and ability to act decisively made him a natural as a flyer. I also realized
that he nurtured a mortal fear of being grounded, in a chair, behind a desk. That was a recipe for disaster!
Shyamal was destined to fly! I was convinced that
if he pursued a career in flying Shyamal would metamorphose from an unhappy,
brash young man with a devil-may-care attitude into a responsible, mature,
super-dependable, balanced, happy and successful professional. I was convinced that this young man was born to fly! Fortunately, that was exactly what I was able to encourage the family to realize too. And so, Shyamal spread his wings!
The transformation was not only amazing; it was as
dramatic as it was unbelievable! And, awe-inspiring! Within 2 years, a young man
who was academically disinterested during his school and college years studied,
mastered and passed literally with flying colours every exam that he needed
to take in maths, physics, chemistry, principles of flight, navigation and what
have you! From rookie to qualified commercial pilot in 24 months!
While he was at the Baroda Flying Club I ran into
Shyamal at the Baroda Airport; that was when I shared my dream with him. I said
to him, “ Shyamal, one day, soon, you will fly a state-of-art Boeing 737 as
Commander and I will be onboard as a proud passenger.” On 25th July 2012 that
dream was fulfilled when I flew Jetairways 9W 2103 from Mumbai to Kochi with
Captain Shyamal Asher in command. I’ll never be happier or prouder during a
flight!
It just proves that if we keep our dreams alive with focus,
determination, perseverance and fearlessness the dream is bound to become
reality!
Thank you Capt Shyamal Asher for inspiring me!
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