Year 2041
There was an eerie silence in the room. It seemed like
everything had come to a halt. The space between the empty walls of the room
was filled with the sound of their breath. Before Mrs Batra could ask Prithvi
what was bothering him, he turned around and, in a strong voice, said, 'I have
seen it all myself in 2020 and so I know that there has not been anyone like
him before, nor will there ever be. He is the divine truth, an undefeated
challenge to the gods of death and destruction.'
'How can that be? You are saying that you have seen things
from before you were even born? That's impossible!' said the agi- tated
seventy-four-year-old Mrs Batra. She was bewildered as to how a boy who was
around twenty years old in 2041 could have seen things from 2020.
'You are right. I wasn't born then, yet I was present in
that fa- cility on Ross Island in more than one way. I remember every- thing as
clearly as if I am still there, witnessing it all happening right in front of
my eyes,' replied Prithvi.
Looking at Prithvi, Mrs Batra spoke again, 'I have witnessed
many incredible events and mysterious things in the last few years, things that
science does not have an answer to. So I am compelled to believe that there are
truths and mysteries that an average human mind like mine cannot process.' With
tears rolling down her cheeks, she continued, 'I wanted to live a normal life
and die silently, like every average person. I almost got a satis- factory
death in 2020. Things were good then. I wish I had died peacefully then, but
everything changed.' Mrs Batra took a deep breath and tried to contain herself.
Prithvi silently stood there, giving her time. After a long pause, she said
'Neither did I want to be part of any of that then, nor do I want to be a part
of any of this now. Why are you here?'
'Because I am still searching for him and you are the last
per- son to have seen him,' responded Prithvi with hopeful eyes. Mrs Batra
looked into Prithvi's eyes and said, 'I lost everything in that fateful mission
and yet, I don't know how or why. Yes, I have seen him. But I still don't know
who he was. You were there on the is- land, you said. Tell me what happened on
that island in 2020. You said you are searching for him. He was also there on
the is- land back then. You must know who he was. What do you know about him?
Tell me everything,' insisted Mrs Batra.
Prithvi stared at Mrs Batra for a while, and then eventually
asked, 'Will you tell me everything that you know if I answer your questions?'
'I promise, I'll not hide anything... just tell me what hap-
pened in 2020. It changed my death. I don't want to die not knowing why all
this happened to me and why I was chosen.'
Now Prithvi was looking into the old, hopeful eyes of Mrs
Batra looking back at him. He took a deep breath and started to narrate...
