Journey Of Thousand Lifetimes #13(alt)
Episode 13 — The Narrative

Kiran kept her phone on the wooden shelf near us and looked at me, “Brother! How long have you been doing this?”
‘785 times!’
Maaran uttered, “So, after everyone of us realize that something is wrong with our lives or what it is said to be as — The NARRATIVE, his mind snaps and then…..”
Avanthika — “Wait! Whatever we saw in our visions. That’s the truth?”
With a heavy heart I started to speak, ‘Unfortunately, I hope it is! Although, I never know what you saw but I am told that you’re shown the truth. Since it was 786th time, they allowed me to write a story of my own. And I have outlived too much, I thought I’d probably choose something that will allow us to talk about how we lived our lives together.’
Maaran — “Hey Ray! How ironic. Isn’t it?”
I chuckled and grumped, “Shall we go out for food? Before I…”
Pooja, “RayRay! If that’s what you wish, we are game! But there’s one condition I gotta put forth. Whatever happens, we are there for you. Don’t you ever worry”
Twitched my lips, smiled and picked up the car keys from near the TV.
Kiran — “What about the kids? Are they coming with us?”
Maaran thought for a while and called them out. “We are going out. Do you want to go to your grandma’s home?” Without a second thought, they picked up the bags and ran towards Maaran. Their faces showed nothing but pure joy.
On The Road
I was driving and Avi called shotgun. She told shaking her head left and right repeatedly, “Man! I cannot believe we had been friends for a really longtime. I just don’t understand one thing. What do you do when in places you lost me at the cafe or when I eloped with Dhanu or probably some similar situations. Uhn?”

Me — ‘Well. See! You gotta understand one thing. There are few things you cannot control like our emotions. Also, when I start with a Narrative, my brain is programmed to work for it. I might remember few things of the future or how my life of current narrative is. So… depression, joy, emotional outburst and many other things are all part of the passive story details. Active Story Details are the ones like recording a log of what happened either in a video or paper for reference. Like when you know somebody is gonna fall in next 2 minutes and I cannot talk about it cause it disrupts the Passive Story Details.’
Maaran who sat in the third row with his kids said, “Wow! So much for being a writer eh?”
Everyone laughed uproariously and we arrived at his house. Dropping the kids off, we continued with our trip. Pooja never spoke a word and stared outside the window with a blank expression filling her face. Kiran studiously observed everything I spoke.
Maaran — “Rahamat! I understand all of it about this thing being important and confidential but since you have revealed, what is the actual thing that is going to happen tomorrow?”
Me — ‘Good question!’ saying I drove to the Truck layover in a few meters. ‘Get down, I’ll explain it clearly.’
It was a cloudy day and we decided to sit on the concrete slab next to parking area.
Me — ‘So, what happens tomorrow? Is what you people are concerned about. Right?’
Kiran— “Ofcourse dammit!”
Exhaled and stood up. Looked at their curious faces and replied,
‘Well. I have already said this to Maaran. But anyway, here you go. Once my time ends today, I’ll put myself under and before that I will use a headband device similar to one I used on Avanthika for trigger and that will send the data to a station which then pushes it through spacetime and injects into my brain to a certain time in the past. Which in my case, it is Day-1 of the college. Before I meet you guys. So, technically every time my mind is reset with recurring/alternative memories. Sort of a loop. So after tomorrow, all the memories will be transferred to my past.’
Kiran closed her mouth with hands with a gasp and said, “So, you have lived your life like what, 786 times?”
Maaran — “Yes, he did! And as he said, he will be programmed with a new Narrative in his brain, so he follows it instinctively. And…uh..this thought struck me now. What happens to us? Will we ever remember THIS version of you?”
Me — ‘Life is all about moving on.’
They gasped in unison and stood up. Avanthika caught me by my shirt and asked me threateningly.
“What the hell does that even mean?”
Me — ‘Lemme be honest. I have lived my life 786 times and not once was I told beyond this point by them. Because I haven’t lived it yet.’
Avi — “Wa…Who’s them? What happened? Why are you doing this?”
Me — ‘This is a judgement written by them. Maybe a God or a powerful scientist or a…. smart person, who knows. I am told that I did a mistake in this procedure and since I was inexperienced they sentenced me into a suffering that I should do it for 1000 times. Like school teacher. At the end, I’ll become a master or lead normal life again. I have even met other prisoners blessed with same sentence.’
Pooja — “That’s too much information to take in under 5 minutes.”
Me — ‘Would you ever stop referencing FRIENDS series, atleast now?’
Kiran — “Okay, you had some liberties in the Narrative. Have you ever had this conversation before? Cause it sounds like you’re talking about it for first time in many centuries. Wait, do you age? No…Whatever…”
Avanthika — “Hey! I get it now. Since you wrote your own story, you can change however you need.”
Pooja walked near me slowly, took my hand and held it tight. A drop of tear stood near the end of her eye but she glimmered with hope. I took a gaze at the other 3 and they all seemed to be concerned.
Pooja spoke softly with a guilt struck tone, “Can you live with it and maybe just… not do it?”
Relieving myself from her grip, I wiped her tears with my hand and kept my right hand on her chubby cheeks.
I sang — ‘I wish I could escape. I don’t wanna fake it. Wish I could erase it. Make your heart believe But I’m a bad liar.’
She began weeping loud and hugged me tightly, “Can I come with you?” she asked.
Carressed her hair and peeked to everyone, “You not gonna join us?”
Avi — “We just don’t wanna ruin a beautiful moment like this. But yeah, we could use a hug.”
Few seconds into the hug, I screamed. “Loosen it up a bit, you guys. We are six of us now.”
Pooja chuckled.
Maaran exclaimed, “What the Fu..”
The Day has Arrived
I woke up early in the morning for a jog and meditated to calm the mind. Had my favorite English breakfast and came home. Had a nice hot shower and got myself dressed in my favorite white-linen shirt and khakhis. Everybody were waiting for me in the hall for me to arrive. Maaran was holding the headband device which I gave him last night and looked at me with a smile. I was relieved since this was the first in all times, everyone are present and feels like the story was going to end. I set my watch’s date and time to the day my memories are going to travel back in time. The watch will be synchronized to the headband.

