T minus 5 years

Hello, myself from the past!

Vikram tried to call Rajit. The call failed with no mobile network. How will there be a mobile network if the network provider itself you subscribe to doesn't even exist until a few more years in the future? He wondered if he could get a SIM card somewhere. "Brother, where do I get a SIM card?" he asked the salesman.

"Right outside. Take a left and walk till the circle. There will be many people selling SIM Cards there" Vikram walked towards the circle where he spotted an umbrella with a man sitting underneath with SIM cards and plans mentioned on placards. 

"Brother, one SIM card" he asked.

"Which one do you want, brother?" came the question from the SIM card salesman.

"You only tell, brother. I want good Talktime. Airtel?" Vikram asked.

"Ha. I'll give that. I need address proof and ID proof" he asked, putting his hand forward.

Vikram looked blank. Where are my IDs? He opened his wallet to check to find no IDs present. He opened his phone, hoping for some digital copies. The world is gonna go digital. Whoever bets on it now will have the best returns, he thought to himself. He opened his Google drive and looked at the files, hoping to find one. He found a folder named KYC. His eyes lit up; his documents were gonna be in there. With each company and bank mandating KYC, it's become important to setup. Thank God for offline files in Google drive, he thought to himself as he showed the PDFs to the SIM card salesman.

"Tell me the number, brother. I'll need your name, address, and sign before I can give you a SIM card. It will take 1 day to get activated" he said.

"A day? Until tomorrow, can't I call?" Vikram asked, shocked.

"No, brother. Company rules. One day for verification and activation" he replied.

"Fine. Please give it to me. How much?" Vikram fished out for the 500 rupee note from his pocket. Better now than never. I need to call Rajit soon. He may have a clue as to where I am. He took the SIM card and kept it in his pocket. I need to find a place to take a call. He thought for a while. Then an idea struck him. Bus stand or a railway station. They always have phone booths. Let me go there. "Brother, railway station. How do I go?"

"Bus stand is there" he said, pointing towards a small structure. "Take 40 or 1 or 2. They go to the railway station" Vikram did as he was suggested. He reached the railway station about an hour later. The heat was scorching. He was almost down by 800 rupees so far. He walked into the railway station as a man determined and looked for a phone. After checking Platform 1 and nearby, he found a small shop opposite the railway station with a phone. Finally.

Vikram ran towards the phone store without taking care of the road. As he ran, a car screeched just beside him, coming to a halt. The driver looked out of the window and started cursing. Vikram realized where he was. This time, change the future. He remembered the words. What goddamn future am I saving? Couldn't you've sent one small note along with me? He cursed himself. How would I save the future if I can't even manage to save myself in the world I know well?

He walked to the phone booth and dialed Rajit's number. The phone was ringing. "Hello" he answered. "Who is this?" 

"Vikram" Vikram replied.

"Sup, Vicky! Let's plan the trip for next weekend. I am not getting leave this week," Rajit answered.

"Hey, Rajit" Vikram answered. He sensed a familiar voice, but the person seemed very unfamiliar.

"Hey, Vikram. Are you okay? You sound tired."

"I don't know how to explain this to you. Can you pick me up? I'm a little lost" Vikram pleaded.

"Where are you? I'm coming. Are you at your office?" Rajit said. Vikram could hear keys jingling from the other end.

"I'm at Secunderabad railway station. Please, pick me up, Rajit. I will explain everything" he said. "I'm really lost" Vikram, almost tearing up.

"Stay there, Vikram. Have something to eat. I will be there in 1 hour" Rajit said, hanging up. Vikram looked around to see where he can get some food to eat. He decided to get some tea instead and went out to the nearest tea store. He slowly sipped tea and just waited. Even if Rajit comes, there was no way he could figure out where he was. He looked around and decided to wait. He ordered another tea after finishing the one he was drinking. The heat of the tea calmed him a little.

After what felt like an hour, Vikram went back to the phone shop to call Rajit. "Vikram, is that you?" Rajit replied.

