In spite of holding onto the belief that Atharv was alive, the uncertainty of his whereabouts and the obstacles ahead burdened her, and there wasn't any clue about the mysterious world and shadowy figures that had kidnapped him.
There were countless questions. What he meant when he said Dhruv was just a copy of the original? How does Kri know about Atharv? And what was that male voice and the power it provided? Questions with no answers.
Next day. She asked Purvi about destruction in the central area. But to her surprise, Purvi had forgotten most about that day, especially the critical event. Purvi recalled Manya returning the ring and Atharv's departure to another country, but couldn't remember anything about the disaster.
Troubled, after not finding any news, article or any video of the event—she rushed to Connaught Place. Her eyes expanded and jaw dropped over its complete transformation. The roads, buildings, and most importantly the central park, which had once been nothing but an enormous fiery hole, were now completely restored. There wasn't any sign of repair. All seemed magical. She touched the objects that had turned to dust and they weren't new—but the same old. And winds embracing the flag as before—again becoming the part of its majestic aura.
With the passing of time, everything from that day that haunted her nights became nothing more than false memories.
***
One night. She was lying on the roof, clutching the portrait of her and Atharv. A disfigured frame corner caught her attention; a metal piece was sticking out of frame's surface. She attempted to push it back, but the outcome was the opposite. The frame underwent a complete deformation into multiple small fragments. Her photo with Atharv had vanished, leaving her with a screen-like device that was unlike any she had seen before. Within moments, the MS logo appeared in the middle, and a pulse emitted from the device, enveloping her in a semi-transparent layer.
"What the—" She jolted up on the feet and reached out her arm to touch the layer and, to her relief, it passed right through. The second her thumb grazed the display, the entire cosmos unfolded. She was flying in the space? Before her breath could catch in her throat. Countless MS logos appeared in galaxies, planets, and places she never knew, saw, or even imagined. In just a matter of seconds, it magnified to show her current location. "Did I just saw the entire universe? And it's close to round?"
Unable to resist her curiosity, she once more attempted to zoom out to witness the cosmic phenomenon. With a sliding motion of her finger, she zoomed out.
'Unauthorised user detected,' a female voice announced. 'Transfer command found.'
She glimpsed an MS pinged location above a pizza shop with the same name. In a split second, her mirror image appeared on the device. 'Beginning the transferring process,' the voice announced. An invisible pressure wrapped around her and disappeared the other second. 'Process Complete. Please answer the questions whole-heartedly.' The device turned into black dust and vanished.
"What about the questions?"
A loud crash echoed through the air. Several cars and a few bikes were mangled in a collision on the highway near her apartment. Her eyes froze over a text displayed on an MNC next to the highway, which stated. "Why does humanity seem to repeat the same mistakes throughout history, despite knowing the consequences?"
"How?" she whispered. Question? That's what it meant. She read it repeatedly to find the close to perfect answer. "We repeat the same mistakes… because we are stubborn, hoping to get different outcome from same actions."
As soon as she finished her answer, the question on the MNC vanished. She sighed. "The MS logo might be the first clue to finding you. Because it was the same logo, which was imprinted on that cloner machine of yours. I know you wanted me to forget it and stay away." She clutched her silver chain. "But how can I forgive Dhruv's killer?"
The next question appeared on the screen in the coffee shop, positioned above the man who was desperately seeking information about his missing daughter. "Why bad things always happen to good-hearted individuals?"
The expressions of parents engaged in a conversation with police officers confused her. They had a hint of happiness on their faces and their fake agony, and her gut works best after gulping coffee. "Don't know the answer to that, but these two don't have a single bone of goodness in them." The question disappeared and in a few minutes of time, both of the parents got arrested over a mysterious clue about the missing girl.
The next question she received was unexpected. It was on the wall above the spiritual yoga guru on TV. "Is there any hope for a future where greed, corruption and selfishness no longer dictate the course of human affair?"
"Yes."
While she was giving food to beggars to calm herself, the next question appeared in the bowl of a beggar. "Why does society values material wealth and status over compassion, empathy and kindness?"
A sports car stopped near her. All the beggars rushed towards it. The woman inside threw cash out the window. While the beggars were fighting each other for the cash, Manya glimpsed a smile on that woman's face.
"… Why bother to be kind? When you can receive the title of most kind, empathetic being after attaining a higher status, even if you are cruel."
The beggar before her moved his bowl beneath the cloth to prevent what he had gained all day. She faked an attempt to grab it.
