My Right-Hand Man at the Left-Hand of the US Ex-President.

Till some time back I was part of a SaaS Product Org and I had a colleague who was one of my best Product Managers. I can say he was my right-hand man. And even though for quite some time now we are on different paths in life, we are still well connected and still in touch.  Last week I met him in B’lore and he told me about the following chance incident which happened to him. In his own words, it was not a “once in a lifetime” incidence, but a “once in multiple lifetime incidence”.   I am writing about *HIS* experience in first-person narration style as if *HE* is telling you the story….

 -=-==-=-=-

I was traveling to attend a conference in Europe and to visit a few customers in the US. The conf got over and I took a flight from Munich to Atlanta. I boarded the plane and settled in my window seat. The boarding was over and all passengers were in their seats. But the air bridge was still engaged to the plane. It was a kind of lull and we all were expecting that we will start rolling any moment.  The seat on my right was empty, and I was feeling happy that I can stretch myself and have a bit more relaxed flight. Business Class is anyway comfortable, but having an empty seat in business class is a god sent gift. 

While I was planning my relaxed flight, a tall and burly man dressed in a pitch-black suit came in. Very slowly, looking here and there as if searching for his seat, he walked to the empty seat on my right, opened the overhead compartment, took out my laptop bag, and asked me if it was mine. I said yes. He kept my bag back where it was. He also kept the bag he was carrying next to my bag and then he did something strange. He slightly raised his left hand, just enough so that his arm was close to his mouth, and said, “All Good”. I could clearly listen to his words “All Good”. Looking at his burly frame and his mannerism, I had a weird feeling that I am watching some action movie. This guy was oozing authority and a no-nonsense kind of air. After saying those 2 words “All Good” he sat in the seat just behind my row. 

At this time I realized that there was an empty seat behind me and also one across the aisle.  Then it was quiet for about a minute or so.  And then suddenly one more burly man entered the plane and turned left and went somewhere in the front section of the plane. After 10 seconds another guy entered the plane whom I had seen before but I could not quickly recognize. He straightway walks to the empty seat on my right. All he is carrying is just 2 books. He stows the books in the front compartment and sits next to me. Immediately after taking his seat, he turns to me, extends his hand to me, and with a broad smile he says “Hi, I am Bill Clinton. How are you doing?”   I was so shocked, that I could barely manage to say, “Hello Sir, my name is Digesh”.  Now 2 more black-suited men enter the plane, one takes a seat just across the aisle and another disappears somewhere toward the rear side.

I saw thru the window that the air bridge is already pulled back and I hear the announcement from the pilot that we are about to start rolling.

By this time passengers on our right and front and behind had understood who is the passenger sitting next to me and why those 4 hefty men in black suits were in our plane as passengers. I was trying my level best to recover from the shock and think about what to speak and more importantly whether to speak with my co-passenger. Surprisingly my co-passenger was more interested in me rather than the other way around. On the next 9 Hours flight, we were talking for at least 7 hours. He took short 2-3 naps, but apart from that, we were continuously talking. So much so, I even dared to crack a joke with him asking him whether the call sign of this flight is Air-Force One.  To which he reacted with a roaring laugh and said No No No. I noticed the passengers across the aisle wondering who is this guy cracking jokes with the Ex-President of the USA.

Today I just wonder why this Ex-POTUS should take so much interest and ask so many questions to a common guy from India like me. Why he spoke so much and so many things to a common guy like me. He said, he was in Germany with family but Hillary and Chelsey flew back to USA 2 days back, and he extended his stay as he was scheduled to give a speech at some conference. He asked me about the Customers I will be visiting in the US. I told him I am visiting (A-FortuneTen-Company-Name-Here) in Atlanta and (A-Huge-Communications-Company-Name-Here) in San Jose.  He took great interest in the kind of work we are doing for that communications company and asked many questions. And then he casually told me "I know Mr. (A-BigShot-Name-Here) very well and he sits on the board of that communications company. If you need any help talk to him and give him my reference".

It was all so surreal and like a dream. So much so, he clinked his wine glass with mine. I had read about the Zero Emails he sent as the POTUS. And by now I was feeling so comfortable speaking to him, that I decided to verify that. So, I asked him whether it is true that you did not send a single email as POTUS? He said it is mostly true. So, I asked him “How you managed it?  (Just look at how idiot or arrogant I was while asking such a question to the Ex-POTUS). But he did not mind the question at all.  He squinted his eyes, thought for 2-3 seconds, and said, “Ummm...I never felt any need for that”. He himself opened the topic about the relationship between our 2 nations when Shri. Bajpaiji was our PM. He said though the relations were not at the best, he had great respect for Mr. Bajpai.

By now everyone on the plane knew who was the special passenger on our flight. Many came to his seat and requested a selfie and surprisingly he did not say no to anyone. And this way, we spend almost the entire flight having casual discussions about many topics. Was it my arrogance and stupidity to talk about so many things with the Ex-POTUS? Or was it his quality of making someone comfortable to talk to him?  Maybe it was the latter. Because he always looked forward to listening to what I was talking about. But the real shocker was yet to come.

We landed in Atlanta and while taxing in, the pilot made an announcement/request that we are having Mr. Bill Clinton as our co-passenger and all are requested to be seated till the Ex-POTUS and his Secret Service Agents are disembarked. There was a loud cheer and clapping in the plane. The plane came to halt, the bridge was attached and the door was opened. The Secret Service Agent behind my row had already taken his bag (I think that bag must have been of the Ex-POTUS) from the overhead compartment and was standing next to us, waiting for the Ex-POTUS to get up. The Ex-POTUS was still talking to me. When he noticed that the Secret Service Agent was waiting for him, he quickly got up. He got up and said, “Come”.  I was shell-shocked. The pilot had announced that all passengers should be seated till the Ex-POTUS leaves the plane. I also know enough that while on the plane, the pilot’s word is the law. Not obeying the pilot (or for that matter any crew member) could land you in serious trouble. And here was the Ex-POTUS asking me to get off the plane with him. I was dumbfounded & did not know what to do. He saw me confused, and said again “Come, join me”.

At this moment I simply got up, took my laptop bag from the overhead compartment and we started walking out. Myself, the Ex-POTUS, and his 4 Secret Service Agents.  Within no time we reached the Immigration area.  He pointed me to one of the counters, shook my hand, and said “Good luck. Let us meet sometime in the future”. And the Ex-POTUS and his 4 SSAs quickly walked away from me.  

I had visited the USA dozens of times before. I was never roughly quizzed as such by any immigration officer, at any time. But never before I was allowed to enter with zero questions also.  The immigration officer would ask me at least where I am going, which Org I am visiting, etc. This time it was going to be different. I strongly feel the officer had seen me coming with Ex-POTUS. The officer took my passport, simply stamped it, said welcome to the USA, and gave it back to me. No smile as such, but no question also.

I never talk about this with strangers because they are more likely to feel that I am pulling a fast one on them.

-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-

I completely agree with my friend and my ex-colleague. 
Someone who listens to such a story can easily feel that it is just an imagination.

Till you see this…