Endless Voyage
Rise and fall of humanity
by
pradipkumar raol
&
prakash vaidya
Part - 32
Tereshkova had showed his tender feelings for Miss Natasha Petrova, however he did that at an unusual moment and in a strange audacious fashion. This gesture may have seemed odd to the onlookers but it did the trick because he was successful in arousing the dormant feeling of love in the heart of Natasha. The fact of the matter was that they had been quite close to each other by way of long acquaintance at the work place. Nevertheless, they had never let know each other their mutual feelings of love. Moreover, it was quite difficult and not advisable to openly proclaim such feelings in a country like Russia.
Discipline was considered the most accepted aptitude; open admission of love was never going to be taken lightly by the authority, they would certainly consider it as dereliction in duty and frivolity of mind best left for lower rank and file. Even then he did once take Natasha to dinner to get a chance to open up his heart to her. It seemed that Tereshkova’s luck had run out because as he was about to confess his love for her, he saw his superior entering the dining hall, and his mouth remained opened for a while.
Natasha was now remembering everything, and her heart felt that she also did very wrong in procrastination. Now, she really felt his presence every moment in her heart. She felt very stupid and miserable for not letting him know that she too felt equally for him but never dared to open up. And when the opportunity had come and before she could capitalize on it, it got vaporized. She thought, she had paid a very heavy price for hiding her feelings. Eventually, she became remorse and detached from the world.
Her efficiency graph at the department swiftly came down and as expected by others she was kicked out quite rudely from her job. Left alone, and jobless, she slipped into nervous breakdown and melancholia. Her city was half deserted due to harsh weather conditions. She wandered here and there in lonely gardens, empty streets, remembering her love and his memories. Later on she came to know that the astronauts have come back and she saw a ray of hope, she felt thousands of fountains of joy in her heart.
Without wasting much time, she initiated her efforts to meet him. Alas! It was not to be, at least not for now. Looking at her mental condition, Russian authorities acted inhumanly.They did not deem it fit to reply her with honesty; instead they warned her not to come there again and make inquiries about Tereshkova or for that matter any of their officers else they would send her behind the bars. Even American authorities proved un-cooperative for her. Her dream of union with Tereshkova proved to be allusive; Natasha became utterly dejected; her heart sank to possible lowest depths.
Once, an impressive and high ranking officer of Russian Space Authority, Natasha Petrova was now simply a heartbroken lady wandering in the thorn ridden gullies of love. People around her considered her not more than a lunatic. Days passed; she often faced stone pelting from naughty boys and was hurt some times very badly.
Once, wandering out into the grove adjoining her family’s farm, she finally knelt and asked of God’s mercy. Perhaps she was not surprised when a brilliant light appeared before her. The interior area of the light, she saw at once, was inhabited by Tereshkova, standing above her in the air. The God had arrived, at least her God to be specific. She closed her eyes somewhat reluctantly assuming that she might be day dreaming, but again she opened her eyes only to find the sparkling bright shape which had by now steadied itself in front of her. She was now startled and bit amused too. She was not confident of herself at least due to her present state of mind. She felt like an abandoned child never sure of herself. She still thought it to be a dream. But somehow she managed to ask a question ‘what are you’?
‘Do you recognize me? I guess not, but I am Tereshkova. However, I don’t have a name now, but this is only for your convenience, I came here to meet you, to see whether you are happy or not?’
She was not able to reply to this introduction immediately, in fact she was perplexed at a sparkling light shape which was to her intrigue talking to her. She did believe in ghosts and Satan etc. but in any case she was prepared to believe anyone, even a ghost if it proclaimed itself to be her paramour Tereshkova.
She then asked with a tremor in her voice, “Where were you? As I recall, you were boarding a plane but that is all I remember. What a wonder, to be in this strange form! Why didn’t you come to meet me even after you finished your tour? Just tell me that”. She demanded with certain amount of confidence.
“On our return, we were isolated in NASA just like prisoners. No contact with outside world was allowed. We were continuously experimented upon. I was fed of multitude of examinations on ourselves. I did get a call from my close friend that you did reciprocate my love and sent flying kisses after me while I was thinking that I did something wrong with you at the airport. Since then I have always been thinking of you. Knowing my plight, the aliens, soon came to rescue me from confinement and took me to their world. And there I acquired this new state of being. Now I can take any shape or form.”