"Yes, I don't have a phone with me. So, I just came to call you again to tell you where I am."

"Yeah. I am reaching in another 5 minutes. Just stay near the Alpha hotel. I'll come there and pick you up" Rajit replied.

"Okay" Vikram said as Rajit hung up. He looked around to find Alpha hotel. He could sense that this was a place he frequented. The roads seemed familiar and alien at the same time. He made his way amongst the crowds and reached Alpha hotel. He waited there for what seemed like 10 minutes when someone came looking.

"Vikram" Rajit was yelling, trying to find him in the crowds in front of Alpha hotel.

"Rajit" Vikram called out to him. Rajit turned around to the sound of the voice and saw Vikram. Vikram looked older than he last met him.

"Vikram, is that you? Why do you look older? What happened? Did you take some bad medicine?" Rajit asked, concerned.

"I'm not sure, at this point. Can we get some food and go home, please? I seem to have lost a lot of my memory" he said. "I lost my keys too."

"Yeah. Let me get the food" Rajit said, walking into Alpha and coming back a few moments later with 2 packets of food. "I'm really concerned, Vikram. What the hell happened to you?"

"It's a story I do not know much of, Rajit. I want to go home and sleep for a while. I woke up in the hospital in the morning, and I only remember flashes before that" he said.

"What? I picked you up at your place this morning and dropped you off in the office. Your bike was to be given for repair, so you called me up" Rajit asked, confused.

"Let me get some food in and I'll explain everything" he said. Rajit agreed. Looking at Vikram's face, he could guess something bad happened else he wouldn't delay answers. Rajit drove as fast as he could to Vikram's place and picked up a stone as he walked up. He broke the lock with the stone and led Vikram inside. He put the food on the coffee table and went to the kitchen to bring plates. Vikram crashed on the couch and sat up when Rajit served the food. They ate in silence as Rajit tried to understand what was going on and Vikram was just trying to figure out what to say. After eating, both of them washed their hands and came back to the couch.

"So, tell me, Vikram. What is going on?" Rajit asked.

"Rajit, I know you're a dear friend of mine. I seem to have memory loss, but there is one thing I am certain of. I am from 2020. I have traveled back in time for some reason that I do not understand myself. I woke up with a concussion and was admitted to the hospital. Someone paid for my treatment and gave me 1500 rupees. I managed to get information and ended up at the railway station."

"Vikram, you know I love a good story. But you can't be serious. I mean, it is just weird. You're playing with my head."

"No, Rajit. My memory is failing me. I know why I was sent. But that's all I know. I don't remember anything else," he said.

"Vikram, I am telling you. Don't joke, man. It's not funny."

"Here. Take a look at this" Vikram said, opening his wallet and fishing out a 500 rupees note.

"This is a nice design. But what do you intend to tell me?"

"Look at the year it is printed" Vikram said.

"2020. So?"

"This is the legal tender of 500 rupees in 2020. That's where I am from."

"So, then who did I pick up this morning?"

"Me from 2015. But where is he?"

"Let me call him up" Rajit said, picking up the phone and calling Vikram's cell number he stored. The call was answered after a few rings. "Vikram, bro. Where are you?"

"Hello. Vikram? I think you have the wrong number" the voice said, hanging up immediately. Rajit tried a few more times and the same result. He called a colleague of Vikram instead.

"Hey, Ashu. Quick question - is Vikram in the office today?" Rajit asked.

"No, he didn't come to the office today. Do you know where he is?" Ashu replied.

"I think he may have gotten a little sick. I'm just checking in on him. He said he wasn't feeling well when I dropped him in the morning."

"Okay. Cool. I'll let the others know he's sick. I hope he gets well soon" Ashu said. "Goodbye, man" and hung up.

"Okay, so that Vikram is missing" Rajit declared.

"Or it is possible that when I came to this timeline, the timeline corrected the paradox by eliminating him" Vikram said.

"Can you repeat it? And dumb it down for me" Rajit asked, confused.

"Well, hello myself. I am from the future, and I am the past now" Vikram said.