Next question appeared in a newspaper, where the shop vendor was trying her best to sell goods and teaching her daughter simultaneously. "In a world where hope feels like a distant dream, how do we find the strength to keep going?"
"… There are different aspects to this. Some find strength in beauty, others by achieving small goals. Even if they are worthless, it provides a sense of accomplishment. And last, there are those who see struggles as transformation."
She thought the question would vanish, but another text emerged. "Connaught Place, 11 pm" The place she had avoided since weeks—was now calling her. There wasn't anything unusual that captured her attention; just people rushing with their desires and the never-ending pursuit of material possessions.
***
To endure the few hours of waiting, she bought a handful of chips, protein bars, and a soft drink. She took a deep breath; if not for the philosophical podcast she had listened past week, answering such questions would be difficult. The hours would've felt like forever if it weren't for the stray dogs playing with a torn stuffed toy.
"So, that's how pet therapy works."
By 10 PM, both she and her recently made friends with tails were exhausted. A chuckle eluded her as she imitated the dogs sticking their tongues out. Dogs barked off a few drunkards for her.
Just before 11, she texted the friends she hadn't seen in forever. She texted, "What if today is supposed to be my last day on this planet?"
Within a swift span of time, a reply came from Raisha. "I got her location. She's in CP. Hurry!" the group filled up with thumbs up. A smile crept up her face.
The dogs next to her began barking at the ground nearby. A strong gust of wind made her spot a floating orb of light. The dogs ran towards the orb but stayed at a safe distance. Her heart pounded, quickening with every beat. "This is it." She stopped beside the orb.
'What is the deepest wish you hold?' the orb said.
"I want to find and save my mamu."
'Two answers left.'
"But I want to find him!"
'One answer left.'
She didn't think twice before sharing her heart. "I want answers, for everything that had happened to me," the orb remained silent. "I wish to question the beings who caused me pain. Why did they do it? Why me?" The surrounding breeze intensified, rustling the leaves. The orb emanated a pulse that enveloped the entire area.
'Beginning the process of migration.'
From the orb, several layers of soft, ethereal light emerged and floated beside her, lifting her off the ground. In a matter of seconds, their pace quickened, effectively blocking any sight of the outside world. She reached out and touched the squishy layer. It's happening.
'Initiating oblivion sequence.'
She could feel the heat building up in her body. 'Unknown substan—' the surrounding layer ripped into pieces, and she ended up on the ground. In the blink of an eye, the orb and everything else vanished into nothingness. The only thing remaining was the pack of dogs sniffing her and her friends, who had entered the park.
***
After not being able to see questions for weeks, clarified that she somehow had failed the process. The process of oblivion, which ran for a few seconds before dropping her, had not only cleared her digital footprints, but had cleared her existence from the minds of her friends. They thought her to be a drunkard or a runaway mental patient.
Once, when she got stuck in an elevator with a guy who misunderstood her gaze to be on his funny business, but all she was eyeing was the pamphlet of a 50% discount at MS pizza shop. As the elevator reached the lobby, she ran to the exit and bumped into Ira and ruined her coffee.
"I am sorry."
"It's true," Ira said. Manya's brows furrowed. "Life sure is fast in a big city."
Manya bought Ira another coffee. Ira restored the smile that Manya had lost. Manya was cautious at the beginning, for letting Ira closer, as she never wanted Ira to experience pain disguised as Manya's shadow. However, Ira was unwavering and stubborn in her friendships. She recommended Manya for a position in her company, giving her a secondary aim alongside her main one.
***
Few days after getting adjust to her new firm, she was on her way to the supermarket, to buy snacks for Ira, who would disown her if she had forgotten it. Upon entering the supermarket, she was surprised to see a familiar face—Vicky, Atharv's colleague—who recognised her despite the purification process. The first time she saw him was on Atharv's birthday, at the bar. It seemed absurd, as all she had said to him was "Hello", "I am good", "21", "Goodbye Uncle". Her friends, the ones she had all those cherished moments with, completely forgot about her, but not him?
"Thank God, you are ok," he said. "I was so worried about you guys. Where's your mamu? I have been looking for you and him ever since that incident in the central. Went to your home, but you guys have left." He paid the bill at the counter. "Just what is going on with you guys?"
Her lips pursed. He was the first person who believed in the event, which sometimes felt like a dream to her. Manya changed a few facts about the incident involving angels and alien technologies. "He's been kidnapped by an organisation called MS."
"He what now?"