“I am still not able to understand what you are saying but here, I waited, waited, and longed for you, and you never turned up. By the way how is the world from where you have come? What is it like?” Natasha inquired as she felt at ease with herself.
“There, everything is all peace and love, they can take any shape, they move across the galaxies in no time. Yeah, they are always busy looking out for superior kind of energies for making a new Universe”. Tereshkova explained.
‘You also take me along with you,’ Natasha pleaded.
‘How is it possible?’
‘Yes, I want to enter ‘the world of love,’ this is what I want – this religion of love’ she was adamantly pleading.
Tereshkova’s hand touched her golden hair and slid to her cheek. Her eyes closed and again she looked like an innocent child. He kissed her forehead and she smiled. Then he whispered slowly, ‘Okay, then you discard all your wishes, including the wish of coming with me, I will give it a try.’ having said this the light shape of Tereshkova started circling Natasha, and then, after a while her body vanished into the thin air and got transformed into light shape of the size of a ping-pong ball.
‘Let us go to the world of love.’ Their simultaneously spoken sentence echoed into the desolate atmosphere of the garden. Both of them quickly moved to catch up with the far away galaxies.
Millions of light years away, Rushivarya saw this and words dropped out of his smiling mouth, ‘this can only happen when their souls are pure’.
***
Here, on planet earth, at the same time PM’s wife put a cell phone in his hands, ‘It is Mayuri, from Andromeda galaxy.’
‘Oh! What is the matter? Here we are on the verge of becoming extinct and now she has got the time to remember us.’ He brought the phone close to his left ear, ‘are you all right my dear?’
‘Of course, we are all fine; I just called to inform you about a secret urgent matter.’
‘Yes, please, go on.’
‘Daddy, by any chance, did any aliens came there and harassed you people?” the PM got startled, said, ‘what are you saying? How did you come to know, I mean we have just gone through such dreadful experience very recently, in fact they slowed the rotation of the earth, and you know what havoc it created with our lives…?’
“Oh! My god, really, is that true? Actually we wanted to warn you people about them, but here the situation was precarious and tense; a revolution had broken out and our galaxy’s Chief Commander’s life was in danger. Here, you know we have quite a mix of population. To give you the exact figures, We humans are only 35%, mutants are 25%, and 15% is robots, 12% comprise of aliens who have accepted our way of life, and the remaining 13% are ANI-mach, which are actually animals but possess far superior strength and intelligence comparable to human beings. So every now and then this ANI-mach joins hands with the mutants and creates trouble. Basically our Chief Commander’s ancestors were ANI-mach but he disowns them and staunchly believes himself to be a human….”
The PM interrupted his daughter, ‘don’t you worry now, actually the aliens who came here proclaimed themselves to be our ancestors, and they changed everything here; even you won’t be able to recognize me when you come here.’
“Oh! My God! Don’t you get fooled by them; they are very shrewd, cunning and very advanced. It is a deadly combination to have. Now you will have to live according to their software programs, so effectively all the people on earth have become their slaves. They fooled you daddy!!!”
‘OhGod! He gave a sigh. Now what? Will we have to live this way only?’
‘No, No daddy, this problem does have a solution. There is already an agreement of 2025 made between kings of Milky Way and our Andromeda Galaxies for mutual assistance and cooperation. You leaders of earth send a delegation here and the matter would be resolved in no time. We do have special protection programs to withstand alien’s intrusion.
‘That means nothing to worry much, my brave daughter?’ the PM got elated and was experiencing relief.
“Yap, Nothing to worry much, you can relax!” The talks between two went on for further few seconds and then he returned the instrument to his wife.
And then he skipped couple of breaths as he saw Rushivarya standing behind his wife’s figure. Yes, it was rushi no doubt about that. ‘Scoundrel’ he murmured. He started sweating and his body started shivering with fear. He wanted to speak something but words could not come out, his tongue became thick and his mouth began to dry quickly. His breathing pace increased rapidly and he started to get up from his easy chair but he felt that someone had caught his legs. Rushi was still smiling and that made his heart tremble. Nevertheless, he heard some words faintly.
‘Hold his legs, tightly’
‘He is coming to consciousnesses
‘Yeah’ yeah! I think he is slowly coming back,’ the head doctor was affirming.
