Chereads / Odyssey: From Hubris to Humanity / Chapter 2 - Realisation

Chapter 2 - Realisation

He started to look around the room. The room has a unique smell, like wooden buildings that are very old but maintained. There are no lights or fans in the room much less an A.C. There is a bed in the centre of the room which looks unique as it has a mosquito net covering it from the ceiling. As he roamed around the room, he found books on the study table that were in Sanskrit and Telugu. He recognised the books as his school books. Vijay is currently in the eighth class. He tried to remember the memories of Vijay. He got a headache and fainted on the bed again. He got a dream. In his dream, was the family of Vijay.

Vijay's grandfather, Raghav Rao was the family head. He was a retired headmaster who worked in the village school. Most of the educated in the village are his students. He is a well-respected man in the village. Most people come to him when they need help. Vijay's grandmother Rukmini is a housewife and she has no formal education. but like most higher-caste women, she was also well-versed in Indian epics and religious books. Vijay's father Hari is a teacher just like his grandfather. He works in the government high school in the nearby town called Mahendravaram. Vijay also studies there. Vijay's mother Vasavi is also a housewife and she studied until 5th grade which was a huge deal back then as most women were uneducated or home educated. He dreamt of the family celebrating Sankranthi, the festival of harvest that marks the end of winter and the beginning of the harvest season.

As he was dreaming, his mother came to his room to wake him up. As he woke up from his dream, Vijay's mother Vasavi was gently shaking him to wake him up for school. Vasavi asked him if he was feeling alright and Vijay (who is Raj) nodded silently. She then left the room to start preparing breakfast for the family. Vijay got out of bed and went to the well in the backyard to freshen up. As he washed his face, he tried to process the dream he had just had. He understood that these are the memory fragments of Vijay.

As he got ready for school, Raj couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had settled in his chest. He was now aware that he was somehow experiencing Vijay's memories. As he walked to the school, Raj observed their small village. The houses were made of mud and had thatched roofs. Most of the villagers were farmers and their main crops were rice and sugarcane. The village had a small market where the villagers would come to sell their produce. Raj had always known that life in a village was simple, but experiencing it through Vijay's memories gave him a new perspective.

At school, Raj tried his best to pay attention, but he kept getting distracted by Vijay's memories. He realised that Vijay was an excellent student who was well-liked by his teachers and classmates. He was a good listener and always eager to learn new things. Raj admired Vijay's qualities. The teacher has mentioned in the class that today is the last day of school and the summer holidays start tomorrow. His friend Ravi came to him and started talking about how they could play around this summer during festivals.

As the school day ended, Raj felt relieved that he could finally go home and try to process everything that had happened to him. As he walked back home, he couldn't help but notice the differences between the village in 1966 and the modern world he was used to. There were no cars, no smartphones, and no internet. He wondered how Vijay and his family managed to live without these modern conveniences. He is getting irritated by Ravi's closeness as he is not used to it. As he walked home, Raj was lost in thought, wondering how he could return to his own time. He was scared of the unknown and the possibility that he might never be able to go back. He knew he had to find a way to survive in this new world and make the most of his situation. He looked around the village and saw the simple way of life, he felt a sense of nostalgia for a time he had never experienced before.