"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....
