Nostalgia

  

                                                                        

 

It was the year 2082,

Cars were flying in the Skies. Hyperloop helped people to travel any were in the world. Recently the president inaugurated the world’s first inter planet tourism from Earth to Mars. The greenery has been reduced drastically. Some plants and animals got extinct. Artificial Intelligence have dominated the world.

                          It was a sunny day. Robotic birds were flying in the skies. Aaron and his Robot friend Zarko were playing with a ball. His sister Amy was busy playing with her Robot puppy. Aaron missed the ball and the ball rolled towards Amy. Aaron asked Amy to pass the ball. But she hesitated and asked him to take the ball by himself. This made him angry. The ball was controlled by his watch. He gave voice instruction to his watch saying, ‘Let the ball bounce’. The ball started to bounce and it hit Amy’s face. She started crying. Aaron and his Robot started to laugh. 

Aaron said, ‘Now your face looks like a rat’. 

This made Amy angry and she said, ‘My name is not rat. You are a Virus’. 

When the heated argument was going on their Grandfather came in. 

He said, ‘Why you two are fighting like this?’

Amy said, ‘Grandpa he called me rat’. 

Grandpa turned towards Aaron and asked him, ‘Why are calling her like that. Call her by her name. Don’t forget that she is your sister.’

Aaron said, ‘She called me a Virus.’

Grandpa asked Amy, ‘Why did you call him like that.’

 Amy replied, ‘I have learned that virus are deadly. He is also deadly.’

 Grandpa said, ‘Enough is enough. If I hear you calling by that name, I will punish you both.’ 

Both Aaron and Amy said sorry to Grandpa.

 Hearing this Robot Zarko said, ‘Aaron why are you fearing him. Let’s tease her again. 

Grandpa became very angry and said, ‘Turn off that thing or else I will put it in the thrash.’ 

Aaron suddenly switched off the Robot.

Three of them went and sat in a bench. Amy was playing with her robot puppy. 

Seeing this Grandpa asked her, ‘Amy dear have you ever seen a real dog?’ 

Amy replied, ‘No Grandpa. That kind of dogs are really rare today. I have seen some of them in the museum.’

Grandpa was not happy at her reply. His thoughts went to the past were he and his dog played together. The dog loved him so much. In his absence his dog hesitate to eat food. His childhood was very beautiful with his dog.

 Aaron saw a bit of tears in Grandpa’s eyes. He asked Grandpa what happened. 

He replied, ‘Nothing dear. I just went to my past memories.’

 Amy said, ‘It’s time for battery recharge my puppy.’

Grandpa thought today’s dog don’t need food just recharge.

 Aaron said, ‘Grandpa the present is more beautiful than past.’ 

Hearing this Grandpa said, ‘No dear you are wrong. The past was more beautiful than today.’

Aaron asked him, ‘How is that possible. Today there is every thing for us. Life has become very easy. The past very boring. I am lucky to be born at this period.’

Grandpa replied, ‘No dear, actually today’s kids are not lucky. Can ask you something.’

Aaron said, 'yes'.

‘Okay, do you know the name of the kid opposite our house?’ asked Grandpa.

Aaron replied, ‘No’

Grandpa said, ‘During our childhood we knew the name of everyone in our place. Also we used to play together. But today’s kids play with robots only. The relationship is lost. You people are always busy with your electronic gadgets. Even your parents have no time to look after you.’

Aaron don’t know how to reply to this.

He said ‘Grandpa what is actually a virus?’

Hearing this Amy said, ‘Virus and you are exactly the same.’

Grandpa asked her to keep quiet and said, ‘They are infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. They are very smaller than bacteria. Have you heard about Covid-19?’  

 ‘Yes Grandpa, I have studied it in my History classes’, replied Amy

‘Okay, then tell me what is it’, asked Grandpa.

 ‘Actually I don’t know much about it. I used to by hard everything and write exam’, replied Amy

 Grandpa said, ‘Dear this is a wrong approach. We should not approach History like that. Many of them used to by hard History without understanding anything. History is full of experiences of people who have walked on earth before us. It is about events, stories and incidents that your forefathers went through.’

Hearing this Aaron said, ‘Grandpa please tell about Covid-19.’

‘I also want to hear it Grandpa', said Amy

Grandpa said, ‘Sure dear. Covid-19 period was an important period in my life. I was a witness for the changes that happened in the world during Covid-19 days. Life was standstill during the initial days of pandemic.’

 Amy was shocked and said, ‘Grandpa did the virus affected you.’

He replied ‘Yes’.

‘How did you recovered Grandpa’ asked Aaron.

Grandpa said, ‘I have been affected with the virus during the initial days of pandemic. When I was affected by the virus doctor’s asked me to go for quarantine for 28 days. With all the services by the health team, I recovered soon itself.’

