‘Another flight miss, uffff!’ she exclaimed.
In last 6 months, she missed almost 3-4 flights of her. It’s her don’t care attitude which cost her heavily in terms of flight missing. Most of the cases she started just 1 hour before the flight departure or in some cases even less than that. Although the distance between the Airport and the place she lives is 44 km.
On the other hand, she is famous among her friends because of her don’t care attitude. All through her life, she had been in situations where one cannot imagine how to handle that but somehow she got over those situations.
‘Everything is better when you decide you don’t care’ that’s her motto in life.
That’s how Kriti is, a 28-year-old, young, independent women lives in Goa, alone, far away from her home at Simla, where her parents live. Goa is actually her fourth place, before Goa she had lived in Bangalore, Kolkata, and Hyderabad.
And it’s not because of her bank, where she works transferred her but she wanted to have adventures in her life. So she requested her bank to transfer her in different places. Living in the same place years after year reduces adventure span of one’s life, she believes. Another interesting thing about this adventurous girl is, she is single from last 7 years. The only boyfriend she had had in her college.
It’s 11 p.m in the night and raining heavily in Goa. Kriti was in desperate need of some vehicle to reach Mumbai by tomorrow after missing her flight. So she moved towards the bus stand from the airport. Having no umbrella with her, she was already wet in that stormy night by the time she reached the bus stand. Although it was just 1.5 km away from the Airport. Finally, she found a bus which will leave for Mumbai at 2 a.m.
‘Enough of Goa, I have to move out to Mumbai this time’- she murmured. Mumbai is her next destination city to live. After requesting the branch manager at least 100 times finally he agreed to transfer Kriti. However, she had to go through an interview to move to Mumbai. That’s the reason for her Mumbai journey, which was becoming more adventurous after the flight miss. Suddenly her phone beeped.
It was Jeet. Jeet, a 22 years old boy, studying at college in Indore. Kriti had never seen him. But for Kriti, Jeet was more than just a stranger boy. One day Kriti was reading an article on the internet named ‘Human’s of 21st century’ and she liked it. She sent a mail to the author and that author was Jeet. From then onwards, they become friends, although never seen each other. Jeet was very opposite of Kriti, his thoughts were very different. Probably that’s why Kriti enjoyed talking with him. Kriti picked up the call.
‘Hey, Kriti, how are you’-Jeet
‘I am fine, waiting in the bus stand’-Kriti
‘Waiting for what this midnight’
‘I am going to leave Goa in few months, next destination Mumbai’
‘Come on, People dream to spend few days or few months of their lives in Goa and you want to leave that place’
‘Yeah, I know but this peacefulness, vibrancy, beaches, sunsets here no longer attracts me. I want to see the crowded place, crowded streets’
‘That’s why you have chosen Mumbai?’
‘ Yeah, probably and who knows I might find my mate their who will understand what I want from my life.’
‘Hey, do you feel bad about your relationship status?’
‘Not really but sometimes seeing all my friends are getting married and some of them even have children I feel I should also get married. Also, my family calling me every week to remind me when I am getting older.’
‘OK, but it’s your life you are just 29. You should not get married just because all your friends are getting married or because of your age.’
‘Just 29! Jeet you are a teenager, you don’t know how it feels to be single at 29’
‘But tell me honestly, you have lived almost in 4-5 different places until now, you didn’t like any single boy anywhere?’
‘Not that, I have talked with many boys but all men you know, always want to be in the controlling position. Just because they can’t compete with women, they want to suppress them’
‘I didn’t expect it from you, you have seen and experienced many things but you should not generalize all men in the same category. Not all men are same just like every women are not same.’
‘You don’t know Jeet how these men are controlling society and ruling women for years after years. Do you want examples? housewives are one such example.’
‘What’s wrong with housewives?’
