All Naveen wanted to do was sleep. He was up all night getting ready for the big meeting with his CEO. If this meeting was a success, his plans would be set into motion, and he would start moving up in the world. He just wanted to sleep on his plane ride to New York, but that baby would not be quiet.
He turned around and saw that the mother was obviously struggling. It was obvious all of the other passengers were annoyed. Naveen saw that the old man sitting next to the mother was being very harsh on her, and it seemed to only make her more stressed.
Naveen knew he wasn't going to get any sleep if he stayed in this seat, so he got up and walked back a few rows. He tapped the grumpy old man on the shoulder.
The man looked at him and asked sharply, "What?"
Naveen said, "If you'd like, I'd be happy to switch you seats, mine is just a few rows up."
The old man quickly stood up and took his chance to get even a little bit farther away from the baby. Naveen sat down in the old man's seat. He saw that nobody else was in the other seat, because she must have reserved it for the baby.
Naveen took the baby out of the poor woman's hands and held her close to his chest.
The woman asked, "What are you doing?"
Naveen said, "Trying to make this whole plane a little less agitated with you."
He rocked the baby back and forth until her crying slowed to a whimper. He asked the woman, "Is she yours?"
"Yes, her name's Ella," she said.
Naveen asked, "What might her mother's name be?"
"Marina," she said.
"Marina," Naveen said trying out her name, "where's Ella's dad?"
Marina shrugged her shoulders and said, "Your guess is as good as mine."
Naveen smiled at this new piece of information.
"How did you get her to fall asleep?"
Naveen shrugs his shoulders and says, "Kids have always liked me."
Marina smiles and says, "Not just the kids."
They look into each other's eyes and Naveen doesn't mind that he isn't going to get any sleep anymore.