‘Grandpa what do you mean by Quarantine?’ asked Amy. 

‘It is self isolation, which means we should live without contact with anyone. We spend our time in a room till recovery’ replied Grandpa.

Amy got surprised and said, ‘I can’t live like that, that is really boring’.

Hearing this Grandpa laughed and said, ‘What kind of life you people are leading now. You isolate yourself from everyone busy with electronic gadgets. You people don’t know the name of your neighbours. Tell me when did the last time you and your parents spend time together. Your parents are working like a machine now. Even your father and mother don’t speak to each other properly. Today no one knows the value of true relationship. When I was a child, life was very vibrant. I used to spend a lot of time with my parents. We used to go for vacation together. Me along with my neighborhood friends used to play cricket together. That beautiful life is lost. I think I am the last generation who experienced that beautiful life. The time has changed everything.’

Both Aaron and Amy felt ashamed of themself.

Grandpa said, ‘Dear, let’s have our lunch. I think you kids are hungry now.’

They went inside the house.

'Kids what do you want for lunch', asked Grandpa

 Aaron said, ‘I want Hawaiian Pizza’ and Amy said, ‘I want Bacon Burger.

Hearing this Grandpa said, ‘Kids these are unhealthy food. The more you eat it the shorter you live. I will cook today.’

Aaron said, ‘Grandpa why are you cooking? Our robot will cook for us. You come and take rest.

Grandpa replied, ‘No need. I am very happy to cook for my Grandchildren. Because I cook food for you with love. Nothing can replace that.’

While eating Aaron asked, ‘Grandpa how was your college days during Covid-19?’

Aaron noticed Grandpa was really disturbed.

Grandpa said, ‘I was not able to enjoy my college. Three years I was sitting inside home and taking online classes. I was not lucky to study in the college campus. I have never met my class mates face to face. Only online contacts was there.

‘Why are you becoming so emotional Grandpa? What is the deal about college life. Studying at home is really fun’, said Amy.

Grandpa became angry and said, ‘You kids will never understand this. Because of the rampage Covid-19 schools and colleges were closed across the globe. We were forced to sit inside home for 2 to 3 years. We were wondering when we will see our friends again. Life was very boring without them. We were all attached to each other. But today kids are only attached to electronic gadgets and Robots. For me school and college life is the beautiful period of everyone’s life. We were all waiting for that day when the Covid-19 gets over, we all reunite and have a happy time together.’

Amy said, ‘No Grandpa, sitting and studying in home is better. The virtual experience is really good. With the help of holographic projection we can see teacher and other students near us. Today’s technology is really fun.’

Grandpa got annoyed and said, ‘Okay, please tell me the names of your classmates.’

Amy remained silent since she don’t know the names of her classmate.

Grandpa continued, ‘Artificial Intelligences have separated us from everyone. Today people are only concerned about themselves only. But during my school days, we used to study together, eat together, plays together. Friends were everything for us. It’s hard to imagine a life without them.’ 

‘Tell me Grandpa what was the first thing you did after Covid-19’, asked Aaron.

Grandpa replied, ‘Since 2 to 3 years everyone were confined inside home. Everything including borders were closed. Sitting inside home for a long time gave us home sickness. The first thing we all want was to get out of home. A long travel was the first thing that I done after Covid-19.’

‘To where Grandpa?’ asked Amy

‘It was a solo travel. I took my bike and rode kilometers and kilometers to the Himalayas. The pleasure which I experienced, I can feel it now also. That was the best experience of my life.’

‘Really, can travel can do all that. I didn’t felt anything while traveling’ said Aaron

Grandpa turned towards him and said, ‘I really feel sympathy for today’s generation. Travelling is the best experience that I ever had. Covid-19 made me realize the importance of travel. Before that I never gave importance to travelling. I just considered it as a waste of time. After the pandemic, I travel across the world. I got so many new experience. I got emotionally attached to travelling. So my kids don’t live your life just by sitting inside the four walls. Go and explore the world. Because life is only one. Live a meaningful life by setting an example for others.’

Aaron and Amy were shaking their head. Grandpa thought that they have understood what he meant to say.

In the evening Aaron was playing video games and Amy was studying her History text. She wore Augmented reality glasses and the whole thing in the text came alive. Without reading the text book she saw everything happening in front of her like a movie. She was completely in a virtual world. She was studying Covid-19 chapter. She observed some people walking kilometers to home. People were dying without getting oxygen. Ambulance were running throughout the place. Hospitals flooded with patients. Death bodies everywhere. Burning death bodies on open grounds. People were crying for their loved ones. Health workers were in a misery. Death bodies also floating on rivers.

Seeing all this Amy got scared and took of her glasses. She called Grandpa and she explained everything to him. He comforted her and also called Aaron to join them.