‘What’s wrong! what is right about housewives? Housewife is the most unjustifiable thing society has created, where a woman works day and night, taking care of everyone but never get rewarded for that. Never get paid for anything. Why would one do so much hard work without any pay, any recognition? I can never imagine myself as a housewife’
‘It’s not the way you think, not every housewife do their work out of just obligation or they didn’t find any other job to do. They take care of everyone not because they expect any reward but because she loves to take care of her loved ones. She is the best manager ever. For someone, being a housewife could be the most satisfying job in the world.’
‘ You and your old philosophy’-Kriti
‘I know I would probably never understand this corporate culture of big cities, where people don’t understand things beyond money.’-Jeet
‘OK OK, I am looking for a man who can compete with me. Who would understand my lifestyle. Who would match my standards.’
‘Compete with you! what you mean?’
‘A man who would have the same views as mine, same hobbies as mine and most importantly knows how to compete and survive.’
‘That means you would never marry a man who don’t believe in competition. Who don’t want to move out to other places frequently, who is not from your corporate culture.’
‘Most probably not. How could I live with such a person who thinks way different from me.’
‘I wish if you could visit a parallel universe and see what your another version doing there.’- Jeet
‘ What is the parallel universe?’- Kriti
‘ You didn’t read my last article? I have written about it there.’
‘Sorry, you know how busy I am’- Kriti
‘May God show you another version of yourself in a different universe.’
‘Stop it Jeet. I am getting scared. I don’t know about the Parallel universe but one day I would like to meet you. Somehow I like your philosophies’
‘Although it doesn’t match your standards. Ha Ha Ha. Ok, Goodnight. Have a safe journey.’- Jeet
‘Good night’– Kriti
It’s 1. 50 a.m now. Rain has stopped. Surprisingly Kriti observed there is only one bus at the bus stand now. The only bus which was going to Mumbai. Kriti got up on the bus where only a few people were there. She didn’t realize how time flew while talking with Jeet. But now suddenly she felt a very mysterious silence on the bus. She felt like people on that bus were looking strangely at her as if she is from another planet.
Anyhow, Kriti ignored that. On the way, she was thinking how a 22-year-old boy can think so maturely. Kriti knew Jeet was an intelligent boy after reading some of his articles and having few conversations with him. Somewhere in her mind, random thoughts are coming.
‘ Am I too ambitious? Did I think wrong about housewives all my life?
she was thinking about Jeet and the parallel universe he was talking about. She knew Jeet was a science enthusiast and when he was talking about something serious, it must not be a joke.
The bus suddenly stopped at a point where every other passenger got down. Kriti was little surprised as the place didn’t look like Mumbai city. The driver told that the engine of the bus has some problem so it will take a few hours to repair. He advised her to get down and take some food somewhere. When Kriti looked at her watch it’s 6 a.m in the morning.
The place seemed completely unknown to Kriti. As it was early in the morning, no one was there in the streets. Kriti felt something mysterious about the environment there. However, in search of a restaurant, she continued her walk. After walking for 15 minutes she saw a few shops and a building nearby. When she went close to those shops she could not believe her eyes. It’s as if she was in some dreamland.
The shops were exactly the same as the shops near her building in Goa. And the building was the same building where she lives. By now, Kriti didn’t know anything what’s happening with her. To check who lived in that building, she entered that building and what she saw there astonish her even more.
People who lived in that building were same as the people who were there in her Goa building. The only difference was the age. Some people were younger and some were older than Goa one. Those views almost gave her a headache by now. Out of curiosity, she decided to go to the 5th floor of the building, where Kriti lived in her Goa building.
What Kriti saw after reaching to the 5th floor completely stunned her. She saw a woman exactly look like her in her 40’s with her husband and children. To know more about them Kriti observed them from a distance so that they couldn’t catch her. She was listening to their conversation.
