Thursday, 18 June 2026

'Somewhere In Time' by Kavya Janani. U

 

 Is there an end to this? Will my body’s biology be irrevocably altered now?

I have so many questions with no answers. Even scientists trying to solve this would

be stumped.

It all began when I stumbled across that shiny new bridge in the middle of the night.

There were no other cars behind me. They had all taken the route with the slow-

moving traffic. So, when this bridge loomed ahead, it felt like the universe had given

me a way to reach home faster.

Everything felt normal as I crossed the bridge and parked in front of my cosy home.

The moment I realised something had gone wrong was when I noticed the brimming

trash can on our lawn. The garbagemen had cleared it that very morning. I was damn

sure. Keen observer that I was, I also noticed the clothes that my husband and

daughter were wearing – ones they’d worn the day before. Drawing a sharp breath in,

I ran out and started the car again, ignoring my family’s surprised calls.

The bridge was there. I went back and crossed it again. Back home, I realised I had

ended up on there yesterday. Panicked, I played along and lived through that day,

deciding to take my usual, slower route that night.

But that was indefinitely closed. It was as if the old route never existed in the first

place. So, I took the bridge again. And emerged three days before.

Now, nobody leaves this part of the city, even to buy essentials. If we did, we’d be lost

somewhere in the past. But when sick people needed hospitals and left, we’d never

see them in our locality again.

Ordinary life is now a bittersweet nightmare. But somehow, we survive.

And yes, I lost my high-paying job, too.

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