The universe, call it space or the cosmos, is far beyond anything we can truly imagine. Within this endless expanse lie countless galaxies. Each galaxy holds millions of stars, and around them, uncountable planets. Somewhere among them exist endless realms and parallel worlds we may never fully understand.
We humans live in a tiny corner of the Milky Way Galaxy, inside a small solar system. Our home is Earth, the third planet from the Sun. That is all we have ever known.
So when someone claims that life exists only on Earth, it doesn't sound very logical.
In a universe this vast, somewhere out there, perhaps in a distant constellation, there may very well be the princess written in your fate.
And no, you don't need any special magic to find her. You just have to be at the right place, at the right time.
Anyway, let me begin the story.
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Monsters have surrounded me. Each one is stronger than I am, and there are too many of them. But I'm not giving up. I keep slashing them with my legendary sword.
Right at that intense moment, Megha hits my shoulder and says, "You're such a loser, bro."
The monsters don't waste the opportunity. I die instantly. Before the 'Game Over' screen appears, I get to see the victory smirks on their ugly faces.
I turn to Megha, the traitor allied with my in-game enemies. She's grinning like she won a lottery. Can I leave a beautiful red handprint on her left cheek?
Nah. She's my cousin, after all.
I calm myself down and ask, "Why are you here, sis?"
- "Can't I come to see my favourite bro?" Megha tries to act cute.
- "You just made me lose."
- "You wouldn't have won anyway."
- "When did I ever lose in video games?"
- "You just did."
- "Because of YOU, idiot!"
- "So what? What are you going to do, bro?"
Megha sits on my bed with a victory smile.
I smirk. "I can always tell Auntie about Sourav, dear sister."
Megha's eyes widen instantly.
She starts crying. "I tell you everything because I trust you, and you're blackmailing me…"
This is Megha's ultimate weapon: crocodile tears. Most people fall for it.
- "What's going on, Dhruv?" Boro Boudi (my eldest brother's wife) asks.
- "Nothing, Boro Boudi. Just watching a movie," I say quickly.
- "Oh! Then lower the volume, bro. I got startled hearing a kid crying."
- "Sure, Boro Boudi."
Megha's jaw drops hearing her "kid" comment.
I lift her chin and say, "There is a cockroach in your mouth. Don't swallow it."
Megha's eyes bulge, and she runs out of the room, about to puke.
With that settled, I shut down the computer and get ready. Surjo and Neel must be waiting.
As I'm about to leave, there's a knock on the door.
- "Dhruv, are you busy?" It's Mejh Boudi (my second brother's wife).
- "No, Mejh Boudi."
I open the door quickly. Megha is right behind her.
Mejh Boudi asks, "What did you tell my cute sister-in-law?"
- "Lots of things. Which one do you want to know?"
- "That one which made her cry."
- "Oh! I was just about to talk about Sour—"
- "STOP! STOP!" Megha shouts.
I smirk. "Why? Mejh Boudi wants to know."
Megha grits her teeth. "You don't need to tell her."
- "Oh, I definitely need to. So, Mejh Boudi, Sourav is...."
- "Her boyfriend," Mejh Boudi finishes my sentence.
- "How did you know, Mejh Boudi?" I ask, confused.
She smiles. "I'm not that much older than you two. And your middle brother and I were the best couple in college."
- "You still are the most lovey-dovey couple," Megha adds.
- "Thank you, dear sister," she replies sweetly.
Megha side-eyes me. "Someone who doesn't even have a girlfriend yet won't understand love."
Mejh Boudi smiles at me. "He'll find one tomorrow or yesterday. A little delay doesn't matter. She just has to be the right one. And if necessary, we'll capture the perfect lady from another world for my dear brother."
- "Who would choose my clueless cousin?" Megha laughs.
I say bye to Mejh Boudi and leave. As I walk downstairs, I can still hear Megha laughing.
I need to do something about her one day.
My family is a big one — my parents, my two elder brothers (Arko and Argha), their wives, and me.
My father is a successful businessman. My eldest brother is a police officer. My second brother is a bank manager.
We are a big, happy family.
Megha is my uncle's daughter. She's two years younger than me. She's a good girl and often comes to our house.
And I?
I'm Dhruv. First year in college. Addicted to anime and video games. Parallel worlds fascinate me. But I can't go there… can I?
I don't have a girlfriend. And nowadays, that's apparently a big deal. I'm not interested in fishing for girls. I'm waiting for "the one."
Maybe my princess is sleeping in another world.
Surjo and Neel have been waiting. We meet at the playground.
We've been best buddies since class 11. I joined their school after class 10.
One day, I saw Surjo getting verbally bullied by a group of girls. That's called Adam-teasing I think.
I tried to save him. Only to end up being a victim of Adam-teasing.
But Neel quickly brought a teacher there and saved both of us.
And that's how our friendship began.
We're playing when a girl walks up to us.
I remember her.
She stands before me and says, "I came for revenge, mister."
- "For what again?"
- "You don't remember? Yesterday at the restaurant, you humiliated me in front of those poor people!"
- "Oh, that? I didn't humiliate you. I corrected you. You blamed the cook for a hair in your chow mein. But no one in the restaurant had long hair. So it was clearly yours. You didn't tie your hair."
- "Shut up!" she shouts. "My elder brother is coming to teach you a lesson. You don't know who I am!"
- "I don't actually want to know. But apparently, even to explain who you are, you need your elder brother."
