A Funny Story : From Avni to Akash

- Compilation: Pratibha Thakkar

- pratibhathakker@yahoo.com

With a wave of joy my mother Vasudha embraced me and kissed me and gave the cover in my hand. Yes, my dream was about to come true. Space fiction and then the curriculum, the training...what a lot of hard work I was paying off today. I got selected and now I just had to sign the consent form. Ma, papa, bhai and mind were all so happy in my first imagination as if in space.

As I came to my room and signed, both my heart and mind went to the argument. As if separated from me, both of them started to present loudly to express their understanding and feelings, this was the noise going on inside. Sensual and rational arguments were going on between both of them about whether I should go or not.

Listening to that, I fell back into my childhood world. There is an open sky in front of me and Nanaima was telling stories with the names of which stars are in this group of tarlias and I am listening as I sleep.

I say to Nani that let us also go to those Tarlia gangs, let's go and take me there to play and Nani would laugh.

Yes, I grew up, I studied space science and now I actually have to join Tarlia's gang, my childhood dream is coming true. So good heart you stop pulling me towards you? Even in you if that dream is downloaded.

But the heart was on its side and I was confronted with a scene that showed the faces of the scientists before me who were counting the last hours in space. Hey...must think, maybe not back! No not going. Leaving everyone? Mana's hand hovering over his head while sleeping, thrilling moments of driving with papa and brother, the wave of happiness that reverberates just by uttering Mana's name... is all this small in front of this achievement? Can it be done?

The mind jumped between. Do you get such great deals? This achievement at the end of so many years of study, time, struggle, many amazing experiences during the training period. And now that I have reached the last step of that ladder, why have I become so timid? I have worked hard with the encouragement of all these. And all of them are eager to welcome this exciting moment and achievement.

I have tears in my eyes. On the one hand, studying for so long, my childhood friendship with the moon and stars of the sky ground, the story of space experiences to return from there and the pain of leaving everyone behind.

All of a sudden I fell back into the past, the one who befriended the sky, planted in me the seeds of celestial flowers, my dear little one who grew up in the sod of the sky one day. The plane Nani was traveling in had crashed. In my foolish age, I used to take the same cry every night or the younger one left me and went to Tarlia, I will bring her back from there. And day by day I read space literature. Over time, Nanima's death became a reality but my curiosity to get the celestial secrets became stronger. However, my mom Vasundha had a big contribution in this. She was very happy with my progress. As if I really wanted to bring back Nanima. So much joy was overflowing in his mouth.

This must have fueled me. I decide to go. At last, as if a treaty had been made between heart and mind, I firmly prepared to go. A voice comes from outside. Hurry up...and my pen screeches out a signature for my space travel at jet speed.

I'm flying past the very near past, the pain of leaving home has faded away in the space around me, and the sight of Earth and my little home from space makes my heart flutter. Celestial mysteries were unfolding before my eyes. I was connected with my companions. Pictures and instructions were being exchanged. The eyes of the world were on me. Now both my mother Vasudha and Vasundhara seem to have become one, a beautiful picture is forming in my eyes and instead of the noise between the heart and the mind, the sound of a ut suravli is echoed in the distance. This was a different feeling. There was knowledge in the mind and an ocean of love in the heart. I was happy and so were my relatives and friends...

Author: Pratibha Thakkar