Slowed walked towards the barcalounger. Avanthika said, “I’m gonna allow you to sit here, this one time. Imma kill you if you do it again when I’m there” and everyone laughed in unison.
Wrapped the headband around my forehead and once it completed the calibration, it gave away a small vibration. Removed the band and the device stuck to my head.
Kiran — “You know what they say like Brother from another Mother. You were like, a Brother but another Mother.”
Pooja held her hand and looked at me with a smile. Avanthika stayed silent and overlooked everything. The device chimed indicating that it has initialized the booting sequence. Once it completes, and with one press of my watch button, I’ll be able travel back.
I spoke, ‘This device is only responsible for reading and gathering all my memories from nook and corner of my brain and transmitting it to the station. The real work happens there. Reading and Transmission takes 60 seconds and I may pass-out at end of…(clears throat)… the transfer. I want to hold your hands while I do this. Can I?’
Maaran — “Man! Don’t get all emotional. You’re gonna be fine. We are here.” The machine beeped indicating that it’s ready for sequence to begin. Tapped on my watch and the Reading process began.
Kiran said in her optimistic voice, “Let your Journey of Thousand Lifetimes begin.”
30 seconds out.
Transmission began. I uttered when the watch displayed — 5 seconds left,
“I love you guys!”
I heard a high-pitched noise and everything went dark.
Rewind to College
Someone tapped on my shoulders. I woke up to realize myself napping on the table during the lunch time. My head felt heavy due to the procedure. Maaran was sitting with Deepak in the bench before me. As soon as I sat straight up, he asked, “How’s your headache man? We got Mechanical practicals tomorrow, remember? You gotta read something” before he finished his sentence, he dropped his cellphone on the floor.
“Shit! Clumsy hands,” he groaned.
In a fainting voice, ‘Clumsy? Yeah, I’m okay! I’ll just take a walk.’
As soon as I walked out, I felt I was in a wrong classroom. Looked up to see the room number and it was 3rd year classroom. My watch was missing and the panic rose. Continued to walk and reached the 2nd year classroom at the end of the corridor.
Peeked inside standing near the door. Pooja was eating lunch with her friends and Avanthika was walking towards the entrance and noticed me standing, “Hi Rahamat Bro! What are you doing here? Kiran was searching for you.”
I said, ‘I…uh…nothing…I just forgot. I came here to uh… Know what? I’m gonna go.’
Avi replied, “Oh! Speak of the devil. Here she is”
And I swiftly turned around to see Kiran walking towards us.
Kiran(in a stubborn tone)— “Bro! Prithvi sir reminded about the Photography Club event. As a Secretary, you are supposed to bring in a Chief guest for the event. We have only two days until we find someone. Are you going to deal with it or not?”

And her voice faded-out as I saw Lavani walk a couple meters away. She accompanies Kiran in College bus. One of the reasons I took bus to college and that route particularly.
Kiran — “Okay, your Crush eh? Please tell me you’re gonna stop staring at her like that and answer me,” she began to bite her teeth with anger.
Me — ‘Hey chill, sister! Don’t be so cocky. I was just looking at her go.’
Before I could finish telling, someone tapped my shoulder. It was Maaran and Joshna.
Maaran — “Hey! What’re you doin’ here?”
Me — ‘What? I just don’t get it.’
Closed my eyes and tried to think the kind of narrative I am programmed with. Inhaled and exhaled once. It takes time to remember but it was hard this time. All the basic rules like characteristics, attitude would never change except the flow of story. Everything went top-down this time. Maybe emotions have also been re-programmed.
Avanthika replied, “Oh hi! How’s the Josh?”
Me — ‘What?’ and her eyes popped wide.
Avanthika — “Sorry! Force of habit.”
I looked at Joshna and spoke, ‘Josh? Hey.. Hi! You’re here.’
Joshna replied with a confusing expression in her face and lot of fillers in her reply, “Hi?! And we saw this morning only. Why are you being weird? Were we not supposed to meet now as we discussed in the morning? So much memory for being neighbors eh.”
I thought to myself — Yes! We were supposed to meet but only tomorrow for the first time, as per basic rules. And neighbor? What the hell is going on, Ray!
My people looked at each other while Joshna stood still. Meanwhile Pooja walked out and saw me, then gave us a broad smile.
Joshna said she had to leave to class and Maaran kept staring while she walked away.
I burst out in confusion, ‘Okay! Why is everything opposite in here? I am confused about lotta things, Kiran sounds nothing like a kid and whoa, Avanthika is being cool and cracking jokes? And Maara… when Joshna left, why were you looking at her…”
Maaran abruptly interrupted — “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Don’t say that next word. I admit that I’m awkward. No need to point out things, man.”
I looked at Maaran and asked him in a low voice, ‘Hey! You also told about Joshna to Avi & Kiran?’ while I tried hard to stay in character without revealing myself to them.
He laughed with confusion, “Well, they know already. What’s wrong?” My heart started thumping faster and eyebrows shook in confusion. Hands begun to tremble and a chill ran down my spine. I continued, ‘It was supposed to be a secret, you idiot.’
Meanwhile Pooja barged-in and exclaimed, “Oh come on you guys, you’re killing him... Ray! Why should Surprises be called Secrets?”
And their Journey continued…
Love ~Arvy
