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"and that is how" my history professor spoke from far ahead standing on his dais teaching on his AI platform "a very famous Indian king, King Neelambar, was tricked and killed."

We all had our own little screens on our benches. the device had our books, the powerpoint presentation that sir had displayed on his monitor, virtual pen and our notebook.

The screen could be shifted from the bench to float ahead of us, so that we don't strain our neck a lot. I made the screen to float ahead of me, and put my head down while I sob.

This is what history does to me. makes me cry my eyes out. I had been studying about the achievements of King Neelambar, or King Neel as he was called.

Young, brave, fearless, man for his people, having no time for his personal life. Won more than 156 battles in his 24 years of life and then tricked into death by his own stepmom.

The whole point of his bravery and existence just vanished into thin air, because of some cunning moves by his own family.

At times I question, why did I even choose history as my major. But again, there is nothing else that keeps me as hooked up as stories from the past. I have forever been curious to know how people from an era, that existed thousands of years ago, lived.

So I often find myself forever travelling there either mentally or virtually by the 3D devices we had in our homes.

History has always been evolving. Even if we believe there is nothing more to find, you'll end up digging your ancestors one way or the other.

Although most of the matters, like the independence struggle of India, or the Mughals, or the Harappa civilization has been studied since a long time. This particular Era where King Neelambar ruled , Era of the Ambar Dynasty, existed in the 15th century ,people believed but had been recently discovered.

Recently in the year 2025 and I am here studying it 44 years later, in the year 2069.

We had robots standing next to our rows, to monitor each student and when any student seems to be distracted in a class for too long, it puts a light beam on their head and plays a loud siren for everyone to hear. Pretty embarrassing isn't it.

I am envious of the students in back in the years of 2010 and 2020. Especially 2020. My granny says they all sat at their homes while attending schools and colleges. I mean we did have good technology back then too.

Anyway before that artificial class monitor puts a beam and plays her loud siren, I decided to pay attention.

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A screen came down, in between the platform where teacher stood and first bench students sat, and the teacher just vanished, as the screen moved up again signaling the end of lecture. We were able to do minor teleportation, within the radius of 5km. so this is how the teacher would immediately go to the next class without wasting any time.

My granny said, they would enjoy time it took for teachers to switch classes. It was a mini break for them. I am so jealous of it. Therefore I am not very happy with the technologies and this is why I hate science.

Although it is a good thing for people who stay next to the school, within the radius of 5km . Everyime they are late, they just teleport themselves to the class. Although our teachers frown upon it, who cares right?

I had purposely left my teleportation wrist watch at home cause I felt dizzy every time I use it. So I decided to do what rarely anyone does these days, except old people- I decided to walk.

Our corridors were clean because anyone rarely used it. I made the screen of my Q tab, or mobile phones what my granny likes to name it, float ahead while I walk and choose the song I would like to listen.

I was too busy engrossed in my Q , to notice the signal it was giving. The Q tabs were designed to give signals, every time someone is near where you are heading to. So that you don't accidentally bump into them, especially when you are teleporting.

I am sure that person must have received the alert dings too. But we both decided to ignore and ended up colliding each other.

"Ow ouch!" I rubbed the side of my arm while I frowned upon him. Aakav. My Crush. Also a science major.

Let us ignore everything I said about science a while back.

"uh Hi" My helpless smile showing herself in front of him. "sorry about that." I continued, referring to the tiny collision we had a while back.

although I wasn't really sorry for it

"ya that's okay." I hate how he is so aloof and cold towards me despite him knowing everything I have for him. I mean my interest in him, is a thing that everyone in the college knows.

How ? you ask?

Well you see, on a class presentation one day, I forgot to put my Q on the Ppt mode and displayed it as it is. Everyone could see my screen in that tiny device that was installed in the benches and my best friend ended up sending me his pictures that she extracted out of his social media handles back from 2060 when he was just 13.

Ahh that was another embarrassing moment of my life.

I have hated to interact with him ever since then. Although he never brought it up, I heard his friends laugh about it.

"Jiera" he called me out when I started to walk away. Saying that I was ecstatic to hear my name from his mouth would be an understatement. I don't know what was more appealing, that fact that he knew my name, or the fact that he decided to call me out.

I turned to look at him. My eyes widened with surprise and anticipation. "yes?"

"I have a favor to ask from you."

Wow. what could this be about?

I hope it's not asking me about 'what should I gift my girlfriend for her birthday' type of a question. That would really be heartless of him.

"hmm?"

"are you free?" he seemed hesitant.

I had carried packages with me that contained of clothes, my best friend had ordered at my place. I had to go to hers, to hand them in. She had been nagging me for it, until I finally decided to take a little time out and go to her place now. I am sure she would be waiting.

But this was once in a million opportunity. My crush was finally taking a note of me. who knows, perhaps this was our moment

I rapidly and quickly nodded my head in a yes. "ofcourse , what is it?" he started walking and I took it as an indicator that I had to walk along.

"you know I had been busy planning and working on my science experiment model." He started explaining.

Aakav's father belonged to the field of experiment and so Aakav has a strong hold in this area. He has forever been a genius.

"ofcourse I know about this."

"I want you to be a model for an experiment that we have done." He sounded much nervous.

"huh?"

"please, please." We stopped mid way. He was holding my hand practically urging me to be a part of his project.

"I don't think I can. The project you are a part of, does not belong to the college. I know you are working with Prof Darsh on some different private project altogether." I argued, even with myself wondering whether I should remove my hand form his grip.

Thanks to my stalking skills, I had information on this.

He seemed completely baffled with the piece of my knowledge I shared. But here's the thing: As it is I had no liking for science, on top of that indulging myself in a high profile experiment seemed absolutely useless.

"please, please, please." He urged again. "and don't worry this is not for free. Our subject models are getting paid in lakhs for this."

Now this had my attention. Money has forever been a matter of interest.

I sighed to show my indecisiveness before I finally asked, "what is the experiment about?" I spoke softly, yet not sure of this.

"time travel!" he sounded proud. As much as I was amazed, I was scared too.

"wh- what" I stuttered.

"I – I know it sounds scary but trust me it's not. I have myself used the device once to travel to the future" he tried convincing. I had my eyes wide apart

"what?"

"yes. The device is designed to travel any one day either in future or in the past. Just a matter of 24 hours" I tried listening carefully but ended up losing my focus to fear again bringing it back to where it is supposed to be.

"ok"

"I have travelled one day in the future. To the day we get our graduation degree." He smiled to himself for a moment and then again with the same seriousness turned back to me.

"now we want someone to travel to the past just for a day."

This seemed interesting. And to be honest this man almost had me convinced.

"which time will I go to if I agree to this?" I asked.

"any time you want to. And any place you want to" His voice was rather loud, stuffed with excitement.

It evoked a euphoric feeling that was hard to describe.

"really!" I asked, much exclaimed.

He nodded with the same excitement on his face as mine.

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