Was & Will

Time Travel

The woods were thick. Many huge twisted trees stood with pride. Surrounding them were a few thin-trunked trees and the remaining part was dense with bushes. Altogether, the canopies made it difficult for sunrays to enter. Still, some amount of light had managed to enter and to dimly light the forest.

In the middle of the bushes lay two human figures, unconscious. The breeze moved their hair. One among them breathed heavily. The dry leaf dirt around her face flew away. Slowly she opened her eyes. She tried getting up, but her muscles refused to listen. She tried hard and with slow movements managed to sit up. She saw all around and was shocked to see the woods. Her head was heavy. She remembered that her bus had met with an accident. She looked around and was surprised to find only a guy lying beside her.

He lay unconscious at a distance. back towards the sky. He wore just a dhoti. She moved towards him. Weakly shook his arm to wake him up. He was still unconscious. She used more energy. Finally, he gained consciousness. Just like her, he too was surprised at the extra effort that he required to sit up. He looked around, the woods surprised him too. His eyes were dizzy. He recalled the swayamvara and the accident. He still felt the pain of the insult.

Suddenly, as if pulled out of his thoughts, his face turned shocked as he realized who had just woke him up. A girl in strange clothes. He suspiciously asked, "who are you? And where am I?"

"Excuse me." Nisha got defensive, "don't act as if I kidn*pped you. I can even ask you the same question."

"Is this the way you talk to your king?"

"King?" The old grudge about royalty surfaced. "Who the hell are you? We are in a democratic country."

"So you know where we are..." He whispered under his breath.

"Sorry?" She moved close.

"You should be."

She took a deep breath. Clearly frustrated. She looked around for once. It was just the spread of trees as far as the eye could see. She turned to him. Took a deep breath again. Gulping her anger, she said "I was on a bus that met with an accident. It overturned and I don't remember what happened next."

"What is a bus?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"You don't know what a bus is? It's a vehicle in which you travel from one place to another."

"Like a horse chariot?"

"Yeah. Like a horse chariot but bigger to accommodate more people." She suddenly realised. "Wait did you say? 'chariot' ?"

"Yes." He sounded obvious.

"Wait, tell me how you got here?"

His expression changed. He recalled the events prior to the accident. He moved away from her. Facing away, he spoke, "I was on my chariot and a roadside tree uprooted. It destroyed my chariot and I fell in the woods."

She kept staring at him. "Why were you traveling in a chariot?"

"Because that's how you travel." He was also annoyed with the interrogation. The king is answerable to no one.

"Who are you?" That was her final question. Her face was serious. As if his answer would change everything. Somehow he understood the seriousness. With a straight face he answered, "I am Karna, the king of Anga."

She was dumbfold. Obviously, she knew who Karna was. The tragic character of the Hindu epic, Mahabharata. She had read about him. She kept staring. It was unbelievable. She whispered, "Did I travel back in time? No no, there has to be some mistake. How is it possible? Is he tricking me? But…" she looked back at him. "That explains why he is wearing a dhoti."

He spoke, "hello! Why are you staring? And what are you mumbling?" He took a step ahead, "Who are you?"

She suppressed her excitement. She could not stop smiling. If it was really time travel, that was a great scientific event. She calmed herself down and introduced herself. "Hi, my name is Nisha…" wait let's give him the royal introduction, she thought. "The princess of Jodhpur."

He raised his eyes. "A Princess". He moved back. Bowed a bit, holding his head high and acknowledged her. The royal etiquettes. She laughed. This was not common. Actually common to the lifestyle she had left behind. These behavioural rules always annoyed her back then, but now it seemed cute. Finally, somebody did it genuinely.

"That's fine, you don't have to do that. OK, now listen to me I think I have time traveled."

"You did what?"

"Time travel, when one moves into the past or into the future..." She raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah! I know what time travel is, but is it even possible.?"

"Maybe I am the first one to do it." She smirked. "Damn, this is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me in the twenty years of my life."

"Twenty years. Means?"

"You don't know what a year is?" She looked surprised. "A year is when the earth completes one revolution around the sun. So, since my birth, the earth has completed 20 revolutions, so I am 20 years old."

"Oh. Like that." He said. "Here we count the number of rainy seasons as they appear, so it is called 20 rains."

Suddenly, there was a commotion. Karna became alert. He protectively moved her behind him, but she shifted beside him and said "Excuse me, I can fight." He gave her a surprised glance. "People learn it even in my era."

They both stood in an attacking position. Their backs touched each other's. Ready to pounce on any threat.

From the nearby bushes a group of soldiers came out. These two were ready to attack but the soldiers bowed before them. One among them came forward. He looked like the leader. He wore black trousers and a red blazer, following the dress code of the soldiers but slightly more decent. "Finally, we found you, your highness."

People wore pants in the Mahabharat era? she thought to herself. Before Karna could react, the leader came forward and bowed in front of her. She was shocked.

Suddenly, another commotion arrived. Similar dress code, just the red torsos were replaced by blue. "Prince Maximus" They bowed before Karna.

"What's happening?" Nisha whispered to Karna. "How would I know?" He replied.

The soldiers in blue moved aside to make way. A lady dressed in a royal gown came walking towards Karna. She placed a motherly hand over his cheek and said, "Where were you, my son?" Karna kept staring at her. She continued, "this is against the royal code, my child. What our subjects are going to think about you. Thank god princess Cisa followed you." She moved towards Nisha. "I hope you're fine dear." Nisha nodded awkwardly.

"Now let's get you home." She started walking. Then she stopped and turned. Smiled at them and said, "You'll have to continue your marriage, royals don't separate."