Saturday, 30 September 2017

Déjà vu

"Dreams are perceived differently by diverse classes of people. For some, they radiate positive vibes about the future, whereas for some others they may not be as pleasant. But for us, Dream is a topic of research. We see them as the key to the future. And soon, you will too." There were some puzzled faces in the audience, one lady raised her hand and asked, "How can dreams give us clues about the future?" He answered: "We generally remember only 15% of the information of what happens in our dreams, the rest 85% enters a void for us. We believe this vanished memory can be extracted by norepinephrine hormone! But the surprising part is, these incidents which we remember vaguely seem to happen in our lives in near future and then it reminds us of the same dream. Based on this hypothesis we believe that dreams give us hints about the future and our research is based on this phenomenon, popularly known as déjà vu". A huge round of applause concluded my father's speech. Being the chief scientist of this project I cheered with the crowd but my eyes searched for Sitara, perhaps the only girl in my life with the capability of shifting my attention when I am listening to a neuroscience lecture.
                        It was 3 AM in the morning. I was sitting near the poolside when I heard a voice come from the back "Why don't you go tell her?" It was my father. "Some things in life shouldn't be delayed Arjun. You both are regarded as the most talented scientists among all of us. You both would make a great pair." I smiled. "My proposal shouldn't be a reason for her to love me.” I said,” She should love me unconditionally and once I feel that I wouldn't delay it further." He patted my back and left.
                The next morning Sitara and I were getting ready for the experiment. We were both sedated and allowed to dream in a free space. After a 12 hour interval, we both woke up. It felt like I woke up from a reality which I always dreamed of. I couldn't recollect most of what happened. During the analysis, I said "I could only remember my Ferrari Spider, Sitara, tears, rain and Sacramento Airport from the dream. It gave me a pleasant feeling which I am unable to explain in words." After I stepped out she went inside the room, she said "The dream was filled with melancholy, it felt like I lost something very valuable. I can only recollect Arjun, a car, coast highway and the airport of Sacramento " After both the analyses were completed, she came close to me, she was about to tell me something but my father, who is the senior scientist interfered "The events which appeared in your dreams must be kept confidential. You shouldn't discuss it with each other. As both of your dreams are related to each other, we can proceed with our research by trying to understand whether dreams give us clues about the future. So, we suggest that you go on a road trip along the Pacific coast highway. Keep your minds relaxed and enjoy your trip”
                               Our journey began from Dana Point. With the hills peaking down the shore she slipped into the car beside me, dressed in pastel white. I honked, as if trying to wake myself from a dream. She did not talk for a while. Wanting to break the silence I took the first step.
“You look beautiful today”
I paused.
"Thank you, bro!" pat came the reply.
I felt awkward. Wanting to hide myself from that moment, I quickly focused my attention towards the steering wheel. The road seemed longer all of a sudden.
                   Regret splashed on her face as she turned towards the side-view mirror. Maybe it was unintentional on her part. A quick few minutes later, we were able to resume a normal conversation. Time gushed like the wind as we drove. We were following the protocol of not discussing information regarding our dreams, but it felt wonderful to talk. We halted at an inn that night. Under the moonlight, she approached me rather tenderly, "Whom do you love the most in this universe?"
 I didn’t have to think for long "My mother. Though she didn't spend much time with me, I am in this position because of her.  She wanted to see me as a neuroscientist." Tears rolled down my eyes as I walked down the memory lane. Before I could realise myself brimming with emotions, the same dream struck me like a flash for a second. I wanted to tell her about what I had just seen but she had dozed off by then.
                                   The next morning we resumed our journey. The wind tenderly blew her hair as she brushed a few wild strands from over her ear. With the rising sun kissing our faces, we silently cruised down the blue road to Sacramento. This was perhaps the most exhilarating moment of my life. I sighed "I wish that our life could be like this journey. Exciting, joyful and loving each other to the fullest." As soon as I told this, she was lost in a deep thought. I guess she had a déjà vu. I didn't talk for a while because the research was more important. After a short pause, she replied with a sad voice "No! Our life cannot be the way you are thinking. I was hit by my dream again, it gave me a sense of despondency once you expressed your feelings."
I accelerated. “No” echoed in my head in spite of the engine noise. Her voice cut through my ears "Stop!”. At once I applied the brakes, the car drifted and the water on the road plunged on the windshield.
               She explained, "Arjun I can understand your feelings but I had a clear view of my dream, we cannot stay happy in the future." I replied her "So, you had a gloomy phase in your dream, unlike me". Trying to hide her tears she said" Yes! I could relate this incident with my dream. We need to respect our research Arjun." I felt like I was thrown away from this world. I never felt so dejected after my mother's death.
                              It was dawn and we reached the Sacramento Airport. I was taking a flight to San Francisco and she was flying to LA. I went to the ticket counter with a tired and dejected voice and asked:" I want a flight ticket to San Francisco." The air hostess asked, "At what time Sir?" There was a Longines clock at the Airport and the time was 6 PM in it. I looked at the clock and told "Today 9 PM." For a second my mind went blank, I repeated the words in my mind what I just spoke and I ran for her.
                            I went close to Sitara and said "We aren't in the future Sitara. We both are now at this Airport at 6:05 PM and this moment is completely in our hands. No one can change it. It is us who need to make a choice. The dream which you spoke about is already happening, neither I nor you are happy and we both are parting our ways. Our future should never guide our present. After all this time, do you love me Sitara?" She turned to the other side unable to control her tears. A photo slid down her diary. It is the photo of us both on our first day in the neuro lab. She came running to me and hugged me tightly. I could sense the smile on her face while we hugged each other.
                          We both were walking back from the airport, going to my home. It started raining, we both were hit by the same dream again and we looked at each other and smiled. She whispered in my ears "Our Dream came true Arjun".

Tomorrow shouldn't stop you from loving today....