Hostage

The following day, Sanjay woke up in bed with Alina, the blonde girl still fast asleep beside him. The previous night had seen a series of intense experiments that had left the bed drenched, prompting Alina to plead with Sanjay to stop.

After his usual treadmill workout, Sanjay prepared to check on the office arrangements. Dressed in a shirt and pants, he left the hotel, leaving Alina undisturbed in her sleep, as he knew she wouldn't be needed that day.

The office, situated on the 15th floor, was a small space. Upon opening the doors, he found the workers cleaning and shifting computers. Preferring not to disturb them, he went directly to his staff to inquire about the progress of the license. He informed them of his departure for California that day, indicating a potential return in the future and advising them to contact him via phone for any issues.

After bidding Alina goodbye at the hotel, he boarded his flight to California, soon the flight took off and he immediately took out his laptop to work on coding for his new venture. During the flight, he noticed a bearded man with a slight limp heading to the restroom. 

To the casual observer, the man's slight limp might not have been noticeable, but Sanjay's acute perception allowed him to discern the subtle irregularity in his trait. The man didn't appear to be injured, as his respiration seemed regular, yet his contracted pupils and nervous demeanor suggested that he was concealing something in his shoe sole. Concealing such items while in flight was clearly ill-advised.

As the bearded man entered the restroom, Sanjay glanced at the seated passengers. While it didn't seem like he had a companion, Sanjay realized the possibility of one sitting in the economy class, separated from business class by a curtain.

Rising slowly, Sanjay approached one of the air hostesses. "Hello sir, do you need anything? Please take a seat, and we'll come to you," the polite and beautiful air hostess offered.

Without wasting time, Sanjay quietly instructed the air hostess to follow him, careful not to draw attention. Initially confused, the air hostess reluctantly complied.

"Is there a problem, sir?" she inquired, her irritation palpable.

Upon reaching the plane's kitchen, Sanjay observed the other air hostesses busily preparing to serve the passengers. Sensing the gravity of the situation, the air hostess looked at Sanjay with a mix of confusion and concern. Sanjay, composed and urgent, took a deep breath and explained the seriousness of the issue.

"Please inform the captain that there might be terrorists on the plane," Sanjay instructed in a low, urgent voice.

The air hostess hesitated momentarily, attempting to gauge the sincerity in Sanjay's expression. Quickly realizing that he was not joking, she nodded determinedly and reached for the communication device to alert the captain, relying on her professional training to maintain a composed facade.

Sanjay went back to his seat and continued to survey the cabin, staying alert to any sign of trouble. The air hostess returned to him, her expression now grave and determined.

"The captain has been informed, and he's assessing the situation. We don't want to create a panic among the passengers, so please remain discreet," she whispered, her eyes betraying a sense of apprehension.

Suddenly, the door swung open with a resounding bang. A young air hostess was caught in the crossfire as a man brandishing a gun swiftly approached her. Chaos erupted as passengers in the business class scrambled in all directions, while a man from the economy class boldly stepped forward into the business class cabin. Another air hostess was now held at gunpoint by a second terrorist. Sanjay was correct, there were two terrorists in the plane and one was in the economy.

"Everybody, shut up, or we will start killing everyone one by one," the second man signaled to the bearded man, indicating the gravity of the threat.

The bearded man dragged the air hostess toward the communication device, issuing a chilling ultimatum to the cockpit. "Open the door, or we will start killing everyone one by one, starting with your beloved wife," he threatened over the communication device.

Seated calmly in his seat, Sanjay was observing the unfolding situation, he was unaware that one of the air hostesses was the captain's wife. The tense atmosphere was rapidly deteriorating, and Sanjay realized the potential gravity of the circumstances. Though it was strictly taught to pilots in the airline industry to never open the cockpit door under any circumstances, he also knew that human emotion is a powerful force. Before the captain would potentially open the door or the terrorist harmed the woman, he felt compelled to take action.

Perplexed by how the terrorists knew that both the wife and husband were on the same flight, Sanjay scanned the passengers once again. There must be someone from the inside helping them, he thought. Silence hung heavy in the cabin, everyone too afraid to make even the slightest sound.

From behind the curtain in the economy section, Sanjay noticed a passenger fixated on the terrorists. The person's eyes were determined, yet remained composed. Sanjay immediately suspected the presence of the air marshal, who typically remained on the plane to ensure the safety of the passengers. Positioned just behind the curtain, the air marshal appeared poised to act, waiting for the right moment to intervene.

Even with the air marshal armed, the presence of two terrorists holding people at gunpoint made the situation precarious. The air marshal needed to act swiftly without drawing attention. 

Assessing his surroundings, Sanjay's eyes fell on a packet of peanuts left over from the earlier in-flight service. With precise aim, he targeted one of the trolleys carrying food and beverages from the side, using the peanut to unlock a wheel . The heavy cart surged forward, colliding with the terrorist at the front, catching him off guard.

Reacting swiftly, the air marshal seized the opportunity, firing his gun with precision, striking both terrorists in their heads. The passengers erupted in chaos, unaware of the specifics of the unfolding events.

"Everyone, please remain silent. I am an air marshal with Homeland Security. The flight is safe now. Please cooperate," the air marshal declared, quickly securing the terrorists' weapons.

The air hostesses, who had been held hostage, collapsed in shock and relief, tears streaming down their faces, particularly the one who had been close to the terrorist struck by the trolley.

The air marshal swiftly calmed the panicking crowd, while the captain already steered the flight back to New York upon receiving Sanjay's alert. With the captain's wife safe, the captain was spared from opening the door, a fact he decided to keep to himself.

The plane soon landed at the airport, surrounded by police and SWAT vehicles. All passengers were immediately evacuated, with the authorities conducting thorough searches for any possible bombs planted by the terrorists as a precaution. Each passenger was interrogated individually without respite to prevent any potential fabrications of events. 

Sanjay, in particular, faced intense scrutiny regarding how he discerned the presence of the terrorists on the plane. Sanjay offered a convincing explanation, claiming to have observed suspicious behaviour. Despite initial suspicions, the authorities found no evidence to hold him and let him go upon confirming he was just 14 years old.

Although the passengers were housed in a 5-star hotel as a gesture of apology from the airline, they remained under scrutiny until Homeland Security completed background checks on all of them.