On a hot summer day, people were banished away in their houses after the hit of the second wave of corona virus. Even After the numerous times of lockdown and tragically developed OCDs in people, there still doesn't seems to be
any hope for humanity to win.
Aarav, on the other side was feeling trapped by the government procedures. What would you even expect from a rebellious teenager. It wasn't like Aarav had nothing on his to-do list for today, just that considering the lockdown, he often takes his school work as an unnecessary task and his studies, Well! They are just as good as gone, already.
But, the boredom was inevitable, it was the ninth day of lockdown and certainly not the finest one for Aarav. It was 11:00 in the morning and he had already been in an argument with his family.
Obsessed in his own frustration, he decided to do something which would be courageous as per his own thinking and probably maddening to others. He took the keys to his motorcycle and left the apartment. Apparently, it was the prohibited lockdown time and no one was allowed to roam free, even if there is an emergency local authority has to be informed first handed. Fortunately, Aarav wasn't as dumb as that, he took the risk but on a safer side, he drove towards the abandons of the city. Even after taking the safer route, he couldn't outsmart the cops and felt a siren behind him. He fell into his crippling paranoia and accelerated to the top of the limit. In less than seconds, he was away from the reach of police vehicle but at that speed, even the thin air could be felt by his ears. At last, he lost control and in the blink of an eye, it was all a black out.
***
After an enormous headache, he finally woke up. He turned his head around and saw everything was different, people were dressed in black and silver and the sky was orange and black with fumes. Aarav was having a hard time breathing but he still managed to be on his feet.
He asked a random guy, 'Did thelockdown end?' The guy waited and stared at him for a moment and said, 'Yes, Freak! and took everything with it too" he said to Aarav and brushed hind hand away like it was contagious too. Aarav was clueless as well as injured, he was worried about the place but at the same time, he couldn't worry less about the wounds on his body. So, with some help and guidance, he found his way to the nearest hospital.
He went by the reception and said, 'I want emergency redressal for my wounds. Where to?' He asked a doctor in the compound near reception. 'Relax!! Firstly, register there with your serial number.' The doctor said. "What Serial number. Well! Doc! If you are talking about Aadhar card. I don't have it. I can arrange, but can we first focus on the wounds."
Aarav said. "Are you mental too? Someone please take him away." Doctor said, reacting upon Aarav. "Hey, how dare you say that" Aarav said and pushed the doctor away from him just when he felt his fingers crunching like he had just hit the metal with his fist. After the hustle-bustle a nurse came in and took Aarav into a ward. "What the hell was that?" She asked Aarav. "Really! You asking me. What the hell was he and is he made of steel or what."
Aarav asked. "No! It's copper and alloy mixture. One from which we all are made" The nurse said.
"What did you said? Copper?" Aarav asked patiently in shock.
Nurse was calm and composed and able to answer every little query of Aarav like it was casual.
"Wait a minute, Where am I? What is this place. And what happend to this place?" Aarav asked
"What happened when?"
"After lockdown, the one on Sunday, 18th April." He asked
"There was no lockdown on 18th april this year." Nurse replied
"Are you kiddin me. There was. 18th april 2021."
"Well! Checking the records. There was a lockdown on 18th april 2021."
"And what happend after that?"
After the April lockdown, the covid breakout was at its highest rate. Governments were helpless and finally the limits were crossed when after the new strain, even the Royalties and People in power were dying After the molecular structure breakdown, the complexity of the virus proved that it was man made weapon of war designed to wipe up the whole population of mankind, that too without any cure. The death rate was also 80 times more than Covid-2019. The veto countries couldn't see the defeat and out of rage and anger, they waged a nuclear war against each other. First, Russia, then China and all others entered in. Soon, the blue earth was covered with fumes and nuclear waste and yet, it was named as The other side, all of the influential and powerful personalities found a way out and developed a custom earth on the Space stations, soon other planets were also being developed for the survival of human race. The rest of the population left on the other side was either dead in nuclear war or dying as by its after effect. But those who couldn't escape found a way to thrive, mecha-human armors and machinery body parts were installed in those who were suffering from heavy radiation.
Aarav listened patiently and was left speechless. He took a tape like thing from the side and wrapped upon his wounds when he could not find any first aid. He stood up and looked outside the window and asked. This place, There was a lake at this place, I remember coming here. What happened to it.
Well! Yes! There was a lake 25 years ago, after the war everything was wither lost or wiped up for buliding the space station.
"Am i really in future or am I dead and in hell."
"I don't have any answer for that."
"I'll go with option b."
Are you from 2021. The nurse asked. Yes i am, ln flesh and without copper.
"And you have seen all the trees, lakes by your own eyes. How does it feel?"
"Well! It's magical. Though we never gave enough time to actually to feel it." He said and held his head as it was paining more and more with every second. 'You are bleeding.' The nurse said. 'Oh yes.Yes I am' He looked at his feet and said. "Not there, your forehead, there's blood dripping" He touched his head and saw the blood on his fingers.
"Oh god! I am bleeding." He said and fell on the ground, unconscious.
With a noisy ringing sound of the ECG machine, he woke up lying in a hospital bed. Aarav could overhear the doctor and his parents having conversation about his condition and how he was ready to go back home. When he turned his face at his left, he saw some flowers in a vase about to be wilted,
"Can I get some water?" He asked the nurse. The nurse poured a glass of water from the jug, 'Not for me, For my friends' Aarav said and pointed at the flower vase with a smile.
