"This is my wife Priya, she is someone who hates stagnation, she loves life moving. She is of the kind who likes to be going around, travelling and staying in resorts."
"And I am her husband, Pramatesh. And I try to mix every element of the world to give her a sense of movement all the time."
"Haha, that was a good introduction and am very glad to meet you two lovely couple. I am Dr. Kamath. Tell me what brings you to me, how can I help you."
"He thinks I have aversion to stagnancy. Yes ofcourse, I love pace and life moving, I can't just stay at one place for long, nor can I imagine myself sitting at home, doing nothing."
"Well, no one would like a lonely, inactive, stagnant life. It's normal human behaviour. But you think it's a problem that brings you to a Psychiatrist?"
"The worrying part is that she has offlate started being paranoid about this feeling of hers and has started to think of extreme situations."
"Yes, I fear that I will be left alone, and I will be lonely."
"She keeps worrying about it all the time and keeps crying. We even got her treated for anti-depression."
"Is there a particular reason you feel so? Since how many years you feel it this way?"
"I can't think of a particular reason that I feel this way...we have been married for 20 years now, and this scare of being left lonely is bothering me from past 5 years now."
"Hmmm...who all stays at home? How about both your parents?"
"We don't have children. We tried all possible medical options, but unfortunately we were not blessed. My parents are from Mumbai and I visit them once in an year. Pramatesh's parents passed away 3 years ago."
"And your siblings and friends?"
"My younger sister stays in UK. I have couple of friends from college days, but not in touch regularly. Pramatesh's friends and their wives are good friends now."
"What bothers you? What are you afraid of?"
"It's so scary and difficult to even tell you this. I can't even say those words" Priya starts sobbing...and Pramatesh takes over "She is scared that I will depart from this world earlier than her, and she will have to struggle alone. She keeps praying and Wishing all the time that she should leave this world before me. It is irritating and so negative that she keeps Wishing to die earlier, all the time. Though all other aspects of our life and married life is perfect, infact We have an enviable lifestyle otherwise. These thoughts of hers are the only conflicting point between us, and the only reason I yell at her, which I hate to. She repeats herself all the time that she will be alone dumped in a room and no one to take care of her"
"I see." Scrolling his chair towards Priya, holding her hands, Dr. Kamath goes on "Priya, your scare is not very unique or strange. I understand why you feel the way you do."
"I see that Pramatesh is your world and he really loves you and takes care of you."
"For 15 years, you both happily travelled and kept your life very active and busy, which you are used to. With no children, friends, sisters or parents around you, your life revolves around Pramatesh, and you do not identify yourself outside his world or a world without him."
"That's right, he is my world. I am extremely happy to be with him, and I don't need anyone else also. And that's the reason I am scared, what will happen without him, we don't even have children"
"You will be surprised to know there are many aged parents living alone, even though they have children, but have settled abroad. So, having children is no more an assurance that they will take care of you. Almost every aged parents these days are either in Old age homes or living alone, taking care of themselves without their children's help, because they have their own life to lead and no time to take care of their parents. I know many old parents whose children are around, but trust me, you wouldn't want to be taken care, with no care."
"I understand what you are saying, I see elderly people around me struggling, and thats exactly my worry. I can't go through that alone."
"But, being paranoid about something on which you don't have control on, or something that is beyond your control or knowledge, is not healthy thought."
"For arguement sake, let's assume you will die first and your husband falls ill and becomes very weak and even he doesnt have anyone to take care. Will you be fine with that?"
"You might think I am being selfish here, but the scare is involuntary. I would want to take care of him till my last breadth. Pramatesh is strong enough and has the courage to go through it alone, but I definitely can't."
Dr. Kamath further engages in talking to Pramatesh and Priya individually, he realizes the seriousness, when he learns Priya has even attempted suicide once.
Dr. Kamath takes a week's time to think through, calls the couple "I might have found a way to allay fears of Priya. I need you both to take time this weekend and plan to stay for 2 days in my clinic"
Pramatesh and Priya all excited, visits the clinic and were eager to hear what Dr. Kamath has to say.
"What I am going to tell you might sound strange and unreal, but I see this is the best option to put an end to Priya's scare."
"The only way to solve Priya's problem is to help her see the future."
"See future??"
"Yes, If we can let her see the future, whatever be the case, atleast We can prepare her better.
"If she sees the future to her liking, it will put an end to your sufferings immediately. If It's not, We can atleast prepare her and help her lead a peaceful life"
The couple were given time to think, and they did indeed decide to go ahead and they had utmost confidence and trust on Dr. Kamath.
