‘We will get rid of this, everything regarding this soon.’ Meghana placing her hands below Aditi’s cheeks, holding her face as if she was a kid.
‘I promise.’ her finger pointing at Aditi’s heart ‘The pain in here will end soon.’
Aditi and Meghana got up from their places, ‘I have called up, Ashok already. He will come to pick us.’
‘Who is Ashok?’ I checked.
‘You will get to know him. Get ready. Before he is here.’ Meghana ignored my question.
‘Sure. I will. Please uncuff me. I’m holding my pee from a long time’ Again a laughter broke in silence.
‘Sorry.’ She uncuffed me and I rushed to the washroom.
Aditi Sharma
Chapter VIII
Meghana Saxena’s Residence.
14th August, 2011.
Few minutes, I spent with Rahim, has completely changed my view about him. Rahim, is also a victim from his point of view. Still, the only question racing my thoughts is whether is he really from another universe or just fooling us all with a smart lie. Humans are the only beings on earth, who can talk, share, love and also lie with other beings for his own benefit. Whether, he is lying or not, our current focus should be rescuing the people from a horrific incident. Hair on my skin erects every time I recollect the blast. Everything is in front of my eyes, destroyed in seconds; almost within a snap.
The only positive that happened after the incident, is Meghana - who became a great friend. Though, I met her in unforeseen circumstances, the affection and love, I received from her, felt like long lost connection between best friends. As we are toddling around the house, getting ready, she clearly understood the clumsiness between myself and Rahim, chafing my shoulders when my eyes were pooled into tears, calming my resentment as he is the worst nightmare that haunts me, every night not letting me sleep. My body quivers, when I see his face which reminiscences my brutal past. Every minute, challenging to admit the truth that he is different from the person I knew from my experience.
‘Ashok is here.’ Meghana screamed.
Ashok is a true gentleman. I’m not clear, what relationship do Meghana and Ashok hold. They never really opened up. But they seem comfortable in each other’s presence. They would make a nice pair together. I’ve always wanted a man in my life, who would love me to the core and be for me right beside me whenever required. But fate had different plans for me. Meghana sat in the front seat along with Ashok. Their talks have become more frequent now. I’m still unable to accept the fact that the person sitting next to me is not the same person I used to know? There isn’t even a small change in his physicality. But I have to agree that, it feels better when I’m with this version of Rahim. Love from my past life, suddenly resurrected after years. Those were best moments of my life. I was so happy with Rahim. After his father’s tragical demise, he totally lost it. He was a different person, not the one I fell in love with. But when I look back at this Rahim now. I glare at his eyes which had the spark of truth and immense love for his wife Aditi.
Which is me again, kind of magical and bullshit at the same time. I seem to float around these two consequences of reality.
I’m ready not to embrace the thought of another universe. But somewhere within myself I want this theory to be true. Hoping, his presence is to help us and not to trick us. Morning when I hugged him, my life had rose again. I pray to god to show me the right path. Help me to find the truth. Meghana assured me that he has nothing against us. She has immediate contact of Siraj, if anything goes wrong.
It was a long ride till here. Thunderclouds filled the blue sky, ready to shower on Mumbai. Four of us travelled through difficult roads and finally reached our destination. Meghana had briefed me about Professor Raghunathan before we left the house. His works on certain thesis relates to the most inexplicable places in the cosmos. He is great at giving simple examples for complex theories. I hope that happens in reality. Because I have zero knowledge when it comes to science and technology. Some people call him mad as he wasted time on unnecessary theories while some praise his breakthrough articles in the field of Space and Time. Very less people in science, focus on such subjects. He also studied at the most famous Princeton University in London, worked under geniuses. Inspired from the work of Einstein’s theory of relativity, he came back to India to his comfort zone and started working individually on some “Thought experiments” to prove the theory of Parallelism and existence of Parallel universes around us. Recently, Meghana took an interview and published his article in Times of Mumbai. It gained appreciation from many people. After knowing a lot of great things, even I wanted to meet Professor in person. I could relate to one commonality though, scientists live their entire life, trying to prove a certain scientific theory and artists too sacrifice their whole life trying to create their own masterpiece, both dwell their lives for future generations.
*****
Raghunathan Acharya’s Laboratory
Sir Raghunathan Acharya’s lab was just around the corner from the station, nearer to the Almont Road facing the park, house number-28. We walked up three steps to the lacquered blue-black front door. My heart pounded as I’m one closed door away from the answers I’d get to know of the unfinished truth of Rahim Razak. The door, which was equipped with neither bell nor knocker, was blistered and distained but it got creaked open. A potbellied old man with thin hair and weak old beard squinted adjusting his antique one eye glass. Greeted Meghana with a warm handshake and welcomed four of us into his laboratory. Acharya was already been informed about Rahim from Runisia. He refers to Rahim as “The Legend from Runisia”. Four of us, were facing high reflector old static lamp, and on the opposite of this huge square table with many scribbled papers fluttering to fly ceased by a marble paperweight distracting us at every second.
