A Journey Beyond Time Zone

A Journey Beyond Time Zone

Madhu opened his eyes. No, there has been no pain. The room was small, with off white ceiling and peach green walls. He was lying on a cot. He could focus on white linens and filtered mild light pouring into the room. It looked like a hospital. A row of ten cots, but no occupants!

How long had he been here? How could he arrive? And what is this God forsaken place called? No, there was no one to ask, no newspaper to peruse, no calendar to look at.

An unknown crippling fear gradually crawled into his mind.

He could not remember what exactly had happened. All that he could gather bit by bit are disjoint pieces of memories.

He was riding his old bicycle. He had one despatch bag strapped to his shoulders. The day was hot and sultry. Yes, he was pushing his paddle desperately. He overtook a group of giggling school going girls. He crossed the market complex, then came a sharp left turn. And a lady with a shoppers’ bag just appeared before him, apparently from nowhere! A shout! A nasty pain in his back, then it was all dark.

A few more clippings!

Yes, he could very well remember who he was. He was Madhusudan Claudius,-- a lanky youth, residing with his widow mother in a shanty house of the railway area of Champa. It was a railway township in the heartland of India. He has been a protestant, but, strictly speaking, not very religious. The house was at a low rent and very basics.

Yes, he was a small town boy, desperately trying to clinch the only job he had joined two months back. It was not much to boast of, specially the remuneration. Apparently, his duty did not contain much excitement for a youth of twenty one. It was to deliver mail and small consignments to households within a radius of four kilometres. Strangely, he liked the job for no apparent reason.

However, his employer, who had launched this courier service six months ago, was not exactly happy. He often grumbled that Madhu was not of much use; rather he was becoming a liability. There were two other boys employed in this courier service outfit. The man was none too happy with any of them. Yet, in his opinion, Madhu was the worst of the lot.

---- I was the fool of the first order that I had employed you. A lot of complaints in two months! Three instances of delivery to the wrong address, five for losing the acknowledgement receipts and two for charging excess!

---- Hi Boss! That was not my fault. The addresses pasted on the mail were incorrect. Mistakes were committed at sender end of your courier service.

--- Indeed! You could have verified through the telephone numbers, but you did not bother. And what about misplacing the acknowledgements? You lazy bone! Have mercy on me! Please go back to your tea-shop friends. Otherwise, I would have to pull down the shutters, sooner or later.

---Boss, this is going too far! Didn't I bring a little business too? Six new clients in two months! Just think of that.

---- Only six! Out of which two would have come here anyway. Their previous service provider has shifted his office to a far away new residential area.

---- This is not fair. They could have gone to some other courier service operating nearby. The fact remains one of my pals is the supervisor in either of them.

----Forget it. Enough is enough. This is your last chance. Anymore complain and you will find yourself on the road.

Madhu did not mince any word, but came back home a bit early. He did not have his meal last night and parried the queries of his anxious mother with a grumpy "Not feeling well"!

How could he pay the rent and bear other usual household expenses, if out of job? The meagre widow-pension of his mother would not suffice.

However, the real source of his distress was something else. It came as a sudden revelation to him. He was immensely fond of this job. Every day, he was supposed to meet some new face, new household and people of various professions. They might be an old haggard, an aged but kind lady, a haughty young chap, a teen aged girl of innocent charm and so on. He used to think what sort of new faces he would meet today. He began fantasizing.

Most of the time, he would be received in a cold formal way. Yet, a rare show of charm and warmth, especially from the fairer sex, would have gladdened his heart.

Now this stingy and coarse employer was determined to show him the door. It is sheer injustice. It is not done. Jesus! This could not be true! Therefore, he was determined to be very careful and attentive to his job from the very next morning. No more day-dreaming.

And he was doing fine apparently. Already two consignments were delivered with care. The receivers thanked him and wonder of wonders! One of them was a girl of unusual charm and she smiled and thanked him. Yes, she did! And that was that.

Now he could recollect vividly. He was taking the sharp turn and the old lady appeared from nowhere! He was totally absorbed in the reminiscence of that charming smile, thus he failed to notice that one heavy truck, laden with merchandise, was speedily overtaking him.

Now he became fully alert and awake. His head was bursting away. There were questions a galore but none was there to satisfy Madhu.

How long he had been sleeping? Who brought him here? What happened really? Was it an accident? Who would foot the bill of this place? And what was it--,a hospital or a health centre or an resort with elementary facilities? Where was his mother, anyway?

The fog in his head was getting evaporated slowly, but slowly. He tried to get up but could not. He realised with a start that his hands and feet were somehow glued to the bed. This was astounding, nay horrible. What could it indicate?

In a desperate bid he shouted, rather attempted to shout. Something happened. His incoherent sounds created some ripple in this void like calm atmosphere. Somewhere a door opened. Some sort of cool breeze began to blow and a sweet lilting voice asked him to stay calm. The voice assured that it had been necessary, rather intended for his wellbeing to keep him in that position.

Instead of making him satisfied and content, it created turbulence in Madhu's mind. He was desperate to seek meaning of this apparently nonsense world.

He asked, "What is the name of this place?" and immediately, almost like his echo, got the reply—" This place is without any name."

--- "Tell me the date and time? "

--" The question you asked has no meaning. The time is infinite here."

--" My God! Are you mad? Tell me what does the wall clock strikes now?"

--- " This query does not make any sense whatsoever. We don’t have any clock on the wall".

Madhu stared at the clean white four walls.

In his last bid to make any sense, he asked, "Who has brought me here?"

---" None but your past deeds".

Madhu began to lose his consciousness. Suddenly, chimes of a dozen clocks began to resound in the room.

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