Dark Horse Arts and Sciences

(Dedicated To My Beloved Friends From Stewart Science College, Cuttack)

September 25, 1905, Germany:

A guy named Albert Einstein working as a clerk in a post office somewhere in Germany had been working on some scientific research paper. However, he had finally decided that he was going to publish it the next day; on September 26. He had also decided a name for his theory though, i.e., Special Theory of Relativity.

As Albert got ready to depart from the post office, some guy gave him a letter wrapped in a mail and disappeared in no time from his sight. Albert opened the letter with utmost curiosity and read the letter. The letter read something like this:

Mr. Einstein, you and your imaginative theories that you are going to publish are under severe danger. I won’t go into details. In order to prevent all of this, go to this address- Winden Caves, In the Midst of the Forests in Winden, Germany. Go into the caves and you will find a guy named Noah there. He will give you further instructions.

Albert Einstein travelled to this place called Winden and did as instructed in the letter. There he met Noah. Noah gave him the final instructions. They are as follow:

Travel into 2019 Cuttack, India. From there you have to go to a college named Stewart Science College where you will have to find this guy named Som Abhisek.

And then Noah disappeared into the thin air. Albert had no idea what to do. How the hell would he travel into 2019. He never knew such things were even possible. He had recently read about time travel though in a book called The Time Machine by H.G.Wells. But he had never imagined that this would be possible in reality. He had researched a lot about time and how it played a crucial role in his next Special Theory of Relativity, but time travel! How was he gonna do that? But he had to as it was written in the letter clearly that if he didn’t enact as per instructions, it might cost him his years of hard work and research. So, he opened that letter and found that he had to go into the caves. And he did. And what happened next; he just couldn’t believe it.

As Albert entered the caves, I felt like spacetime had warped itself into kind of a wormhole that created the short path for him to travel and skip a longer period of time, i.e, 115 years.

September 25, 2019, Cuttack, India:

Albert opens his eyes and finds himself inside a toilet. “How the hell did I end up here?” thinks Albert. Then he goes out of the toilet and sees some pupils in uniforms; maybe they are college students.

As he walks further, he sees something he can’t believe.

“Fuck, this is Stewart Science College!” states Albert in utmost astonishment.

“So, time travel did really happen. Jesus Christ!”

Now he thinks he has reached his destination and now he just has to find this guy named Som Abhisek or whatever and talk about all tiis with him, maybe he’s a messanger of Noah or something.

So, he approaches a man with bald head and a moustache sitting on a broken chair near the entrance of the college building.

Albert asks, “Excuse me, I’m Albert. I’m here to find this guy named Som Abhisek. Could you tell me where I can find him.”

Gopi Bhai in his usual way, “Som who? Who the hell is that?”

Albert- “Even I don’t know. But I’m sure he’s here in Stewart Science College.”

Gopi Bhai-“I don’t go around remembering pupils’ names, ok? Why don’t ask the student president? He knows everyone’s names and address and all. You know for campaigning and all. His name is Amir. You will find him somewhere here in the campus.”

Albert- “Ok, thanks.”

Now, he has to find Amir too. What a pain in the ass, thought Albert.

So, he starts searching for this Amir guy and fortunately finds him by the help of others.

Amir-“How can I help you, bro?”

Albert- “Sorry, I’m Albert. Not bro.”

Amir (Laughing)-“Ok.Ok. Albert. What is it that you need me for? Please be quick. Because we have a blood donation camp here and I’m organizing it. So I have to hurry.”

Albert-“Can you tell me where I can find Som Abhisek?”

Amir-“He must be in the physics department. Go there. I have to go. Bye.”

And Amir departs with some other boys for that blood donation camp, he thinks.

Albert starts searching for the physics department and finally finds it on the first floor. Such a small department for physics, he thought. “Do they have any instrument for experiments and research at all?”, says Albert to himself.

Then Albert sees two guys with glasses hurrying off as if they have some really important work ahead. He scans the ID card of them with his fast-moving eyes and gathers their names.

He asks politely to one of them.

“Hey, Manbes! Could you please help me find —-”

The boy with the glasses,“No man Sorry. Hey do I know you? How do you know my name?”

Other one,“He just scanned your ID dude.”

Manbes-“Oh, but sorry brother,I am very tired today. Just came from Bhubaneswar doing the JAM classes. I’m done for the day. Ask someone other.”