‘He could be the evidence of cold spot.’ Professor Acharya adjusting his glasses looking for some papers to flaunt as an evidence,
‘Cold Spot?’ I queried with a blank look. Another scientific word after Parallelism. I thought.
He handed me some bunch of papers scribbled with words which are not related to the numbers and some sentences which are damn hard to read. Though some darkened bolded words, sorting out as conclusion at end of the page which reads
Particles can exist in “superposition” — which means it can be in many different states simultaneously such as locations. To explain it experimentally, I observed that electrons can travel through two slits at the same time — when we are not watching. But the minute we observe each slit to catch this behaviour, the particle chooses just one. Which says an electron can be seen and voided at the same time but at different location as it is in superposition. The medium through which it travels is space and time crossing hollow tunnel called cold spot which can be observed parallel to the other electron.
Group of words out of my league, ‘I’m sorry, Professor I didn’t understand even a sentence scribbled here.’ I replied and handed them back to him.
‘Even before the course of my scientific discoveries have begun to suggest the most naked possibility of such a miracle, I had learned to dwell with pleasure, as a beloved day dreamer, on the thought of the combinations of these elements.’ resting his hands over the papers, he leaned, while zooming his glasses onto our faces.
‘Sorry, I didn’t understand a bit of it.’
My wonder didn’t last long.
He gets up excitedly, turns an enormous table, which has a huge mirror, reflecting all of us at once staring at ourselves.
‘Imagine this mirror as parallel universe or the universe that Rahim is form, he is present at both the places at the same moment,’ pointing to Rahim’s reflection in the mirror.
He rushes to the other side of the room and carries a mirror almost equal to the first one ‘When we place both the mirrors opposite and parallel to each other. You can observe, unending possibilities of the reality.’
There were infinite ref
lections of Rahim that formed when the mirrors are placed opposite to each other ‘Ok.’ This is class sixth science. Easy.
He continues ‘Now, I pass a light between the two mirrors. As you can see, it travels endlessly,’ He interrupts the light with his fingers fluttering it ‘If you carefully observe, I form empty gaps in the reality, we call them blackholes or magic portals, which allows us to travel from one universe to another.’
I heard the word before, black hole. It sucks everything into it. That is the place, where time and space bend the rules of physics.
‘My theory concludes here, when both the versions of Rahim are travelling in their respective universes. Some, magical force has disturbed the flow with a flutter and their consciousness got swapped with each other. Your consciousness has mirrored from universe A to universe B.’
I bit my tongue in awe, every part of my mind is wretched.
‘You certainly don’t sense that you are switched with yourself, as your perspective and consciousness limit you view to the universe which is now a parallel reality and not distinguishable.’ I lean forward, unable to comprehend with his complex scientific statements. My head will explode, if I try to understand more of this.
I really thought I would find some answers, but it is rather propagating more questions without answers. Using my tiny part of scientific brain trying to deduce the answers from the facts in front of me and relating them to the theory of cold spot. So, I tried explaining my version to Professor.
‘When Rahim was travelling to Mumbai in the other universe, his flight got hit by some cosmic wave or got sucked into black hole or maybe entered a magic portal, which diverted his path into our universe, probably because of an exposure to cold spot, and simultaneously my ex-husband Rahim of this universe got swapped with him, because he was placed in the wrong co-ordinates at the wrong time’ I concluded my theory, finger indexing at Rahim, sitting adjacent to Meghana. He smirked parting his lips, lobs a smile.
‘Exactly, Aditi. The reason of his existence, here with us.’ Meghana exclaimed.
Rahim raises his hand, as we were sitting in a science class ‘If everything is different in both the universes, why still call it parallel universe or mirror universe. When the reflection itself differs.’
That question could have never crossed my mind. I feel like a dumb student in this classroom.
Acharya, moves from his place, with a finger on his chin. Looking around in his deep thoughts. Maybe, planning to give another example. So dumb student like me, will also understand. He asks all of us to get up from our places, he brings some empty flasks which I’ve only seen in my chemistry classes when I was in eighth grade. When we used to be successful in turning the colour from blue to pink in a big flask for a moment we felt we were scientists ourselves. He placed three empty glass flasks on the table and asked us to get away. Pushes the table towards his left facing the mirror.
Acharya and his fantasy of mirrors. I thought.
Asking us to take a look at the mirror now. As we turned towards the mirror, he drops two flasks to the ground which broke into pieces instantly. No doubt, people call him mad scientist. ‘If you see, when I drop two flasks, the same happened in the mirror as well.’ he said.
‘That’s obvious.’ Meghana replied.
‘Exactly, this is a parallel reality. Reflects exactly the same that happened in this universe. Contemplate the scenario, what if, when I dropped two flasks here, and the mirror shows the reflection of three flasks dropped and broken into pieces. Consider that as change in the mirror universe, which is different from our reality.’
‘Yeah. Ok.’ Ashok said anxiously. Waiting for Acharya to finish.
Acharya drops the third flask to the ground as we see him do it ‘Now, universes are balanced and became parallel to each other.’
I couldn’t stop myself ‘But you dropped that yourself.’
