INTERCHANGED
Anil walked through the footpath of Calcutta with a hamburger in his hand and a head phone round his head. Humming and moving rhythmically with the song in his ears, he took a turn into a narrow and moss-grown lane, most probably to take shortcut to his home. While he was on his dancing walk, he felt a sudden piercing pain at the back of his head. At the very next moment, it was all dark in front of him, and he ended up on the ground with all his senses being lost in that darkness.
Anil is a boy of 21, bright and cheerful. His parents died in a car accident when he was five. Henceforth he is being brought up by his maternal uncle and aunt. At present, he is a 2nd year studying Physics student, with an extraordinary intelligence. Although he is not very friendly, yet he managed to hang out with two or three. He is also well popular with his batch as “Anil hawking”, because of his high thought and over-imaginative theories.
“Doctor, he is responding”, a familiar, female voice rang in Anil’s ears. His head was still having a pinch of that pain, his breath was running short, he was trying to open his eyes, but it seemed that some rocks have been placed on his eyelids. With a great effort, he tried to open his eyes and take look at that person near him. Although he got a picture but it was a foggy one, and the next moment was again dark. Before going into the darkness for a second time, the only thing he heard was that of weeping and that of the doctor telling, “Nurse, quickly increase the oxygen level and br……………..”
The next time he regained his consciousness, he was feeling comparatively better, and once again tried to open his eyes. With a great effort he opened his heavy eyes, and what he saw upon opening it, made his soul to jump out of his body.
He couldn’t believe his eyes. Everything around him seemed very unreal. His tongue was stuck to the floor of his mouth yet with great sweat he spoke out “Mom!!” The lady beside him, whose head was propped in her hands, now looked up at Anil with wet eyes and a shine of delight in her lips, spoke, “Doctor, he is awake”. A doctor who was standing on his other side held his wrist immediately and declared, “He is recovering slowly. I can’t understand why. Dark Matter level is zero. How’s that possible?”
Dark Matter? In my body? How’s even that possible? Anil thought with a great surprise. Then the doctor again spoke, “Apart from this anomaly, he is otherwise good. I’ll discharge him today. And for that strange anomaly, I’ll recommend you to visit Prof. Stuart D’Souza” Prof. Stuart D’Souza? The name seemed quite familiar. But I can’t remember. Where, where??
Anil’s mind was in a whirl. Everything that was happening around him seemed so confusing. He couldn’t understand where he was actually, whether it was a dream or reality.
Anyways…..within one hour Anil was out in a car with his mother (strangely) beside him. As he looked outside through the half-glassed window of the car, the world although looked the same yet it seemed so strange. He asked his mother with a great confusion in his heart, “Mom, how did you come back means how are you alive?”
The lady looked at him with a surprised look and asked,
“What do you mean how am I alive? When did I die?”
Anil, who was then even more surprised, asked,
“What do you mean? You don’t remember? You and Dad had a car accident. I was adopted by Uncle and Aunt. (Seeing the lady still surprised) Come on Mom. I burnt both of your pyres, when I was five.”
After listening to all these, the lady then spoke,
“Why are you talking so strange? We never had any car accident. And when it is coming to your uncle and aunt, your uncle died in the battle, two months ago. Don’t you remember?”
“Battle? What battle? I always see him go to his mall. And when did he die? I saw him just a few hours ago.”
The lady, who was equally surprised, again spoke,
“Mall? Few hours ago? What? Wait a minute…… (After thinking a bit) Do you remember your university’s name?”
“Satyendranath Bose Institute of Advanced Physics”
“As I have thought. You don’t belong here.”
“What do you mean I don’t belong here?”
“There no such University here. You are my son but at the same time you are not. You are from a parallel dimension.”
“Parallel Dimension! Does it even exists? And how can I travel between dimensions?”
“Maybe you can’t. But it happened somehow. I can’t explain you that. (To the driver) Driver, head towards Prof. D’Souza’s residence.”
