It was almost the end of the month. Saka had enjoyed his first week of the course. It was agreed that his father would handle his weekend priestly chores, so Saka could focus on his studies.
Though he didn't have much confidence in his abilities, people around him did, and he didn't want to disappoint them.
In parallel, Vira's birthday was fast approaching. Saka was getting excited by the minute.
Tobi had agreed to help with the decorations and the card.
Vira wasn't aware of any of this. It would be a complete surprise for him.
Three days before Vira's birthday...
Vira woke up. It was just like usual, the morning smelled of the sea. He had ample time for breakfast. He washed himself, humming tunelessly.
He checked his laptop for any notifications. He enjoyed life without his mobile phone and had asked his contacts (barely four or five) to connect with him through email in case of emergencies.
There was a message from Akat.
"Vira, we need your support with the simulation. This time, it's Sea Fish."
Sea Fish was the code name for the submarine.
The Marina government had been trying to design a submarine that could withstand high levels of pressure. They had found a way to minimize the impact of earthquakes in the coastal areas by reducing the tectonic plate shake, which could be achieved only by sending a submarine to that depth.
Both Akat and Vira worked for defense, but it wasn't warfare. It was disaster defense. They worked to ensure the safety of their people but refused to bloody their hands.
Marina had never waged a war in the last 1500 years and had diplomatic ties with its neighboring countries, making it well-loved and easy to access. This did not make them any less cautious; they were said to have the strangest and most powerful weapons, but whether it was just a rumor remained to be seen.
Vira had been following up on the Sea Fish project for a couple of months, never dreaming he would be part of such a project.
Akat seemed to be online.
"Sen! How long is this project?" He asked Akat.
He got an instant response. "Six months. But you need to be here only for the first week for the project briefing. You can then work from home for the simulation part. The government will provide you with equipment and software."
"Okay, I'll ask Maw and let you know."
"I spoke to Maw Lava already. Tonight is the first briefing. Seven p.m. at our usual place."
Their usual meeting place was the Ekatweep central lab, a highly secured lab office known only to those who worked in the defense wing.
"Okay, I'll see you there."
He rushed over to school, skipping breakfast. He was overly excited.
Maw Lava was already there. He was always the first to come and almost the last to leave.
Vira knocked and entered.
"Vira, I got the message from Akat. You're free to go. I'll cover up for you. It's been a while since I took any classes."
"Maw, I'll be gone for a week. I should be back by next Wednesday."
"No problem! Just make us all proud!" He smiled.Vira looked like he had laid his hands on a cart full of ice cream, the way his eyes shone. He was a true academician.
Vira was about to leave when Lava suddenly asked, "Vira, can I have your card?"
Vira looked surprised.
"My card?"
"Visiting card. I would like to brag to my students how one of my teachers is a government consultant. It will make Mann High seem more respectable, don't you think?"
Vira laughed. "Maw, its credibility lies with its students. And having you as its Principal, what more do you want?"
He dug into his wallet and took out a card.
Dr. Vira Atira Nayak
Consulting Professor
Dept. of Engineering Mathematics
Marina Defense
It was customary to have the second name as the mother's maiden name and the last name as the father's name, though it was not required to mention it. Mariners normally addressed only using the first name, with or without the honorifics.
He noted how Vira had kept his grandmother's and grandfather's name instead.
The card spoke a lot about Vira, without Vira even realizing it, the principal thought to himself. Vira, in his resume, never mentioned his initials, but in the card, he was actually showing his gratitude to his grandmother and declaring to the world that he was who he was, only because of her.
"You are a doctorate?"
Vira smiled and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.
"But your resume didn't mention this!"
"Schools don't select me for being overqualified. So I just stopped with my master's."
"You are a weird one!" Maw Lava exclaimed. He then suddenly burst out laughing.
Vira looked at him, surprised. "I just imagined Maw Mina's reaction if she ever got to know about this. She will faint from shock."
Vira laughed. "She calls me the village bumpkin. I let her have her fun."
"Are you sure it is not you having fun?" He winked and smiled naughtily.
"Who knows, Maw? I'll take my leave now."
Ekatweep was not very far; it was an hour by boat from Mann and two from Marina, as they had to cross Mann to get to it.
The entire island housed only government workers, and access to the island was restricted to the outside world, except on occasions when family could be invited, restricted to their designated zone. This was the case during award functions and family days only.
Vira hopped from his boat and walked in. Vira cleared the biometrics and collected his ID.
The scientists had to leave their IDs behind to ensure there was no case of stolen IDs or security breaches.
He was warmly greeted by Akat, who had come to guide him to his room.
"I got them to let you share the room with me and Kenta." His eyes twinkled. "We'll have an all-nighter on space talk."
Kenta worked primarily for the Marina space agency but offered his support to Marina Defense when time permitted. He was always overly excited and found everything under the sun to interest him.
Kenta had been a bit scared of Vira and Akat at the beginning. Both had a gloomy killer atmosphere around them initially.But as time passed, he had gotten along perfectly well with Akat. He was still a bit scared of Vira, who seldom spoke.
He was a bit surprised when Vira gave him a warm hug. "It feels great to be back together. Let's tuck yet another success story under our belt, shall we?"
Akat grinned, looking at Kenta's face. He looked as though he had seen a ghost. "Maw Vira, are you alright?"
Vira looked surprised. "Why?"
"You look cheerful."
Vira smiled, his eyes smiling too. "We are almost the same age. You can call me by my name, no?"
Kenta could have handled being punched in the face better. Who was this imposter?
Akat whispered, "He is in love, make the most of it."
Kenta burst out laughing.
"What did you say?" Vira asked, eyeing Akat with suspicion.
"Nothing," he replied hastily. "So, how did Saka react when you told him about this trip?"
Vira's face went ashen. He had forgotten all about Saka. It had become a habit of his to not tell anything to anyone, since he hadn't had anyone for so long.
Saka must be so mad at him.