A little kid is running around the park, his laughter echoing the whole park. His tiny sneakers kicked up grass as he chased after nothing in particular—just the joy of being free. From their chairs, his parents exchanged amused glances. The mother called out, "Sweetie, time to head home!"
The boy's face lit up with a mischievous grin. "Five more minutes, Mom? Please!"
Mom explains, "It's getting dark, and Dad needs to drive us back." The kid looks at Dad with those puppy eyes and says, "Please, Daddy."
His father chuckled, kneeling down to meet his son's pleading eyes. "Alright, champ. Just five more minutes."
"Yay!" the boy squealed, spinning back into the open field.
Mom warned, "Arjun, don't go too far, okay?"
Little Arjun yells back, "Okay!" The parents share a smile, watching their joyful child.
Suddenly, the park melted away. Now, Arjun is running — not for fun, but for safety. Tears blurred his vision as he raced toward the school bathroom, with boys on his heels, jeering, "Hey, dufus, show us that fancy handkerchief!" His heart pounded as he threw himself into a bathroom stall, locking the door with trembling hands.
Curled in the corner, his arms wrapped tight around his knees, he buried his head, waiting for the taunts to fade into silence. The cold floor pressed against his skin, grounding him in loneliness.
When the door creaked open again, he was older—college-age, standing at the entrance of a classroom. His chest felt tight, his palms damp as he scanned the room for an empty seat. The weight of a thousand imagined conversations dragged at his feet.
Taking a deep breath, he slid into a chair, trying to appear invisible. Then another boy sat next to him, equally awkward. For a moment, they exchanged nervous glances without saying a word. Arjun rehearsed his greeting in his mind, over and over, before finally blurting, "Um... Hey. I'm Arjun. Arjun Veerabasker."
The other boy smiled, shaky but warm. "Victor. Victor Talisman. Nice to meet you."
In the next blink, they were arm in arm, laughing as if they'd been friends forever. The scene shifted to a lively house party of Arjun's old school friend. Arjun spotted a girl with chestnut-brown hair whose eyes shimmered like the night sky. Victor noticed Arjun's gaze lingering on her and gave him a playful nudge.
"Go talk to her, Romeo," Victor teased.
To his own surprise, Arjun found himself doing just that. Her name was Dahlia, but people called her "Dee" Sullivan. The curtain falls. Now, they are strolling through park, holding hands as the stars shining brightly illuminating the night. Their feelings grew like flowers in a garden of dahlias. It was the day she said "Yes" to him, and the memory ended with their first kiss—a moment that felt like a promise sealed between two souls.
On the night before a crucial experiment, Arjun headed to Dee's apartment with a bouquet of her favorite dahlias, eager to surprise her. As he reached the door, her voice drifted through the cracked window, talking to her friend Lisa over the phone.
"Congrats, girl! You're engaged!" Lisa said with excitement.
"Yeah... even I was surprised," Dee replied.
Arjun leaned closer, a smile forming on his lips.
Lisa's tone turned sharp. "But seriously, what do you see in Arjun?"
Dee hesitated. "He's... a nice guy."
Arjun's heart soared—until Lisa continued, "Yeah, but at least you've got his money, right?"
YOU ARE READING
Quantum Reckoning
Ciencia FicciónA brilliant Indian scientist, Arjun Veerbasker, is accidentally transported to a dystopian future overrun by monstrous creatures. Stranded in this desolate world, he must navigate the challenges of survival while uncovering the dark secrets behind t...