Grandpa said, ‘These were horrible realities of Covid-19. Even I got scared by seeing all this. The Virus goes on mutating and bring catastrophe. The health experts said that Mass Vaccination, wearing mask, social distancing was the only solution for this.’

‘Grandpa is it very difficult to predict who all got infected by the virus’, asked Aaron

‘Yes, we don’t know who all were infected by the virus. Only few days later he will start to show symptoms like fever, dry cough, sore throat like that. Then he will go for testing and if he test positive he must go to quarantine till recovery. Also those who were there with him should also go for quarantine’ replied Grandpa.

‘But it is very easy to detect people who are sick today. Even our fingerprint can tell us what all disease we have’ said Aaron.

‘Yes, today the Artificial Intelligences have dominated the health sector really well. We can detect patients in no time’ said Grandpa

‘Yes Grandpa, even in hospitals there is a big scanner machine. When we pass through that scanner it will analyze our whole body and show what all diseases we have. The health experts will give us treatment. Today the Death rate is very low’ said Amy

‘Yes dear you are right. Our health is very important than wealth. Only a healthy society can contribute for the progress of a nation’ said Grandpa

 ‘I always say to you to reduce your time in front of the screen. It can affect your eyes vision’, said Grandpa

‘I think you are right Grandpa. These days I also feeling irritation in my eyes’ said Amy

‘Well I will tell you a good exercise to make your eyes comfortable’ said Grandpa

Amy got excited and asked, ‘What exercise Grandpa?’

‘Read books. It will make your eyes feel good’ replied Grandpa

‘Yes I used to read books. I put my AR glasses and when I open the book I feel very think is real. Like a movie I read book’, said Amy

‘I am not talking about this method. Just forget of your glasses and take a book read everything line by line. It will make your eyes very relaxed. Today every children lost habit of reading. They just seek help of technology’ said Grandpa.

‘That’s very boring Grandpa. We are just wasting our time reading line by line’ said Aaron.

‘But according to me reading gives you more concentration and creativity. When you see a person coming out of a car visually or virtually you are just seeing it. But you are reading that a person coming out of a car, you will visualize in your mind that a person wearing this dress coming out of that car. You will visualize everything while reading. That triggers your creativity’ said Grandpa.

‘I will try it out Grandpa’, said Amy

It was bed time. Aaron and Amy decided to sleep with Grandpa today. Out of curiosity Amy asked Grandpa,

‘Grandpa, how was life during Covid-19. Did everyone led a difficult life?’

‘Well, yes some led a difficult life while others a comfortable life. Certain section of society had a hard time during pandemic. I mean those who were financially backward. During pandemic education was done through online. Some students never own an electronic gadget. Many of them faced network issues. Certain children who were dropout from schools were reported especially girls. Some of them were forced to do child labour. Business collapsed. But after pandemic everything was back on track of recovery. But other section of societies life was more good.  We had enough food, water, electricity, mobile phone, Wi-Fi, and even Netflix. Life was good. If we compare our life with World War 1 and 2, we were so lucky’, replied Grandpa. 

‘What happened in World War 1 and 2, Grandpa’, asked Amy

‘What do you know about these Wars’, asked Grandpa.

‘I saw it in my history text. But I don’t know it exactly. It’s about war, rise of dictators, genocide isn’t Grandpa?’ asked Amy

‘Yes, you are right. During that time, more than 10 billion people died. At that time people faced so many hardship. The war scared people to sit inside their home. They were afraid if the missile fall there or not. There was no food, no water, no electricity. None of that existed back in that days. People had a hard time at that period. Time has changed everything. Now people are living a good life’.

Amy and Aaron got satisfied with Grandpa’s answer. They lied down on the bed. Grandpa was thinking deeply. He said to Amy and Aaron,

‘Dear, the future is evolving. You may see new technologies in the coming years. Human relationships may be lost. You may all work like a machine. You may never find time to spend together. Maybe I am the last one of my generation to tell this you. When I was your age, I spend a lot of time with my parents. They used to tell me stories, and buy snacks. When I catch a fever, my mother used to take a day off from her school and take care of me the whole day. My father used to get angry with me. But after some time, he will comfort me and play with me. Parents' love is immense. But I am really sorry for your parents. I am not a good father. I believe that I brought him up really well. But we got separated for a few years. That few years changed him a lot. After that, he never spoke to me properly. I don’t want you two to end up like that.’

‘No Grandpa, we will be not like our parents, said Aaron

Grandpa continued, ‘Dear, Life is only one. Enjoy it, Feel it, and Capture the best moments. Life is full of beauty. Notice nature, and smiling faces, and enjoy the cool breeze and the rain. Live your life to the fullest potential. So enjoy each moment and hope for the best.’

‘We will never fail you, Grandpa’, said Amy.

Grandpa was so happy. He felt happiness inside him. With lots of hope, he went into a deep sleep.