A New York City woman’s small act of courage at an airport has struck a chord on Instagram after she asked a Delta Airlines pilot if she could take a photo with him as part of a personal challenge to face her fear of rejection.

The woman, named Marukh, shared a video of the moment on Instagram, where she explained that she was pushing herself to ask for something she had always wanted to do, despite feeling nervous.
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“Okay, so I’m at the airport and to practice my fear of rejection, I’m gonna ask the pilot if I can take a photo with him. I see them literally right there. I’m scared,” she said in the video.
She then walked up to the crew and asked, “Hi, am I allowed to take a photo with the pilot? Can I?”
The crew responded warmly and said, “Yeah, you can.”
‘I really respect and admire what you guys do’
Marukh was then allowed to step into the cockpit, where she greeted the pilots and expressed her admiration for their work.
“Hi, how are you? I just wanted to say hello and I want to say I really respect and admire what you guys do and I’m very lucky that I get to be on your flight. So do you mind if I take a photo with you guys?” she asked.
The pilot agreed, leaving Marukh visibly surprised and excited. “Wait, where? Really? Oh my god, that would be awesome. Okay, so wow! Wow, thank you so much. I’m trying to, like, I’m trying to face my fear of rejection and just do things I’ve always wanted to do. Okay, wow, this is so cool. Okay, thank you so much,” she said.
Sharing the experience after the interaction, she added, “That was such an amazing and awesome experience. I’m so glad I did that and they were so amazing. Thank you so much, Delta, you guys have the best crew ever. Literally, it made my day.”
The video was shared with the caption, “challenging my fear of rejection: airport edition.”
Watch the clip here:
Internet reacts to the wholesome moment
The clip has garnered several reactions, with many social media users praising Marukh for stepping out of her comfort zone.
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One user wrote, “This is so wholesome. Sometimes all it takes is asking.” Another said, “The way the crew treated her so kindly made this even better.” A third commented, “This is such a sweet reminder that rejection is not always the answer.”
Others also applauded the Delta crew. “The pilots were so gracious and kind,” one user wrote, while another added, “This made me smile so much. What a beautiful little airport moment.” One person said, “I love this challenge. It proves that confidence grows when you take small steps.” Another reaction read, “This is the kind of content the internet needs more of.”
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)

