David Arnab, now 85 years is travelling through his Space Shuttle. This is year 2083, and David is travelling to eternity, finding his last resort in vast universe. Lunar and Martian colonies never intrigued David. He spent his lifetime as Love & Life coach teaching people to keep human touch to reality and sense. Virtual Reality made him sick to find common human interactions more possible. His calm and composed demeanor was a source of strength for those around him. The triangular and wrinkled face is carrying a sense of contentment and the wisdom has been etched into every line of his face.
Although being paradoxical, David has successfully adapted to the technological advancements of his era with grace. His Space Shuttle is a void and a darkness-filled view with an endless cosmos outside. But the bedroom is a technological marvel. A soft hum of the AI-operated system, Aayudh and the eerie glow of holographic screens making it David’s resting abode. A sedentary plant in all sterile environment bringing a soft shimmering touch of nature to his life.
David is sitting comfortably in his chair, looks towards the window. Although closed, it is giving a starlit glimpse of the cosmos. A framed photograph of a young lady and her older self is intriguing the surrounding and giving a fertile joy. David manages his gaze to move slowly over the frame to one of the closed cabinets. He stays on the compartment and whispers with a trembled voice,
“Aayudh,” his words carrying a sense of reverence, “bring me my book.”
Aayudh, a robo-operated systematic dog moves with grace and brings an electronic slate in its mechanical jaws. David's trembling hand reaches out slowly but with a sense of longing.
His voice is taking on a soft, melodic quality as he activated the module.
“David Arnab... Start my module 324.”
As the module responded to his words, he embarked on a journey through a page reliving moments.
“Starting module 324, 324th space travel time 12 UTC:” Aayudh starts reciting the module, the David’s Voice:
This is one of the eloquent morning that I want to capture. We were travelling from our last resort at lunar microcosmic habitat. The trajectory to earth is meticulous. The Space outside was looking vast, serene and timeless. The atmosphere was filled with dampness, unfathomable aura & love. Years have passed but the love never faded from our atmosphere.
She is lying beside and inside the eerie glow, i could see her wrinkled face lightening up.
Years have passed, we hitched, we lived, we fought, we won together, we lost together, we submitted our souls to each other and the enchantment remained strong as ever.
It was the time I better remember, when my hand accidentally slipped over her face; I felt a wetness on her cheek. She stirred up from light sleep. I could see her eyes with a sense of world-weariness in them. She started searching for her contact lenses. The cosmos outside, along with the faint light in the room, created an atmosphere that mirrored some emotions that were flowing.
Beside her, I felt the weight of the silence that atmosphere was bringing in and in that unbearable moment I asked, "What time is it?"
Her response was subdued with inaction in her eyes, "It's twilight, isn't it?"
The cosmic waves danced outside, and a gentle glow blanketed the surroundings. I couldn’t bear the quietness. I inquired again, "Are you crying?" "It's the cataract." I could sense her dodging lightness in voice.
Drawn closer to her, I rose and held her trembling hand.
I asked, "What's wrong?"
"How long it’s been? How long have I been lying here?" Her words were laden with a sense of deep emotions.
Over the passage of time impacting emotional journey of love, time, and shared experiences,
I never seem to lost a touch of irony,
I requited, "As long I've been taking up the storm."
Her response, it was a tender smile, untouched and pure and a memory, I wished to preserve forever and hitched forever in my eloquent life.
“End of module 324, David. Do you want me to log into a new one?” Aayudh hummed in his soft voice.
“No. I want this to be the last.”
Leaning forward in his chair, David utters in determination, “Take me to Right 101.”
The chair obediently glides towards one of the closed cabinet door, and as it opens slowly, a sense of melancholy fills David’s gaze. Inside the compartment is a space pod, within which lay a body of a lady of around 80 years old. She is held in a suspended animation. He looks at her for a moment with sense of longing and connection.
With a commanding tone, David orders, “Close the shuttle and initiate release.”
The transparent shuttle door sealed off his view, and the space pod smoothly retracted into the void expanse of space. His gaze remains fixed on it as it floats away, carrying the memories of their shared journey.
In a low, trembling voice, David speaks, “Aayudh, log new module. Zero... Earth Day 25th June 2023... Kolkata, India.”
“David, Is this special?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, David. I’ll commemorate a special log.”
David starts recounting in an accumulative voice,
Year 2023, i was living in Kolkata. A perfectly memorable morning that i am capturing here. At a vivid place of a serene and timeless boundary, the story begins with a scene of perfect harmony. The sun was dawning, the wind was blowing, and a sense of queer coldness filled the air.
Suddenly, I woke up to the cold breeze and the sounds of birds chirping. I never imagined this could be my enchanting morning. I was in most hazy state. It was one of that perfectly uttered morning which we hardly forget or even want to forget. I felt a soft touch of her queer body realizing that I am not lying alone on the bed. An unexpected but alluring presence felt with a deep admiration, a perfect goddess with mesmerized soul creating an existential beauty. I watched her as she woke with a lingering smile. Those perfectly bounded lips with a lustful smile in them, it's an image that etched forever in my memory.
Her gaze fixed on mine, and in that instant, it felt as if our souls had a connection through her eyes – windows to the depth of her soul. The atmosphere almost felt absolutely electric, charged with the aura she brought into the room.
As I forget most of the enchanting nights, I was in my confused, hazy state. I was unable to keep the eyes fixed onto her and looking down, intriqued, I mumbled with my lips that she could barely hear,
"What is she doing here... and why is she lying in my bed?" With a playful smile, she retorted, "No... you are lying in my bed."
I met her gaze once again, captivated by her spirit.
I persisted, returning to my senses, "Then how I got here and Why am I lying in your bed?"
And enigmatic reply delivered from her mouth with a playful grin,
"Maybe you had the courage to take up the storm."
Her reply could hardly keep away a smile from my lips and I couldn't bother to question, kept a silence delivering deep into the enchantment of the bedroom.
I met her the day before on a Kolkata metro ride. Deepsandhya, a girl from Punjab with vibrant smile and virtuous heart and we had fallen in love. Deepsa's curiosity about the unknown, be it in the realm of technology or outer space, reflected her adventurous and exploratory nature. Her love for music and nature always reflected her untamed spirit.
How could I forget this morning! Aayudh, keep this module logged in forever and let it be etched in my eloquent life.
Aayudh starts a music with vibrant feeling mixed with romance and a melancholic touch. David continues to watch the pod as it floats away in vast universe. The pod drifts away into vast universe, so as the David Arnab’s Space Shuttle.
The End.