| I looked around, and there seemed to be nothing familiar.
I walked to and fro hoping to find something familiar, something
that I could vaguely remember, that I could identify myself
with. It felt as if I had jumped into a Rabbit Hole and entered
into a new world altogether or I must have eaten something
really wrong, that had got me to this place – A place that I now
wanted to explore and investigate and take one of those Flying
Cars and travel across this new place that I had just discovered.
An Eco- Era which seemed quiet and bright – No cars
honking—no tall buildings overshadowing the streets—no
undisciplined Human Bikers who would zoom past you, scaring
the daylights out of you.
I am Zahra, and how old am I?
I can hardly tell or remember, I see myself in the mirror, and yet can hardly remember my age,
as I gaze into the mirror I read January 4th 3020 – 4th rings a bell,
but 3020?
I ponder over my thoughts, when I see the city coming back to life—electronic vehicles take on roads. I hailed a cab – “ Taxi! Taxi!” A cab stops by but to my horror I must
say out pulls a CONSOIC- and a sweet voice speaks out loud
and clear, “Please type your Destination Address with Pin
Code”. Thank God for small mercies, I remember my house address and I feed in the required details. A ticket pops out and the cab door opens. As I sit in, my eyes are fixed to the window
– I see people- “HUMANS” not “ROBOTS”, Thank God! I stop
feeling like an Alien Now!! As people walk past, each one
busy in their own world, running to work or on their way running errands. I see familiar places with unfamiliar settings – No gas stations, only places to charge cars and bike, no vendors on the road or people running for busses.
Suddenly, these strange things get me excited and curious and now I want to explore this new 3020- I command the Taxi to stop. “ Stop, Stop” I need to get off. An error pops up, “Destination
Not Arrived, Press YES If you want to Stop or No If you want
to continue”, I hit YES and get off the taxi and start walking.
The mechanical and livid behavior of the people start making
me feel uncomfortable, everyone buys in their own little world,
not time to stop by and smile. It makes me feel as if I wasn’t used
to this sort of an unwelcoming smile from people around me.
When my eye caught a smile, that seemed a bit familiar and I
immediately said. “Hello, my friend “, I said, stopping a stranger who passed by
me.
“Hello!” he said “Do I know you?” He said with a friendly smile
“No you don’t ………. Strangely I don’t know myself”
I begin to laugh …… I most politely tell him, “ I’m mulling over the various possibilities of how I reached this planet. Is this planet Earth or Mars”
The man laughed a friendly and civilized laugh unlike mine “ Yes my friend , you are very much on planet Earth, It has just been revamped to meet the requirements of 3020.”
I looked at him perplexed. “Well let me help you? “ he said,
and took out a gadget from his pocket, A “pocket watch “…… I
smiled ….. I took it from his hand ……. “Did you time travel, My
Man “……….. Saying this he disappeared like a puff in the air
I felt a jolt … “Yikkesss” ……… I screamed …… I’m Zahra and love
to dismantle machines and see how I can refix them again after
studying how it functions …. ‘
Mom! Mom! Mom! Is it 2020 or 3020? And do I have to charge
your car?
“ Ha!ha!ha! hold on my darling, I think the electric jolt you
received while fixing the clock has rewired your brains,? said
Mom in an utter state of awe.
” Just look around, all his mess . . wires, screws, screwdrivers.. I think the pandemic fever is
getting on you, you really need to gather yourself up, take a
wash and come out from this “workstation” as you call it,” said
mom with a big broad smile.
I looked around, and wondered for how long I must have been
working on this clock. I felt as if I time-travelled into the future
and got back, just like Alice of Alice in Wonderland.
I quickly gathered myself up and went for a quick refreshing shower and
when I stepped out I could hear the busy street taking over
and the peculiar smells and familiar noises hovered around me .
The silence and peace was broken but Oh! How I
missed it. As I opened the window to welcome the fresh air and
heard the familiar noises, I stood thinking.
We all aren’t perfect in this world? But the World is perfect
for us? |
