We, The Dreamers

Oh, I am bored uncle. Nothing interesting to see here"

Shalini, the 8-year old niece of Rajan, complained, unable to contain her boredom. Rajan smiled at her and crouched beside her and whispered "Just a few minutes dear. I have to see someone important here. I will show you more places after I finish talking with him. Please be patient, will you?” Shalini nodded with a frown and he sighed. He understood her fretfulness. What would an 8-year old enjoy in a Technical Monitoring Station? On the contrary, she had spent her entire life in this unimaginative extra-terrestrial colony in Moon; but then, this station was far more bland.

He was one of the first residents of this colony in the Moon, which was constructed about 18 years ago. Shalini's parents, his sister and brother-in-law had moved over here from Earth about 8 years ago, looking for a better life. She had spent almost her entire life in this unnatural jungle, broken away from the nurtures of nature. Rajan himself had started as a Technical Manager here and was involved in the construction of the station. He and his team had worked hard to ensure that minimal freak accidents occurred and make the colony a viable alternative to the bleak pollution-ridden new Earth.

"Tere mere sapne, ab ek rang hain" sang the button-sized radio placed on the edge of his ear. It was a song from a movie released about 80 years ago, but still fresh in his ears. "They no longer make such movies", he thought. He was correct in a way, as the movie making techniques had improved over the years; for better or worse, nobody could say. It was more about the power of computers than the emotions of men these days.

"What a sweet little girl", interrupted a voice. Mr. Das, Rajan's boss waded into the room, his large frame making his presence quite an eyeful. He bent and shook the cheeks of Shalini, went to a compartment shaped window at the side of the room and pressed a button. A tiny robot, about 4 feet tall, trudged into the room, balancing a freshly made chocolate cake in its metallic hands. With no noticeable emotions, it proceeded towards Shalini and gave the cake to her. Shalini beamed and grabbed the cake as soon as it was offered to her and started relishing it.

"Irfan told me that you were visiting the Station with your niece. I had a very good news to tell you and that's why I called you here", continued Mr. Das. Rajan could see the excitement brimming in his chubby face. "Do you remember that we were looking for some land to expand in Moon? Well, just yesterday, we bought a large piece of land from our neighbouring South Africa here. It was an important acquisition for us. Do you know why? Because if we build another colony there, we would be the 4th nation in the world to have 3 colonies in Moon! Aren't you excited Rajan?”

Rajan could now understand the enthusiasm in his boss' face. This was a big news to the company, the pride of India resting in their hands. They had started this colony following similar efforts by other countries and had ramped up to the rest of the world with their innovative techniques and untiring work. "That is great news, Mr. Das. Glad to know that we are making strides in this area", responded Rajan.

Mr. Das replied, "But, I didn't call you just to give out this news. You, Rajan, have been selected to lead the execution of the whole project. In other words, you are promoted to General Manager. Congratulations".
Rajan beamed with happiness. But, he was also worried about the expectations that he had to handle. He had never undertaken any task as gargantuan as this. Besides, Mr. Das was not one who would take his projects lightly. He was a man of ambitions, a man who ardently undertook whatever he desired of.

"I expect a lot from you Rajan" continued Mr.Das. "I have dreamed of this for a long time. Imagine, the more we expand here, much of India's problems could be solved. So much land is lying empty here. With our technology improving continuously, I don't see why we can't move forward. Do you know what my ultimate dream is? To be the first nation to set up a colony in Mars. I hope to see that happening in my tenure, Rajan"

Rajan smiled. He knew that Mr.Das was a dreamer, just like a typical human being. Like most, he always dreamt of things bigger than him. Man had always dreamt ideas that took him away from Earth, ever since his illustrious birth on the planet. Literally, as well as figuratively. Every invention and every discovery that he made, took him away from nature; a habit which differentiated him from other animals, thus showcasing his intelligence. When he founded cities and communities, he moved away from his uncivilized abodes in nature. With each technological invention, the closeness he had with Earth diminished. He even invented machines to change the textures of Earth. And now, he had literally started moving away from his own planet. How much more would a man dream, even when he no longer had any connection with Earth?

Suddenly, he felt a tug. He turned and noticed Shalini pleading with him to leave. She had finished her cake and was looking really bored. "Looks like I have to take my leave, Mr.Das. I shall contact you tomorrow and we will discuss this forward. I am happy to be working here, Mr. Das", said Rajan and thanked his boss. With a smile, he picked up Shalini and took her out of the room.

The way out was desolate, with that day being a rest day. Technological jungles beckoned them whichever direction they observed. Lights, all around the room, glared at them gloomily, reflecting off every corner as they moved in the Trans-pod across the Station. Creaking noises broke the silence at every corner. All along the way, Shalini had a thoughtful look while Rajan pondered over the situation.

"Uncle, this place looks very boring. Not just this but also the area where my house is located", started Shalini. She stood up abruptly, as if she remembered something important. "Do you know, I had a beautiful dream last night", she continued. "It was like being in heaven. I was playing with a soft looking dog, lapping me gently, in a field full of lush green grass. Colorful butterflies flew around me playing with every part of my body. A pleasant breeze whispered to me softly. Trees, large enough that their tops weren't visible, were looking at me kindly. Strange white four-legged animals, furry and small, peeked through their holes eyeing me suspiciously. I was the only one there, Uncle. It was such a wonderful place. I had never seen anything like that before in my life". She was jumping in excitement as she narrated her dream. With an instant change of emotion, she scowled, "It was totally different from this place. This place looks really really really boring".

Rajan reflected on what she had just said. What she had described sounded very close to Earth. Though she had spent almost her entire life in this colony, she had spent some time in Earth as an infant. Even though the parks and gardens, that she described, were rare in Earth, her parents must have visited one of the preserved forests as part of a leisure trip. Was she dreaming remnants of the past attached to her brain cells? Or, was the dream a manifestation of her infantile memories? He could not clearly say anything.

"I want to go there Uncle, and stay there. Can you take me there?“, pleaded Shalini.

Rajan pacified her making her understand that it was just a dream and that no such place existed. But a thought flashed across his mind. He remembered how, after meeting Mr. Das, that he realized that humans always ventured away from Earth. Wasn't it ironical that there still existed a remnant eagerness to go back to the evergreen nature!? There existed a delicate balance between their dreams and desires. The more that humans desired of progressing, the more they dreamed of going back the nascent earth. The more the humans reveled in the beautiful nature, the more they dreamed about progressing away from it. These desires and dreams co-existed in the complex human mind, pulling it from opposite ends. For everything that a man desired, they dreamt exactly the opposite.

It was a bitter truth that humans could never let go of their desires. Suddenly, “Banwara mann dekhne chala ek sapna” crooned the radio in his ear. He started wondering, “Can we ever stop dreaming?”