‘Precisely, I’m an external or magical force that changed the reality to make the universes in parallel to each other. Similarly, there is some magical force out in the universe, which maintains the balance in all parallel universes, by making things just happen and maintain continuity’
Meghana intrudes ‘The theory of Parallelism?’
‘Yes.’ Acharya smiles with pride.
‘What is that force, though?’ I asked curiously.
Acharya gets back to his chair, leaving the shards of glass pieces on the floor. Like he doesn’t even care. ‘If I have to explain, what is the magical force behind everything, purely basing on my current working theory, the force is karma. The reason behind the things that happen for no reason. For instance, “Accidents and tragedies” you can also consider the recent bombing, many people lost their lives without a reason. Why did they die? When they should be at their home with their families that night? Who can enlighten us with a scientific theory, explaining the reason behind their unfortunate death? We simply convince ourselves that it is Karma and godly happening.’
That explains all my questions. If some dies or gets killed in the parallel universe with a reason, they can die in our universe without a reason, that could be a tragic death. because they are destined to be non-existential in either of the universes. That explains, when a bus with bunch of people meets with an accident. It may be the terrorist or mass killing all of them in the parallel universe.
‘Nothing happens in the universe without a reason. There is a story behind everything.’ he ends his statement.
‘It also means, my universe is in danger, if Rahim is in my place?’ Rahim questioned.
‘No, Rahim cannot do anything there, cause his cruel version has never existed in your universe.’ Meghana clarified before Acharya could say anything.
‘But he still exists.’ Rahim murmured to himself.
Meghana and Rahim are highly intellectual, they think of theories I never even thought of.
Ashok was more terrified than me after listening to everything. His mouth was wide open as if he was watching a science fiction movie. I’m happy that I’m not the only one who is surprised. Lengthy physics laws and feasible theories, we finally had lunch in his untidy dining hall with improper arrangement of food lings which he prepped. He is a great scientist, but a very bad cook. I even heard Acharya asking Meghana to keep Rahim here for his experimental purposes also stated the fact that anyways Rahim cannot return to his universe ever again. That’s a natural phenomenon and cannot be done or undone again.
*****
It’s already eight, skies cleared after heavy rain, stars are filling up the sky. Meghana and Ashok, were continuously debating because Ashok had many questions. Lot more than me probably. But Meghana is patiently answering all his questions. On the other side, Acharya is behind Rahim, for more and more tests.
We are running out of time; we still didn’t find any clue about the location and tomorrow is Independence Day. I pray, that tomorrow isn’t the day of bombing. Meghana after a long argument with Ashok, decided to stay back at his flat tonight. Even I agreed to it, because I have an exhibition and a competition tomorrow at the museum. I cannot handle the organizing members on phone anymore. Rahim, extending helping hand buy offering to assist in tomorrow’s event. I couldn’t say no. After all this, he behaves and I don’t feel any harm around him. My belief in Rahim grew solid. I don’t know, if that’s a good thing or bad one. To be honest, I’m liking it, when he is with me. I don’t know what to name it. He reminds me of Rahim whom I loved.
Chapter IX
Ashok’s Flat
14Th August, 11 PM.
Ashok’s Flat was on the thirteenth floor. He lives in one of the biggest gated communities in Mumbai. He is a well renowned doctor and has the lowest ego compared to each one of us here. He lives alone. His parents are doctors too, they stay in New Jersey. He came back to India and loves to work here. I and Rahim, were awestruck gazing at the interiors of the house.
I loved the section with 3 frames of different paintings collaged
into single art; to the left it was “The Dark Knight” Batman and onto the right it was “Joker”; with a giant black bat symbol in the middle with bolder and darker colours placed contrasting to the white brick wall behind it. It truly tells the story of a legend like batman who always strives for the justice and order and opposing him to the right it was colourful joker clapping and laughing, symbolising chaos. Every human in this world is either hero or a villain because of the decision they engrain within themselves. You could be either one of them until you face a given situation.
‘Isn’t it perfect?’ Ashok said.
I nodded saying, ‘It’s beautiful.’
‘I loved the movie; I’m eagerly waiting for the third movie.’
‘The Dark Knight Rises?’
With a big smile on his face ‘Yes.’ we high fived.
Turning to Rahim ‘Is Batman in your universe too?’ he checked.
‘Yes, of course.’
‘Great!’ We all laughed together. I’m still figuring out; which one of the two is Rahim.
All of us occupied the sofa, Ashok bought drinks for us. I had a sip of it, ‘Yuck.’ I’m not alcohol person. I switched to Coke instead. Rahim was happy and smiling. I never noticed that before. Am I falling for him again? This shouldn’t happen. Breaking my thoughts.
Meghana said ‘What do we do now?’
‘What?’ Ashok asked casually.
‘Regarding the bomb blast.’ I added.
Ashok sipping the beer ‘Yes, but we don’t know anything about it right?’
‘Expect for that diary.’ Meghana shrugged ‘Rahim, bring the diary.’
He handed the book to Meghana, ‘This should have some clue.’
‘Attacks like this, are usually planned in the crowded places or targeting particular individuals.’ Ashok throws his opinion,
The Legend from Runisia Page 6