A car stops nearby. Five men come out. One of them is sharply dressed — must be her brother.
He walks toward me angrily, but as soon as he sees me, his expression changes.
He smiles. "How are you, Dhruv?"
Everyone, his sister and his men look shocked. That wasn't part of her plan.
I recognize him. Suvo Saha.
- "I'm good, Mr. Saha. How are you?"
- "You don't need to call me that. Call me Suvo."
- "No, sir. You're older and respectable. By the way, What are you doing here?"
- "It's the weekend. I thought I'd get some fresh air."
- "With four men?" I raise an eyebrow.
He chuckles nervously and gestures at his sister. "This is Suma. She's weak in Higher Math. If you don't mind, teach her something in your free time."
- "Okay."
Suma is in deep shock. She says, "Brother, what are you...."
Suvo says, "Oh! Sister this is Dhruv. My boss's youngest brother."
Suma looks like someone pulled the ground from beneath her.
I say politely, "Nice to meet you, Miss Saha."
She replies like a robot, "Nice to meet you too…"
Almost sunset. We head home.
Suddenly Neel says, "Hey, look!"
Three punks are teasing a girl.
I say, "Let's go."
We walk up to them.
"Leave her alone!" I shout.
The leader says, "If you love your pretty face, walk away, loser."
- "So you actually know you look like the twin brother of a bull?" I say calmly.
- "What did you say?!"
- "Listen, deaf man, I don't like repeating myself. Apologize to her and get lost."
- "You have a death wish, kid?"
- "No. But I can grant yours."
He punches my left cheek.
Surjo yells, "I'll kill him!"
I shout, "No, Surjo! Neel stop! This is on me now. If I don't do it on my own, my elder brothers will give me twisted punishment. Surjo protect the girl. Neel call the ambulance."
Surjo and Neel says in unison, "Alright."
I turn back to that punk.
He looks into my eyes and sneers, "So you want more?"
He throws another punch. This time I catch his fist in mid air. Before he can react, I slam my own punch straight into his face. He stumbles back, dazed.
"You—!" he growls.
He swings a kick toward my left side. I grab his leg with both hands, plant my left foot against his right leg and pull sharply. He crashes onto the ground.
A clean Sanda takedown.
I get on top of him, lean forward, and start pounding his face.
One punch, then another, and another....
His head snaps back with each hit. I stop only when I hear him groan.
Then I look up at the other two punks and say, "Who's next?"
Sometimes later, Mr. Dey arrives and takes two beaten delinquents to the ambulance. One escaped.
He bandages my knuckles and put a band aid on my left cheek.
- "Even on weekends, Dhruv? Does Arko know?"
- "Not yet."
- "Good luck then. And I'll send the bill to Arko, as usual."
- "Okay. Thanks, Mr. Dey."
Mr. Dey leaves with the ambulance. Neel says, "Should we come with you, Dhruv?"
- "No, I will manage. You two go home now. See you tomorrow."
I walk to the gate. Our gatekeeper, Mr. Mondal asks, "Fight again, Dhruv?"
- "Yes. Are my brothers home?"
- "They both are, Dhruv."
Not my lucky day.
I pull out my mobile and call Mejh Boudi. Mejh Boudi picks up and says, "What is it brother?"
- "Mejh Boudi can you distract everyone for a minute?"
- "Why? What did you do, brother?"
- "I'll explain later. Please help me Mejh Boudi."
- "Okay. Two minutes later, Come in through the back door."
- "Thank you so much Mejh Boudi!"
Two minutes later. I softly touch the back door. It's open. I enter without any sound. As I get near the stairs, I run into Megha.
Megha Shouts, "Auntie look brother Dhruv has bandages on his hands!"
Everyone in the house gathers in a few seconds.
So much for sneaking.
I explain everything. My middle brother says, "If you see any delinquent doing any crime, beat them up. I'll pay the fine. But no one can touch your hair." My elder brothers force me to drink two glass milk as punishment to enter home with bandages.
It's 10pm. I am in my room playing harmonica. Megha is also in my room playing games on my computer.
Megha stops and asks, "Brother, can I ask you something?"
- "Absolutely, No."
- "But I will."
- "Then why are you asking for permission?"
- "Did any girl ever propose to you?"
- "Yes, why?"
- "You turned them down?"
- "Obviously."
- "Why?"
- "Because, They wanted me as their boyfriend, just because, my outside self somehow attracted them. None of them truly loved me."
- "Brother, You are a loser, you know that? Listen, sometimes girls can't express their honest love to their significant person. You should try to understand maiden's heart more deeply, delicately."
- "So you are are an expert now?"
- "I sure am."
- "Listen you idiot, ....."
Suddenly blackout.
What! What happened to emergency power?
Whole room brighten up with strange green light. A glowing green ball is floating above the table.
What !
Megha goes near it and touches it. "Wow! It's cold!"
"Maybe it's a door to another world." I grin.
Megha's eyes widen. She backs off instantly.
I laugh.
I put my harmonica in my pocket and approach the floating sphere.
Megha says, "Brother, sometimes controlling your curiosity, can save your life. That looks unreal and dangerous. Keep a safe distance from that."
I smile and say, "Don't worry, it's not dangerous. See I am touching it."
I place my right hand on the green ball. Instantly, it pulls my arm inside up to the elbow.
My heartbeat stops for a moment.
Some force is pulling my hand from inside of the ball.
My voice shakes, "You were right Megha. Curiosity can be...."
Before I can finish, the green sphere sucks me in completely.