A Sew Through Time [Bandbudh And Budbak]

5: Birth of a robot

The lab broke apart by a split. It compelled Dr. Laxmi to take off her glasses to check it, discovering a large crack which spread from the base to the rim.

It was of the least care to her and of anything else given their dimensional ventures the Indian Plati; it was their new obsession. With fingers bearing toils of gears, Laxmi would appear in headquarters wearing her gleaming lab coat over coloured tops, airy sleeves and ironed pants, her hair tucked to place with a Chinese hair stick.

The supercilious glow of the gateway fainted.

"Did you see my water bottle?" Ajay asked her, closing his computer and searching. The dimensions would bring a surge of otherworldly forgetfulness after returning back.

"It was empty so I threw it away" she swirled her lab coat over the nearest workstation,"Got any plans?"

"Yeah I'm hungry" he chuckled, stacking his equipment back into the drawers according to their labels. The gears clinked in their holders when he closed it, "Remember those cucumber sandwiches? Man I'm missing those!"

"Get me some"

"Going" he packed his equipment and closed down the lid, "How many do you want?"

"Eight of them"

"Yate of-?" he closed his eyes and snarled.

"HAH! It slipped again!"

"No it didn't!"

"You know what?" She chuckled, placing her hands on her hips, "Your accent sounds twice funnier when you say it accidentally!"

"That was dumb"

"You're dumber"

It was late when they arrived in the canteen. Four janitors were piling up foldable chairs and stacking them behind. Inside the glass screen was one cucumber sandwich left, and to order it one must use their fingerprint after checking the balance. The scientists never found themselves considering it. For the work alone Laxmi had accomplished, she never had to worry about finances her whole life.

Ajay was younger, sometimes jealous of her achievements. But it would be folly to not consider Miss. Srivastava both a genius and his true friend.

"I'll visit my hometown this Diwali" he said, peeling the plastic wrapper off the sandwich.

Laxmi filled up her cup with hazelnut coffee.

"Where will you be going?"

"I'll stay here"

"Why? You have all the time left now that you are done with the time machine"

"It feels weird to celebrate on my own these days" she chuckled, "I bet you'll turn into fruit pulp in that southern summer!"

"Work, weather and the world will always stay hot"

She gobbled up the sandwich and suggested they meet Dr. Sailo before heading home. A thread of worry was sown into her tone whose prick was felt by him- Sailo had not been seen stepping into light since weeks.

They found her resting on her desk when they arrived. Lightly snoring, her eyelids fluttered under the scorching white light, her eyebags weighing from exhaustion.

Feeling worried, Laxmi held her shoulder, calling, "Sailo?"

"Oh... its you" Sailo rubbed her eyes, open "How were the dimensions?"

"Pretty neat, but what has gotten into you these days? What're you upto?"

She slowly rose from her chair and said, "I was busy with the eagle drones, the ones for the army... I was working on something personal too"