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First Love By- Anil Chopra Anil is a pilot. An enthusiastic traveler, who would have loved to be a member of the National Geographic Society. Takes on the pen once in a while. More than all, he is a devoted husband, and being a father of two teenage daughters, always carries a loaded double barrel gun.

A young man of 18 had just joined the Air Force Elementary Flying School. Three years at the Military Academy (NDA) had kept him cocooned, isolated from the rest of the world, especially from the fairer sex. Initially a little reluctant, a little shy, but then the world had all of a sudden opened up for this energetic brut who was all set to take on the bull by the horns. The first pretty thing that was to come this love starved lad's way; he was bound to fall head over heels for her.

Finally she was there, the woman of his dreams. She was young, barely in the teens. Very shapely, very sleek, as if someone had taken pains to give her the contours. She would come gliding in, cutting through the breeze, with that pitter-patter like sound of a piston engine propeller. That silvery mien of hers would melt any a Bulldog's heart. It was love at first sight. The mere sight of her would run up the adrenal in the veins. He had no formal experience or training on the societal niceties, nor had anybody taught him the standard opening lines. But the animal in him was alive, and rearing. He was conscious that discretion was better part of valour. For a few days he chose to study her closely. It was important for him to understand her better and that would also build his confidence before he could enter headlong. He was afraid of failure. He always felt that in this game there is nothing as the second best, there are only winners and losers and he had no intentions of being the later.

The first solo meeting happened on a winter afternoon. It was a very pleasant day. Small puffs of cloud punctuated the sky. She was waiting alone. A mild breeze was occasionally blowing her red flag like ponytail ribbons. He was not sure these were for warning, or were they the come hither signs. The shear sight of her could not hold him back and he briskly rushed towards her. He touched her, felt her closely, and than began to undress her. Soon they were in a thick embrace as if some one had strapped them together never to be separated. And then that pitter-patter, cooing in the ears, soon they were in a different world, riding the skies towards the seventh heaven. His basic instinct told him that he must handle the woman gently. But he was still crude and at times jerky in his actions. On the other hand she was really enjoying the ab-initio, novice like handling of her new paramour. She was a seasoned old hand. Many a youngsters had passed by her. But not for a moment did she let him feel that he was not her first love. In fact she kept forgiving him for some of his rather crude advances. Soon he had mastered the art and their movements were in unison. They began to toss around in aerobatic like maneuvers. The earth was turning upside down. It was bliss of the highest kind, the ultimate satisfaction.

Soon they realised that they had already gone too far and it all must end. It was time to return back to mother earth. Cutting through the air, thanking the gods they went into the final embrace. And then he let her down gently. She too felt greatly relieved and kissed the ground, conveying her gratitude for yet another happy landing. The man was a young under training pilot and his girlfriend was none other than his primary training aircraft - the HT-2.

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