Prof. Stuart D’Souza. Now I remember. He is an outcast in the scientist’s society, in my so called parallel earth. He was the one who put forth a theory of Parallel Dimensions but with not any hard evidence. Although he said, he had experienced an inter-dimensional travel but who would believe the so called science-fiction. But he kept propagating his ideas and theories through his books, which are quite popular with the students. Although he is regarded a scientist among students, he is a science-fiction writer among the science society.
When he came out of his thoughts, he noticed that the car has stopped infront of a really big house. They boarded off the car and reached the wooden door of the house through a beautiful garden. The ring of the calling bell made the door be opened by a middle-aged lady. Anil’s so-called ‘Mom’ said,
“I am here to meet the Professor.”
“Yes, he is upstairs. Come in.”
After they got in, the lady locked the door at their back and then directed them to a room upstairs. It was quite a big room. A man was sitting on a rocking chair, reading a book.
“Professor, they are here to meet you.” saying this the lady (probably the maid) went downstairs.
“I know why you are here. The good doctor had informed me about the anomaly few minutes ago”, the Professor said.
“Oh! You have heard! Please tell me a way how I get back my actual Anil” Anil’s mother said.
“Wait I don’t understand. First tell me how did I come here?” asked Anil.
“Wait, you don’t know? Oh I am sorry….. Now you see Anil, that our earth although parallel to yours, has some differences. The atmosphere of our earth has Dark Matter. I hope you know what Dark Matter is (Anil nodded). Ok good. Apart from this, even our bodies contain dark matter to different extent. Now, Dark Matter can channelize trans-dimensional energy and create stable wormholes between dimensions. Even some of us can do that as we have dark matter inside us. But all cannot do that because everyone does not possess the capacity or physical ability to channelize trans-dimensional energy through their bodies. But I think somehow this earth’s Anil was able to do that and he moved to your dimension.”
Anil was again in a whirl. Again he asked,
“But how did I come here?”
The Professor again started,
“According to me, when this earth’s Anil opened the breach, to counteract the imbalance of energy between dimensions another breach opened from the other earth and might be that’s how you came here.”
“And the pain in my head?”
“Oh, that’s just due to the first time experience.”
Now Anil’s mother spoke again,
“But how will they interchange places again?”
“Oh, that’s easy. You (to Anil’s mother) have to open another breach. Why don’t you try it here at once?”
Suddenly the radio interrupted, “Rebel Forces has broken into the city. Immediate evacuation has been ordered.”
“Quick, we don’t have time. To my garden. The battle has broken into the city.” Exclaimed the Professor.
They hurried down to the garden cum lawn of the professor. Three of them stood in a semi-circle, while Anil’s mother stood ready.
Till then Anil had been confused as well as anxious of going back. But as he was on the verge of going home, he felt a grave loneliness engulfing him. He looked at his mother, tears rolled up from his eyes, with a heavy voice he told,
“Mom! (he burst into tears) I can’t lose you again. Can’t I stay here?”
Now even Anil’s mother felt crying. With wet eyes she placed her soft motherly hands on Anil’s chin and spoke,
“You are my son too. But you have to understand that your foster parents would be in grave confusion. That Anil is totally different, just both of your faces are same. Moreover my Anil is a great soldier. He can protect us all. You’ll not be safe here. Please go. I can’t lose both my sons.”
“Quick. Open the breach.” Said the Professor.
“I am not sure that I can.”
“Try it. And trigger the energy towards Anil.” the Professor instructed.
Anil’s mother stretched out her left hand towards Anil and closed her eyes. Suddenly they all felt a strong force pulling them.
Anil’s eyes were still wet while he looked at his mother, when the Professor asked, “Hey Anil. Am I a famous person even on your earth?”
“Not famous but correct about everything you said.”
After replying the Professor, no sooner did he turn to his mother to say his last words that he couldn’t say on his earth than he again felt that piercing pain and the next moment was dark again………….
© A STORY BY SOUTIK SARKAR
