Yet Another Episode

 

Just when Saira began to respond to Aditya's question, they were distracted by something. They saw people running helter-skelter and one after the other began to shut themselves into their houses. Saira and Aditya took the cue and looked around to find a hiding place. They spotted a haystack and took a run towards it. They squeezed themselves into the haystack and watched what was happening, through the mesh of grass blades. 

      The crowds got absorbed into their houses and an eerie stillness set in the place. Breaking through the silence, came a gang of men on galloping horses. They fired some bullets into the sky, as they reached the dwellings. They picked up every bag that lay outside the houses. In a matter of minutes, they had cleared the space and fled ahead, restoring the chilling silence. 

      Minutes after the stormy horses left the place, heads popped out of the windows, doors screeched open and one by one people started coming out into the streets. Some got onto their work and some cried that their produce was taken away. Aditya and Saira sprouted out of the haystack. They looked around and hopped towards a broken mud house that looked like an abandoned one. 

  As they walked, Aditya said "These were dacoits, I had seen them in movies earlier but I never thought I would see them for real. They will keep returning. We better leave this place." Saira said nothing and sat down as soon as they reached the broken house. Aditya now grew restless. He asked "Do we keep moving from one time period to the other and running for life. What do you mean when you say you don't have control over time travel? Will I never go back in my time? Tell me." 

  Saira looked up to him and said "oh no, there is a way to go back to your time exactly. I have arranged for it. Please sit down. Let me explain". Once again, she pointed her palm towards the floor. A beam of light came out and projected a screen. Two kids jumped in through the broken window and looked at the projection with excitement. Aditya and Saira were baffled on looking at the kids. They got up and ran out of the broken house. The kids screamed in joy and ran behind them. As more and more kids joined the run, soon there was a rally of kids that took off behind them. Saira and Aditya ran and ran until they felt exhausted. They slowed down but the kids were as enthusiastic and energetic as they started. The kids caught up with them and began holding on to Saira's hands and Aditya's hands. They were joyful and asked her to show the light that she showed earlier. Soon it began turning dark and some of the kids began returning. The others followed and as it turned dark, all of them left them and ran back to the village. 

Before they could celebrate the fact that the kids had left them, their feet had given up and they just fell knees down on the ground.