‘Sure, surely he should, the whole nation is waiting for his recovery after that deadly accident in Goa’ PM’s secretary added.
This was all happening in the VVIP room of prestigious MoonLok Hospital, where Indian PM was, it seemed, slowly regaining his consciousness after remaining in coma for about a couple of weeks. Soon he was surrounded by leading leaders of his party, the Party President and close friends and relatives not to mention his wife and daughter. While outside of the hospital gate large crowed of party workmen and media persons were still accumulating, besides curious people.
Indian people were sitting anxiously before their TV sets the date was 3, July 2035.
One, very pretty woman in her thirties was reporting this breaking news with lot of enthusiasm, probably a fake one.
“Prime Minister Shri Prashantkumar who after a dreadful accident in Goa had succumbed into coma has regained his consciousness. This being India’s very first good news which is given to you this morning; well ahead of everyone by us.” Her smile, broadened for a second, showing sparkling white teeth. “And also his very first interview will be telecast live by none other than this very best channel, tomorrow at 11:30 pm. Let us take a small break.” Advertisements started pouring out of the idiot box.
Hearing this news, Mohan Chavda of Rampur village stood up and started for his daily destination from where he would get his favorite “Lal Pari”- a brand of ‘country liquor’. It was already getting late; while departing, he sort of instructed his wife to have dinner by herself and not wait for himself if he gets too late, which he always did. His wife nodded as usual without showing much concern. Her life had already been ruined by this wayward drunkard of a husband. Due to this man’s atrocious behavior and beatings her only daughter Mira had ran away from the house. She too had no interest what so ever in the national headlines or PM’s ill health.
PM was soon moved to his residence after doctors were satisfied with his health. Upon arriving at his house his first question, which intrigued all who were present there, was: “where is my beloved dog?”
His wife was somewhat amused but had answered that it was playing in the backyard. He had looked at his wife for some moments but did not speak anything. His family thought that he had changed considerably. He was often found murmuring to himself. Every now and then he would stand in front of a full size mirror and keep on looking at his reflection, and then he would keenly examine his hands as if he suspected something. Even Party President Smt. Kamladevi had phoned him to ask about his well-being and she too was not satisfied with his answers.
She had begun to doubt his mental equilibrium. She thought that will he be able to give an interview, which would be telecast nationwide or even across the world media, under such doubtful mental condition. Even his family members, friends and top party leaders did not want this to happen, at least not so soon. However, media pressure was mounting and the party spokesperson was overly enthusiastic about the whole affair of PM’s recovery and in haste, he had without consulting the Party President had predicted, even declared beforehand that PM had no reason to shy away from, such an innocent interview which would generally cover only his recovery.
Secondly, inflation was sky rocketing, corruption scandals were mounting, unemployment had no visible solution, and terror attacks were becoming regular and frequent. Such were the scenarios since long in the country and nothing had changed a bit. Under such miserable circumstances people needed convincing answers from their leader. The Ruling Party: Jan Lok Shakti was in real dilemma, they could not take a definite stand. Here, there, was a brilliant CEO of their government, who was presently not at his best of mental powers. On the other hand, if he was not allowed to be interviewed, which they can arrange easily on pretext of poor health, people and even opposition would presume that the government is hiding from realities. Hence, their image would be tarnished more. Government and its style of functioning would be deemed irresponsible and anti-public and so on.
At last, ‘The Live Interview’ happened.
Senior reporter Zankhana Datt of ‘Rising star channel’ was seen seated on a huge simple wooden chair. Opposite of her on a comfortable sofa Indian PM was seated, adorning a “Resmi Kurta”. His face was pale, eyes were constantly shifting to all directions, his hands were also shaking but very lightly, difficult to make a note of it.
Zankhana Datt: First of all congratulation!! You have recovered very fast, I mean very fast, Sir.
PM: Thanks young lady, yes; we must come out of our old diseases.
Zankhana Datt: Honorable PM, today country’s conditions in every respect are very gloomy, getting worse day by day. Do you think your government is responsible for this situation?
PM: The situation will worsen even more; people would die of extreme weather conditions, if we don’t improve ourselves. Even hairs on our bodies will be lost, understand!!
