Gone??

Sunday evening 4:47 pm- a young 13-year-old girl goes missing.

Tania Sharma, a sober eighth grader had no parents, no siblings and no family. She was known by everyone in her area despite having no need for friendship. No one would come to her house, or at least even talk to her, as everyone found her strangely quiet. She was very pretty though, with chestnut hair and hazel eyes. She wore a tiny locket that had a picture of her and her family. Apart from that, there was nothing quite pleasing about her. At school, even her teachers weren’t bothered about her. But the truth was, she was smart and if she would have tried harder at school, she would have easily topped in everything, especially astronomy.

The first bell rings at her school, and there’s the regular last-minute hustle bustle as children run in all directions trying to make it to their class. “Roll no. 33, Tania – Monday, absent” None of them really care for the first few days, the roll calls continue until some classmates take notice on Thursday. Out of curiosity, some of them go over to her place; there is no light coming out of her house, not even a slight flicker. They try knocking on the door and ring the bell but there is no answer.

The police come to investigate on Friday. They look around the house and find no trace as to where she is or what could have happened to her. Three constables search the house; as they step into her room, they find some loose pieces of metal strewn across the floor; They look around and notice a huge canvas, about the size of a wall, with the drawing of what looked like a spaceship and random markings the police couldn’t make sense of.

As they leave the house, Raghu, a classmate of Tania, notices a thin notebook “a diary perhaps” lying closed on the floor. He immediately informs the police-They open the diary.

The first page reads ‘TANIA SHARMA, age 13’.

Constable Patel takes the diary to the police station and hands it over to inspector Arun:

13th December 1979

Dear diary,

I turned 13 today! I guess I should be really happy and excited and throw a party and all of that. Well, I am happy. But I live all alone in this huge house and I have no friends and I believe everyone is just a little afraid of me because I’m usually not keen on talking to anyone but myself. And I’m totally okay with being left out.

‘Sir, should we keep reading her diary?’ asks sub inspector Wadia. ‘We have to if we want to know what happened to her’, says inspector Arun.

8th January 1980

Dear D

Happy new year! Sia threw an awesome new year party, and I wasn’t invited. It kinda hurts that everyone but me enjoys new year.

13th February 1980

Dear D

Did I ever tell you I am planning to build a spaceship so I can go to space? I’ve always wanted to go to space with my parents, but unfortunately, they aren’t here anymore. So, I’ve decided to build a spaceship on my own. It is coming together, boy am I smart or what :). Ha! When I build this thing completely, I’ll go to the moon all by myself and show my classmates what I can do.

29th February 1980

Dear D

Do you know why today is a special day ?? cuz it comes only once in 4 years. Its extra special as it’s also my dad’s birthday. This year is leap year, it has 366 days.

11th April 1980

Dearest D

OMG! You’ll never guess what I found! I was wandering in mum and dad’s room, or what was their room when they lived here and I found this weird looking sofa sort of thing. I found mum’s ring lying underneath…..could it have something to do with their disappearance??

‘Wah..what imagination! What should we do now sir?’, exclaimed Wadia. “Well Wadia, this may be a figment of her imagination or a clue to her disappearance; we can’t be sure. Let’s go check out her parents’ room. You drive, I will continue reading”.

23rd April 1980

Hey D

Just can’t get the sofa and the ring out of my mind! There has to be a connection..why would my mum leave the ring there.. why why WHY! I can’t concentrate at school anymore..I will flunk for sure

5th may 1980

Dear D

Guess what happened yesterday! I had a history textbook in my hand so I left it on the sofa as I looked around. I examined carefully the place where I had found my mum’s ring and lo and behold! There was a small switch over there. I turned on the switch and …my history textbook vanished! Unbelievable. I went to other side of the sofa and saw this tiny label. It said – TELEPORT. So that’s what happened to mum and dad! They must have accidentally teleported themselves! I was beyond amazed. I wonder if I should try or not.

The inspectors walked into the room and checked the label on the sofa “a-a-are you serious? The teleport label, i-it exists” said Wadia. “Indeed, it does” said inspector Arun “but, you don’t suppose she..” said Wadia, trembling. “I suppose it is time to read her last entry” said Arun.

11th may 1980

Hi D

I will try the sofa today. I wonder what will happen to me. Where will I go? Will I meet my parents? Oh, I love them and miss ‘em so much!

It’s worth trying just for that!

The sofa is in front of me

I’m now sitting on it

About to switch it on

Love you dear diary; Not sure when or if I’ll write in you again

Super exited……..Super nervous

Switched it on

Somtings hapning

Going..

Goin

Goi…………

“GONE??” asked Wadia. Arun silently closes the diary.