“And you, Malay?”, as he struggles to pronounce Malaya’s name.

The other guy-“No man, me too. I have Baladev Sir’s tuitions man. I have no time for your doubts.”

Albert-“Hey, hey”

And then Manbes and Malaya left.

Then he enters this lab kind of thing. It had some big tables in it. As he enters, he sees a pretty girl with glasses too talking with someone with a device or gadget like thing in her left hand.

“No, no, I will bring the cake this time. You did it last time. This time, it’s my turn. Ok bye.” And then she hungs up the gadget.

Albert-“Hey miss, I’m Albert.”

Girl-“Hii. I’m Jigisha. Can I help you with something?”

And then the moment Albert starts talking, her gadget makes some sound and she is again talking to someone.

Jigisha-“Ok. Ok. I was just leaving. Ya my classes are over. No, no. Sunita will drop me by. You don’t have to come. Ya she is free.”

And then she hungs up that gadget.

Jigisha to Albert-“Sorry, yar. I can’t help you. Today is my sister’s birthday. Ok. So I have to take the cake and all. You understand, right? Ask Amlan. He will help you. Bye.”

And she gives a call to her friend who is standing at the corner of the room eating something with another girl with spectacles.

Jigisha-“Hey, Sunita. Would you drop me by today?”

Sunita-“Ya sure. Now?”

Jigisha-“Ya, I have to go. Urgently. You know na today’s Didi’s birthday. So….”

Sunita-“Ok, let’s go. Just let me finish that chocolate with Rojaleen. Just 2 minutes. Ok?”

And then they were gone too.

Albert then meets Amlan. Maybe Amlan wasn’t in a mood for all this.

Amlan-“What do you want?”

Albert-“ I just wanted to…”

Amlan-“Shut the fuck up and get out of my sight. I’m very hungry right now. Don’t ask me a word.”

Some other guy interrupts and scolds Amlan for his behaviour.

That guy-“Hey, Amlan. Why are you talking like that to a stranger. He just wants help. What are you looking for, bro?”

Albert-“I’m looking for Som Abhisek. Thanks by the way. Your name?”

That guy-“Gyana. Gyana Ranjan Swain. Som is there.” Pointing towards a guy with glasses on and spike hair.

Why is almost everyone wearing glasses? Thinks Albert.

As Albert was approaching Som, he saw two boys arguing over some things. One had glasses on and his hair falling on his forehead. And the other guy a bit short. And he looks angry. Maybe it’s a poilitical heated argument or discussion or whatever. But he was hearing two names repeatedly. One was saying the name Modi or something and the other some Nabin or Naveen or something like that. He didn’t understand a bit of their argument.

Then finally Albert reaches Som.

Albert-“Hey, are you Som Abhisek?”

Som-“Yes, I am. Who are you, by the way?”

Albert-“I’m Albert Einstein. Heard of me?”

Som-“Why would I have heard of you? Are you a cricketer or what?”

Albert-“I’m a physicist. The author of Special Theory of Relativity.”

Som laughs half-heartedly and then replies.

Som-“Then I am Isaac Newton.” Laughs sarcastically.

Albert-“So, you know Newton, but you don’t know me?”

Albert was surprised because if Som didn’t know him then it might be possible that he never could publish his theory of relativity. Or maybe he never became a physicist.

Albert showed Som the letter and explained to him all that had happened with him in the last two days.

Som-“So, you’re saying you have travelled through time from the past to meet me?”

Albert-“Ya”

Som-“But why the fuck do you want to meet me? I don’t know shit about time travelling.”

Albert-“Then what should I do?”

Som-“See man. First of all, I don’t believe all this shit. And I don’t have time either. I have just downloaded this series called Dark. And now I will go to my room and have a cold bath and just lay on my bed and watch Dark. Then I have a football match in the afternoon. So, I’m packed.”

After much thinking, Som states again.

“Hey, why don’t you come to play football? After that we can discuss about it openly? I also have a few friends like Sarthak, Suraj and Vijju who know a lot more about time travelling than I do. You know, the freak types. Ya they know these kinds of stuff like parallel world, time travel and all those sci-fi stuff. We can have a discussion with them.”

Albert-“Ok then. Just give me the address.”

Som writes down an address where he should come to play football later that day.

Som-“Ok man see you then.”

And Som departs too.

To be continued……..

By Som Abhisek.