Zankhana Datt: Sir, what I want to know is that, will your government be able to curb this rising inflation, corruption, over population, unemployment and so on. If not, do you have any plans to make changes in the cabinet, which you are quite famous for or is this frequent reshuffling indicate your inability to take better governance out of your ministers ?
PM: Young lady, you have changed a lot in my absence, you are right, I am fond of changing portfolios of my ministers, but this will not bring any magical results under such changed circumstances, nor do I have a magical wand. We are facing results of our own wrong doings, we destroyed our jungles, we are now destroying our mother earth, we are….
Zankhana Datt: Pardon me sir, but we are deviating grossly from the main concerns and worries of this country. I am asking about present problems of gravest kind, I think you have quite not understood the … I am sorry, but…
PM: Young lady! You are getting bolder and bolder, never mind. However we are on the same track but you can’t understand. Your perception is different from mine. I mean….
Zankhana Datt: I am amazed, what you are saying is mostly right but…
PM: We don’t have time left for ifs and buts. Every Indian citizen must now search his soul and take oath... We mankind have dug our own grave. For our selfish purpose we destroyed forests and “wild-life”. Leaders of all parties are from head to toe submerged in corruption. Even people have lost moral values and integrity. Everyone wants to steal something. I again emphasize once again Zankhana that we must now look within us and correct our behavior. All inventions are invented except ‘the art of living.’
Zankhana Datt : ‘I agree with you, sir!’
PM: We shouldn’t perform any act which could harm our mother earth and our people in any way.
Zankhana Datt: Rightly so. However, coming back to our country’s problems such as corruption, price hike, terrorism, poverty… (I hate to be repetitive, but this man just won’t budge from his position. Frankly, I don’t know what the heck he is talking about, she thought.)
PM: Country’s problem or yours, I can’t understand. You people always feed on such things; this habit is relentless and increasing, don’t you worry about TRP of your channel, Zankhana…
Zankhana Datt: Sir, such remarks are uncalled for, if we only stick to our present hardships and falling growth rate that won’t be inappropriate. In fact it is need of the hour. The whole nation is waiting to know what your plans are for eradicating these problems which are sucking out the blood of our nation. It may sound rude of me sir, considering your present state of health however, I have a job to do.
PM: What are you talking; you must have a vision, and understanding. Your problems or my problems or peoples’ problem, they are the same. They have the same roots, and that is our selfish ambitions, to grow and grow, to grab and grab even at the cost of others. Our incapacity of not being able to change is the real mother of all the problems you have been repeating ‘n’ number of times since you began this interview. No importance is given to the basic qualities like love and trust. That is why I am always saying. Think of everybody and give love to all and receive love from all.
Zankhana Datt : What does that mean?
PM: That means, No more questions now…I am tired now!
PM with slight shaking body went out from there. His ‘Kurta’ was shining in the light. The sudden departure of PM disturbed the senior reporter Zankhana, she felt embarrassed and then started summarizing the entire interview. She too disappeared from the TV screen after few minutes.
The following day, PM’s interview appeared into print media, all prominently displayed on front pages. Impact was far greater on social media sites.
This was the interview given straight from the heart. Never before any leader of this country had said so vaguely and yet sharply and honestly. The people of the nation were first taken aback, but as they understood its implication they were impressed and started praising him. The interview was repeatedly telecast by several channels. It created much hype and got huge favorable responses from the country, even foreign media took deep interest in the matter as he had very recently visited many countries abroad before he met with an accident. On many net-work channels, experts of economy, wild life, sciences, and sociology were assembled and discussed various implications of this peculiar interview. Even common mass discussed about it at every nook and corner of the country.
So that was it, the truth was spoken at last; surprisingly it came from a hardcore politician. “Times” devoted full article on it, its cover showing Indian PM. He became famous all around the world; what he said in the interview started becoming popular quotes. People began to feel change of heart. No one, except Prime Minister’s inner circle had any clue of his mental illness. Nevertheless, people perceived him as their savior.
Dt.: 27/7/2035
News: THE RULING PARTY PRESIDENT KAMALADEVI HAS APPOINTED MR. CHANDANPRAKASH GOSH AS AN ACTING PM AS THE PRESENT PM’S HEALTH IS DETERIORATING AND HE IS ADVISED MORE REST…