Both were prepared mentally and physically for the Process. They were made to lie down on a Bed in the middle of a Dark room. A couple of doctors were inserting some tubes around their head, chest and arms.
They were given headsets, which made a steady humming sound.
The room went completely dark, and the doctors left the room.
Pramatesh and Priya started to breathe heavily as it was bit scary, as they hear a soothing voice of Dr. Kamath from the headset "Guys, dont be afraid, what you are going through is absolutely safe and harmless. Just relax, free your mind and body"
As Pramatesh and Priya take 3 deep breaths, holding their hands together, Dr. Kamath's assuring voice carries on "I will now fast forward your life 30 years from now, both of you are in your 80s. Keep looking at the wheel in front of you, you will feel sleepy"
A huge white wheel comes up in front of them. It starts whirling and spinning spiral, both Pramatesh and Priya feel drowsy. Priya opens her eyes to see herself and Pramatesh in their bedroom. The Electronic watch next to their bed shows 08.00 in the morning and the Year was 2052.
She could see the older self and Pramatesh, who are about to get out of the bed. Both look very old, weak, but fit enough to get out of the bed on their own and ready to start the day.
She doesn't see anyone else at home, she can see her old self slowly moving towards the kitchen and preparing their morning coffee.
In a snail pace, she makes her way towards the balcony holding 2 cups of Coffee, she sees an old, bald Pramatesh sitting in their Balcony chair reading the News Paper.
"Welcome back you two... don't make any sudden movements, I will help you wake up"
The lights in the clinic room slowly came, Dr. Kamath along with other doctors unplugs them from all the wires and tubes slowly. With his typical relaxing smile, Dr. Kamath holds Priya's hands "Hope you had a peek into your future, and you know how you would be in your later years"
Priya has tears in her eyes, she is happy, hugs Dr. Kamath "Yes, I did see...I can't thank you enough. I am relaxed, happy and my worries are over now. We both are happy and together and in love even when we turn 80. I don't think I want more or need to know more. I am not scared anymore. It doesn't matter what happens after that"
The couple happily walks out of the clinic and starts to lead a much happier life.
Priya is leading a normal life now, not scared anymore after a month of their visit to the clinic.
Pramatesh is happy, but confused and lot of questions still running in his mind. Unable to control his curiousity, he visit the clinic again.
"You are rather late, I though you would come back much earlier. How is Priya?"
A further confused Pramatesh "Oh, Priya is absolutely fine, thanks to you.."
"Dr. I have lots of questions, I only had seen time travelling in Movies and I thought it was fictional. Has the science really advanced so much?"
"Well, not sure if many would agree with my line of treatment I adopt to patients like Priya. People like Priya only has this fear factor not caused by any specific incident, but just stuffed emotions."
"Try to digest what I am going to tell you now. You actually didn't do a time travel. I infact did a simple Hypnotism technique and tried to infuse an artificial reality"
"Oh..so, you did hypnotize us!! And what we saw was an illusion??"
"Yes"
"But it was so real, We actually saw us..I know it was us..how did that happen"
"With the combination of Hypnotism and using controlled quantity of Drugs, I was able to implant a pre-designed dream, which is termed as Dream Hacking."
"Because I was able to program what I wanted to show you and induced a program, your brain did the rest by helping you imagine yourself when you were old"
"Wow, I don't know how to react"
"I understand. I did this with a good intension to give an artificial reality to Priya. We failed to make her understand that we can't control death, but this procedure helped her come out of her fears"
Pramatesh gives a firm hand shake to Dr. Kamath and goes back to Priya and decides never to discuss about this with her.
5 years later, Pramatesh picks up a small Coffee plantation in Chikmagalur and both makes it a weekend home.
During one of their weekend visits, their car met with a terrible accident.
Pramatesh did not survive the crash and Died.
Priya died too, emotionally.
It was hard for her, she felt a 100 tonn weight on her chest all the time.
She wept continuously for 3 months.
Eventually her weeping stopped, but her grieving didn't.
Priya, who hated stagnancy was non functional.
She didn't move, she would just lie on the bed, and now, won't weep too.
The staff at the Estate, all Pramatesh's friends tried to cheer her up, but in vain.
After 6 months, one day she suddenly woke up, she regained her laughter.
With couple of Pramatesh's friends help, she took over managing the Coffee Estate. She converted it to a Homestay, and got into serious farming.
Priya started travelling again, she started moving. She now knew Pramatesh was never dead, and he is always alive in her.
She became a solo traveller, and started penning down the travel experiences, as if both of them went to a place to explore it.
