Time (2) - Brave Unnamed

“Do any of you know that time is not just a perception, but a real entity?”

All three humans shook their heads as Baneer continued while pacing around the living room.

“What I will tell you now, was told to me by the last scribe who had heard it from his forefathers who in turn, had heard it from the woman herself.”

“So it’s just folklore?” Sean interjected.

“No.” Brave raised an eyebrow as he stopped walking: “We, the unnamed pride ourselves for our memory and I assure you that what I shall relate to you now is nothing short of knowledge straight from the fabled woman Naheere:

“You shall find,

young minds,

That fate ‘n time

are but two sides

of one coin.

Keep in keep,

The memories

of the woman, of her

who gave us time.

She is the sublime.

So hear ye listeners,

the heavenly command, hers

we are to remember

with flavorful thyme,

with a worthy rhyme

There exist two forces

in all the universes.

If one is ice, the other red fire

If one’s black, the other much whiter

The first is Good,

The force of balance,

The death of the cruel,

Her name is Alice

The second is Evil,

The force of chaos,

and of the ignoble

His name is Eros

It is certain,

as I am told,

that the curtain

of the world goes

once in the favor

of the bold

and once against

the heroes

So, for Alice to prevail,

there must always be

a time when she falls,

death shall stand, he

who is called Eros.

Where is time, you ask my child?

Right in the center, right inside.

Of all this skirmish, reconciled.

Its Fate’s duty to keep them

In a bind.”

Sean was fascinated and clapped like a child when it ended: “I know that you’re supposed to be a genius and expected that you would learn English in the time you lived here but I didn’t expect you to translate your poem to English while making it rhyme at the same time!” He spoke in one breath.

“That does not explain the non-uniform nature of time." Miss Amrita ignored Sean.

“You needed explanation on thaaat?” Brave replied, implying that the concept was too easy that he did not feel the need to explain it.

“Well… you know, both the Earth and the Jann Realm are very far away from each other.” He said after a while.

Ms. Pooja Amrita and Sean both looked at him questioningly as if saying: ‘So what?’

“And that is why the time flows differently in both the realms.” Daniel said, understandably.

Now, the two pairs of questioning eyes were on him whom he noticed: “What? Einstein’s relativity theory…” He shrugged.

Both the history teacher and the last bencher didn’t know what that meant.

“You see. According to the space-time continuum, the time gets warped the farther we go from Earth. Listen, imagine an astronaut on a spaceship. If he goes to some distant planet and comes back and his journey takes, let’s say, 10 years; then as he will come back, he will notice that a lot of time has passed on Earth. He might even get to meet his great-grandson.”

Sean understood most of it and said: “Alright, I get it.”

But Miss Amrita was really slow on the uptake.

“But still, Brave. Science does not explain why you came here even when he goes to the same time every night –like you said.”

“That is easy, Miss Amrita.” Brave said as he kept looking at Daniel skeptically.

“Mr. Daniel, can you tell Miss Amrita about the worst kind of fate?” Brave requested.

“By the worst kind of fate, do you mean… death?” Daniel asked, as Brave smiled: ‘I see you are acquainted with the bad realities of the world as well, spoiled prince of the humans.’

“No way!” Daniel’s face went blank; he had just solved the reason why Brave appeared on Earth even if he gets a second chance every night: “It’s because of Murphy’s Law.”

Both Miss Amrita and Sean looked like they were scared witless of him: “Not more science.”

“No, not science. It is philosophy, really. According to Murphy’s Law, the worst thing has to happen, no matter what may happen to change the inevitable. And that means…” Daniel thought for words.

“That death is inevitable.” Brave completed his sentence.

The room stayed completely still as the topic went dark and then Daniel broke the silence: “Not all, Brave. Some… deaths are inevitable. I managed to save Ayah this time around.”

Brave managed to smile: “Thanks, Daniel. No matter what happens, even if I die everytime, please keep her alive. I have an extra life.”

Daniel looked at him inquiringly: “What do you mean?”

“I live through her.” The djinn showed the warmest of smiles as he said this.

‘So this is true love.’ Daniel thought as he looked at the undead-lovestruck djinn: ‘So cringe.’

“Okay, okay guys! All is well; we know about time, we know about death. But there are still two more things that need be answered.” Sean said, almost barking at them.

“First, why does time go back for Daniel each time? Does he have another unspoken ability with bedevilment?” He asked as he looked at Brave.

After directing his face towards Pooja, he completed: “Also, he needs someone to teach him about this. All he does is unintentional possession. Brave here told us what he knew about that woman or whatever… But you! How do you know about her?”

After waiting for a moment, she said: “She’s a childhood friend.”

Everyone gasped. “Explain.” Sean said.

“Well, I met her while I was thirteen, and we have been living together ever since. She uses my body now and then and she protects me from every possible danger. Fair deal, I guess.” Her eyes were fixed on a dark corner of the room.

The room was awfully quiet, only Sean could muster up the courage to talk even though he had been too frightened to even scream just an hour ago: “Ma’am, the next time you meet her, please ask her if she will teach our boy Daniel here. He needs it.”

“Why don’t you ask her yourself? She’s sitting right there.” Amrita pointed out to the darkest corner of the room opposite the fireplace.

Every hair in the room stood on edge. It was just like a scene out of a horror movie, except that it was scarier and real.