How a Flight from Stockholm to Marseille Changed Two Lives Forever
By Abdullah Usman Morai
The budget airline terminal in Stockholm was buzzing with the usual chaos—backpackers looking for cheap getaways, students excited about new experiences, and weary professionals desperate for a break. Among the sea of passengers boarding the flight to Marseille was Dr. Adam Lindgren, a Swedish physician in his early forties. Clean-shaven, dressed in khaki trousers and a light blue shirt, Adam carried an air of calm that barely masked the storm inside him.
Adam was escaping—again. His family life had been falling apart for over a year. An endless series of misunderstandings, cold dinners, and unspoken regrets had created a wall between him and his wife. Their children, caught in between, had started to withdraw too. So Adam did what he’d come to do often—book a trip for a long weekend and go somewhere. Anywhere.
A few rows behind him boarded Aarav Mehta, an Indian IT consultant based in Uppsala. In his mid-thirties, Aarav was lean, with expressive eyes and a short beard. He walked a little slower than others, clutching a small medical pouch tightly. Unlike Adam, Aarav was at peace with life, at least spiritually. Despite a terrifying diagnosis of a rare condition called Narcolepsy with Cataplexy, which caused him to suddenly fall unconscious, Aarav carried an inner calm, drawn from his deep spiritual connection and a life of mindful living.
The two men had chosen the cheapest option—random seat allocation—and as fate would have it, they found themselves seated next to each other, in 17A and 17B, window and middle.
For the first half hour, they sat in silence. Adam stared out the window, lost in thought. Aarav opened his Kindle, but his eyes often lingered on the clouds. There was no small talk. No reason to.
Until the turbulence hit.
The plane jolted violently, eliciting gasps and muffled screams from around the cabin. Adam’s hands instinctively gripped the armrest. Aarav shut his eyes and muttered a soft prayer. After a few tense minutes, the aircraft steadied, but the ice between them had been shattered.
“Quite the welcome from the skies,” Aarav said, offering a nervous smile.
Adam chuckled. “Makes you reevaluate life for a second, doesn’t it?”
“I think fear does that. Shakes us into connection,” Aarav replied.
And just like that, the wall crumbled. They introduced themselves. Adam, the seasoned physician who rarely spoke about his personal life. Aarav, the IT wizard who believed in the universe’s signs.
Their conversation flowed naturally—from work to travels. Aarav spoke of his adventures in the Dolomites and hiking in Iceland. Adam shared tales of medical camps in South America and quiet retreats in the Alps.
Eventually, the conversation turned deeper.
“I travel because I need an escape,” Adam admitted. “My home doesn’t feel like home anymore. My marriage is… complicated. I don’t talk about it much. But lately, I feel like something’s missing in me. Not physically. Just… emotionally.”
Aarav nodded thoughtfully. “Sometimes we live entire years disconnected from our own hearts. I’ve been there.”
He opened his phone and read aloud a quote by Rumi:
“The wound is the place where the light enters you.”
Adam looked at him, eyes slightly wet. “That’s… powerful.”
“Rumi saved me, in a way,” Aarav said softly. “When I was diagnosed with my condition last year, my world turned upside down.”
“What condition, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Narcolepsy with Cataplexy. It’s rare. One in a million, literally. I can suddenly lose consciousness, often triggered by emotions or excitement. Sometimes I collapse in the middle of the street or at work. I carry my medicine everywhere. This pouch,” he said, lifting the leather bag, “has saved my life more than once.”
Adam looked at him with concern and respect. “That’s a lot to handle.”
“It is. But I believe even suffering can be a teacher,” Aarav said.
They landed in Marseille with the sun painting the sky in hues of lavender and gold. As the passengers dispersed, they exchanged numbers.
“Tea tomorrow?” Aarav asked.
“Absolutely,” Adam replied.
***
The next day, they sat in a quaint café near the port, sipping herbal tea and sharing slices of Tarte Tropézienne. They spoke of childhoods, their favorite books, their regrets, and the beautiful absurdity of life. The warmth of their connection was unexpected, yet unmistakable.
“Ever been to Aix-en-Provence?” Aarav asked.
“No, but I’ve heard it’s beautiful.”
“Let’s go. It’s just an hour away. It was home to Paul Cézanne, the impressionist painter. His studio is still there.”
They spent the next day exploring the charming streets of Aix, its fountains, lavender shops, and the famous Montagne Sainte-Victoire, which inspired many of Cézanne’s masterpieces. They even attempted bits of French they remembered from school.
“Ça va?” Adam asked.
“Très bien!” Aarav laughed.
As the weekend came to a close, both men boarded their return flight to Stockholm. This time, their random seats had separated them. Adam was near the front, Aarav toward the rear.
Midway through the flight, a commotion erupted near the back. A passenger had collapsed in the aisle.
“Is there a doctor on board?” a flight attendant shouted.
Adam instinctively stood up, heart racing.
As he reached the scene, he recognized the unconscious figure on the floor. “Aarav!” he exclaimed.
“I know him,” Adam said quickly. “He has a condition—Narcolepsy with Cataplexy. He showed me the medication.”
He rummaged through Aarav’s backpack, found the familiar leather pouch, and swiftly administered the necessary treatment. Slowly, Aarav stirred.
“Adam…” he whispered, weakly smiling.
“You scared everyone,” Adam said, half-laughing, half-relieved.
After stabilizing Aarav, Adam turned to the crew. “He should always inform airlines of his condition. Please note it for future flights.”
Back in their seats, Aarav looked at him, grateful. “Thank you for saving me.”
“You helped me first,” Adam replied. “More than you know.”
They both laughed softly.
“Funny,” Aarav said. “Two random seats… and a whole journey of connection.”
“Random,” Adam mused, “isn’t always bad.”
***
Epilogue
They remained close after that. Adam started reading Rumi and attending mindfulness workshops. Aarav, on the other hand, began consulting a specialist recommended by Adam for better treatment and lifestyle adjustment.
Their friendship grew with time, built on trust, shared vulnerability, and a flight that shook their lives in more ways than one.
Whenever they traveled, they’d joke, “Let’s not pick seats. Let the universe do it.”
Because sometimes, random seats bring exactly the person you need.
Read: Short Story: The Wake-Up Call
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Abdullah Soomro, penname Abdullah Usman Morai, hailing from Moro town of Sindh, province of Pakistan, is based in Stockholm Sweden. Currently he is working as Groundwater Engineer in Stockholm Sweden. He did BE (Agriculture) from Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam and MSc water systems technology from KTH Stockholm Sweden as well as MSc Management from Stockholm University. Beside this he also did masters in journalism and economics from Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mirs, Sindh. He is author of a travelogue book named ‘Musafatoon’. His second book is in process. He writes articles from time to time. A frequent traveler, he also does podcast on YouTube with channel name: VASJE Podcast.