‘Come on Rohit get ready, you have to go for communication class’- The woman
‘Yes Mumma, the map is showing the car will take 20 minutes to come here. I have some time’– The Child
‘Ankit your breakfast is ready’– The woman ‘
‘Yeah, coming honey‘- Ankit
By this time, Kriti had figured out that he was in a completely different world which is somewhat advanced than our planet earth. And the name of the woman who looked like her is Reena. Ankit was her husband, a writer and Rohit was their children who looked like 6 to 7 year old. She also figured out that people here not only teach their children about subjects like Science, Mathematics, Literature but also about communication skill, human value, social skills etc. Driverless cars are very common here.
‘How is your novel going‘-Reena
‘It’s going fine, I hope it will be a good thriller and people will like it‘- Ankit
‘But I will be the first to read it‘-Reena
‘Of course honey, how can I publish a book without your feedback’-Ankit
‘You know about my friend Rumi, she is taking retirement from her work tomorrow. She wants to be a housewife and take care of her family full time now.‘-Reena
‘ Yeah yeah, I heard about that. I know being a housewife is a proud thing but you know our economy needs women support also‘- Ankit
‘She is 46 now and thinks has done her work outside, and anyway she can work from home also. But most importantly she wants to spend more time with her loved ones.’- Reena
‘You know Reena whenever I think about you I feel so proud. The way you look after us, supporting us every day and at the same time managing your work is simply amazing. I would never able to do that‘- Ankit
‘God has given this power to every woman. We can look after multiple things.’- Reena
‘But don’t you feel sometimes you could have earned much more if you work outside of the home?’– Ankit
‘Never, the satisfaction I get by taking care of my family is more valuable than any job and anyway I am working from home so in that way, I am contributing to my country’s economy also’- Reena
‘I will be always there beside you‘- Ankit
‘You know Ankit, God has created man and woman in such a way that both complement each other. Both should help each other to fulfill their lives. But unfortunately, men and women try to compete with each other. They compete in who earns more money, who is more intelligent, who has more power and whatnot. In this way, they fill their lives with jealousy, dissatisfaction, stress etc.’– Reena
‘We will always complement each other. I love you’– Ankit
‘I love you too Ankit‘- Reena
It’s been two hours since Kriti been in that building. Suddenly she remembered she has to return to that bus. She was not even sure whether that bus is there or not.
After having some food in a nearby restaurant where people were exactly same as in Goa. Although no one knew her there. She started walking towards the bus. After walking for 20 minutes she saw a bus. She felt a relief. when she looked back she still didn’t see any people on that road.
It was 9.30 in the morning, finally, the bus left from there. Still, there were no other passengers on the bus. After reaching Mumbai at 1 p.m Kriti got down from the bus. She saw one of her friend waiting for her. Her friend identified Kriti, which assures her that she was then in our known world. Kriti went to her friends place with her.
Even after reaching her friends place her mind was still in that mysterious place. She wasn’t able to understand what was that? was that real or just a dream?
Suddenly she remembered Jeet was talking about some parallel universe. She researched about it for some time. What she found out amazed her. Whatever she had experienced matched exactly, about what scientists think a parallel universe could be.
Then what was that bus? who was that bus driver? How did the bus arrive there? A lot of questions were arising in her mind. But then she had answers for a few facts, she understood why the passengers on that bus looked strangely at her. That woman Reena is actually Kriti’s another version in a parallel world. Probably no one would believe her strange story. But she couldn’t wait to tell her story to Jeet, who for sure would believe her.
However, this whole incident had changed Kriti’s life. Now she respects housewives and understands, housewives are the best managers in the world. Men and women are not meant to compete with each other but to complement each other. Now she don’t try to compete with other boys or girls, expresses gratitude for having such a adventurous life. She no longer now changes her place and understand that experience doesn’t only come from outside but more importantly from within.
Once again she started appreciating the beauty of Goa. This whole incident reminded Kriti one of her Favourite professor who always used to say-
“Jaisi drishti, Waisi srishti” ( ‘The world will look, the way you look at it’ )
Indeed it’s true.
Good Bye. Have an amazing week. Until next time. –Joy♥
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