'Is the oscillator ready?'
'Yes Sir. But we were only able to locate the Actinx waves, the cosmic wa-'
'Let it be. We don't need to destroy the universe yet.'
'Sir should I inform them?'
'No need. I will be soon meeting them.'
***
His pen scrubbed on the blank paper but his fingers mingled between the thought of writing or picking a quick quarrel with the teacher. The latter thought won and he stopped, simply staring at the ceiling.
The teacher shouted:
'Get up, Rion Khatri, get up! These notes are very important and you are very much obliged to write these down other-'
The bell rang and he simply sat down now staring at the white board. The teacher left the classroom cussing Rion silently.
Abhinav approached him who was always found to be enthusiastic. He pulled Rion back from that "Meaningless Void".
'What do you say?'
'About what?'
'Yes.'
'What?'
'I am trying to remember, wait...'
Rion continued staring but again Abhinav pulled him out.
'Can you come to my house for a bright-night sleepover?'
Rion thought for a while.
'What are we going to do?'
'Anything. We would watch movies, series and play games..... especially on PS5.'
Rion was excited. He always wanted to play FIFA on PS5 and Abhinav had that game.
'But I need to ask my mom first. If she agrees then-'
They both exclaimed at the same time:
'FIFA Night!'
***
The afternoon heat was somber. After their enthusiastic discussion of sleepover the Maths teacher had taken the remaining periods which greatly exhausted Rion. He walked slowly towards his home. He had no cycle though his parents had promised to buy him one on his upcoming birthday.
He reached his house after a few minutes. The hall smelled of Lavender and he found his mother peering at his photos which were clicked five years ago. She smiled and praised the clicked photos.
'I'm home mom.'
'Oh! You are here Rion, aren't you!'
She laughed heartily.
'Sit and see your 5 year old photos.'
'Am I five year old in that photo or-'
'No, no the photo is five year old.'
And then she again started to gaze at the photos shot in the year 2027.
'I need your permission, mom.'
'For what.'
Now she was dead serious.
'Abhinav, my friend, has invited me to a sleepover tonight.'
'What are you going to do there?'
'Watch movies and serious, talk, and importantly play games. No girls, to be noted.'
He sounded excited.
'You won't sleep early, won't you?'
'Tomorrow's holiday mom, anyways I wake up late. Can you please allow me?'
'Okay I am allowing you this time but next time it should be reasonable.'
He smiled.
'Where is Ved?'
'He's sleeping.'
'He has no other work to do, always sleeping.'
'He's just five years old, what work on earth would he have?'
'Everything is five years old in this house.'
Indeed, it was true. This apartment was bought five years ago and Ved was born five years ago.
***
It was dusk and the sun was already fading. Rion found his way on the dusty footpath and lazily gazed at the endless sky. Something was different in today's dusk, he knew not what.
The wind slapped his face and the disappearing radiance caught his attention. He had changed his thought- first he would visit the beachside and gaze at the sky casting its shadow on the sea and then travel back to Abhinav's house for a FIFA NIGHT.
On his way he met Mr. Tej Agarwal. Mr. Tej was his neighbor and typically best friend since five years.
'Where are you going, Rion.'
'To beachside and then to a sleepover.'
'Oh! So you got a girl finally, huh?'
Rion laughed.
'No, no girls. Abhinav has invited me.'
Mr. Tej chuckled. He was a man Rion deeply trusted and a man to whom Rion shared his thoughts and experiences he could not share with his Parent.
'How's your wife, Mr. Tej?'
'She's good, we both are doing good.'
Mr. Tej always wanted to marry. But due to his carefree and tolerant nature and deteriorating health many woman had rejected him as well as he believed in a partner who could support and love unconditionally. But it was difficult to find such true people these days.
However, three years ago Mr. Tej found his life partner. They conversed well and their thoughts matched. So for the first time Mr. Tej got married and is living a happy marriage life now.
'Bye Rion meet me tomorrow.'
Mr. Tej walked slowly and left Rion to continue his journey. The beachside was few meters away but he walked slowly. He just wanted to enjoy this dusk as if it were his last 'enjoyable' dusk.
He reached the beachside only to find news reporters, journalists, cameramen swarming the area. The people clicked the photos and gazed at the sky, completely astonished. Some laughed while others prayed. Some like monkeys kept their hands on their sulky hair and mouth wide open gazed at the sky.
'What really is going on?'
Rion thought. He stood beside the pole, daring not to gaze at the sky. However, he found his courage and leapt among the surreal people of odd fashion.
He peered at the sky and found a massive hole like structure embedded in the blue sky which now looked purple and dark ready to suck whatever this world contains. The clouds disappeared where it had formed and its radiance illuminated the whole beach.
It was so dark that the birds which flew against it were not visible. The beach was still and the sand waiting for the consequences. Rion startled after taking a look at this nature's phenomena which no one could identify or define.
The reporters and the cameramen surged in large numbers wanting to have a clear picture of the phenomena. A man was staring at the sky with mouth-wide open. He neither blinked nor did he closed his mouth or utter any words.
Rion was somehow fascinated and he approached him.
'What is this exactly like, huh?'
The man didn't blink but he gulped still staring at the open sky.
He did not stutter nor did he expected something wrong to come out of his mouth:
'It is like a- void.'
***
Rion reached Abhinav's house after few minutes. He found Abhinav's mother talking to his mother and discussing about Rion's timely arrival and the phenomena which had occurred in the sky.
'Yes, he's here... Yes he's all fine. He looks tired though...okay. Hey, do you know what happened to Ms. Sheila's dog?'
Their discussion continued.
Abhinav escorted Rion to his room which was decorated with game consoles, game posters and mainly the coveted PS5 and the FIFA game.
And thus their majestic sleepover started.
***