The Time Traveler

by Tej Pratap Singh

  “I don’t know where to start,” said Kamal taking out his mobile to make a few calls.

  “Jenny had written in her letter that she was confident that I would save her. And I intend on saving her,” said KC. “I just need to figure this out. If you could get the details of the ‘second me’ who called Jasmine from Hong Kong then that might throw some light on what exactly is going on here.”

  “Yes, those details should be in by now,” said Kamal. “I have called my office, they’ll be getting it and I have also called a remodelling team.”

  “A remodelling team?” questioned KC.

  “Ah, yes, that is for the house, they will redo the house,” explained Kamal. “We have to contain the situation right within this block, no news of this must get out. I don’t want the people of this country to panic. Any which way, we still will have to explain the gunshots being fired.”

  “Great, that will save me a lot of trouble,” said Jasmine letting out a sigh of relief.

  “Now that Lurton is gone, MegaTech and the other agencies will try to get to me,” said KC. “I’ll have to move out, that will buy me some time. But I can’t run forever.”

  “We have a team in Italy,” said Kamal turning around to face KC, disconnecting his phone, “I could connect you to them, they will cover you till we get our answers.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” said KC looking at Jasmine. “You also will have to move out for a month. Maybe go to your parents’ place?”

  “No, I am coming with you,” said Jasmine.

  “That would be a terrible idea,” said Kamal. “In tonight’s news we are going to declare KC is dead and he is going to stay that way till he is out of here. If you are found in Italy or anywhere near him, his cover will be blown. Rest assured everyone will be watching you —be it MegaTech or the F.B.I. The only thing that will keep you alive will be the fact that you are alone and of no use to them.”

  “Hmm. Okay then, is that it,” said Jasmine looking at KC. “I am out?”

  KC looked her in the eyes, “No you are not. Jasmine, the past few months I have had to do things that I would have never done, I had to do things that I despised otherwise. But I did it because I had to keep others around me alive, the people whom I love, who I care about.”

  “I understand, KC,” said Jasmine.

  “I have already lost enough,” said KC. “I just don’t want to risk losing more.”

  KC then collected all his stuff from Jasmine’s house and made a pile of it, ensuring once more that he had collected everything.

  “What are you doing?” asked Jasmine.

  “Erasing any traces of me,” replied KC. “All this burns with the house today.”

  “Okay then,” said Kamal looking at his mobile. “KC, you leave for Italy in one hour. I have arranged your pick up there, they will find you. And, Jasmine, my team will drop you to your parents’ place and once you are back here after a month your house will be as good as new.”

  “Yeah,” said Jasmine writing down her parents contact details on a piece of paper and giving it to KC and Kamal. “Call me if you stay alive. I am going to miss the life of adventure now that you will be gone.”

  KC looked at Jasmine as she pulled out her bag from under a wrecked almirah and started stuffing it with her essentials. She was finding it hard to locate her stuff as everything was scattered all over the place. A caravan of cars gathered outside her house, it was Kamal’s team. They started out by placing perimeter fence all around her house. Kamal’s team leader, Gill, entered the house through a large hole in the wall.

  “Sir, the area is secured, we have a close perimeter and an outer perimeter at 5kms and here is the file you had asked about for on the Hong Kong…”

  “Excellent, Gill,” interrupted Kamal, and calling Jasmine towards him. “This is Jasmine, she needs to be escorted to her parents’ place. You will find the address on this paper.”

  “Okay, sir,” said Gill.

  “I guess this is it, Jasmine,” said Kamal. “Let’s not waste any more time.”

  “I know,” said Jasmine making her way out of the house. She opened the door of her car to sit in.

  “Jasmine,” called KC as he extended his arms to hug.

  But Jasmine took a step back and stopped him.

  “Jasmine, I am sorry, I wish things could be different,” said KC.

  “I wish I had never met you,” said Jasmine sitting in the car as tears rolled down her face. She turned her face away so he wouldn’t see her crying.

  “Jasmine,” called out KC as she started her car and moved into the main lane followed by three of Gill’s cars.

  KC just stood there staring at the cars, hoping that she would at least look back at him once. Kamal came from behind and kept his hand on KC’s shoulder.

  “It’s time you moved on, soldier,” said Kamal. “Don’t worry about her, the further away she is from you, the safer she will be. I’ll make it sure she doesn’t even break a nail.”

  “Why is that everyone I care for they go away,” said KC looking up towards the sky. “I am tired, Kamal, I am really tired. I didn’t choose this for me. Why me, then? I just want to go about my life knowing I’m not hurting people. Wherever I turn people die, wherever I pass through there is fire.”

  “Because you have promises to keep,” said Kamal. “You have travelled across time, centuries, trust me on this one, KC, there is much more to it than just you. I know the man you are, even before you knew who you were. You are not selfish. Trust me, whatever you are doing here you are not doing it for just yourself, there is definitely a much greater purpose and we will get to the bottom of it. Hang in there, buddy, you are almost there.”

  KC sat on the lawn outside Jasmine’s house staring at the road, thinking about what lied ahead for him. Kamal, meanwhile, started to go through the Hong Kong file.

  “What is it?” asked KC. “What does it say?”

  There was no reply from Kamal as he closed the file and looked back at KC. He just kept staring at him.

  “What is it?” KC asked once again, getting up and dusting his pants. “What is it? Speak up, dammit.”

  “Ah..” faltered Kamal.

  “Ah… what? Kamal?” said KC impatiently.

  “Ah… My… My team got the satellite images of the telephone booth from where Jasmine got that call from Hong Kong from the other you. They went there, asked around, and they managed to get into the hotel where he was staying and also to his room,” said Kamal.

  “Then what? You got him, as in me?” asked KC desperately.

  “We got in to the room and got a hair sample,” said Kamal.

  “Great,” said KC. “Please tell me you ran a DNA and time test on it.”

  “Yes, we did,” replied Kamal and then kept quiet as he turned around and looked at the burning house.

  “What?” said KC. “What did you get? How old is his sample as compared to mine? Tell me if it’s five years older than my current sample that would mean I come back in five years. So, when do I come back again?”

  Kamal kept quiet and KC grabbed the file from his hand and read it.

  “Oh crap!” said KC. “It can’t be!”

  “Yes, it is,” said Kamal turning around and looking at KC. “That sample is three years younger than your current sample.”

  “No way,” said KC as he took a step back.

  “He didn’t come the second time,” said Kamal closing the file. “You did!”

 

 

 
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