The Incredible Journey-- Children's novel

The Incredible  Journey

My friend Sudhakaran had translated my children’s novel “ Sasneham Nithavo”  published  by State Institute of Children’s Literature in 1996.  He titled  it  “ The Incredible Journey “ . It was done in 1997 , but unfortunately, couldn’t  publish yet. 

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       The dew drops on the grass tips glittered in the morning sunrays. Balu looked closely at those dewdrops. What a beauty! Looks like a garland made of rainbow colours. The mist has not completely melted out from the atmosphere. The lessons he had learnt the previous day were still clear in his mind. Sun is one among billions of stars, just as the solar system is formed out of the combination of planets and satellites, there are many such systems in the universe. As is the case of Earth, possibly there could be life in other planets as well. Are these things mere hypothesis of scientists? Or is it true? , he thought.

“I should get the doubts cleared from Sreedharan master “, Balu decided.

That day, during the lunch break, while all other children were busy playing in the ground, Balu went to the staff room. Sreedharan master was engrossed in reading a book. He watched his curious eyes and wrinkling forehead. He positioned himself in such a way to capture the attention of the teacher. Sreedharan master raised his head and looked at Balu.

“Come in Balu, what’s your doubt today? “

Balu went closer to him. The teacher gave him an affectionate smile. He was very fond of Balu since he was inquisitive in nature.

“Sir is it possible to have another planet like Earth? “

“What do you mean?” asked Master.

“Sir, I mean … a planet with birds, animals and human beings... “

“See Balu, we have no apparent proof about it. Some people say that they have seen strange beings landing here in flying saucers or what we call Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). But I don’t know whether it is true. Our scientists have not yet proved it. May be these are facts. It is possible to have a smarter race in some other planet. As and when I get some new information about it, I will definitely let you know.”

Balu was happy with his teacher’s explanation. He was confident that the human race that conducts experiments on moon and mars could one day find out that strange world as well. The feeling that there is another world with a spark of life took roots in his mind.

****************************

                  It was well past midnight. Balu’s parents and little sister Babita were fast asleep. However, Balu was not concerned with the time and kept on reading the book. All of a sudden, a bright light made him blind for a while. With a shock, he looked out.

The next moment the room was filled with a blue light.

What to do? Should I call dad? No, let me check it on my own, he decided.

He had learnt that in the marshlands, such lights occur due to the burning of some gas. Many people are afraid of it thinking it to be the acts of some evil spirits or ghost. But, how can such a blue light appear near the house where there is no marshy land?

Balu slowly opened the door and stepped out. The entire vicinity was bathed in blue light, as if some supernatural force was pulling him. Balu moved towards that light. As he reached near the source of that light, a surprise was waiting him. Near the banana grove, there was a triangular vessel of nearly eight feet height. From within the vessel, he heard a feeble voice, bim--- bim--. There were some movements inside the vessel.

Before he could think further, its doors were opened. A great force pulled him inside it. But, he was not afraid. It was just like a dream.

It was very cold inside the vessel. His eyes took some time to be accustomed with the dark light inside. Slowly, he looked around. The bim bim sound came from a red eyed machine. Next to it was a living figure. On a closer look he found another figure as well.

They were talking to each other but Balu could not understand their language. After a while one of them talked to Balu in Malayalam. “We are coming from the planet called Michaelo. This is our seventh visit. Would you like to come with us to see our world? “

The words seemed to flow very slowly. Balu had no idea as to what to tell them. Daddy, mummy, sister, friends, school …. Balu was in a fix on how to respond.

“We understand what is in your mind. It will not take more than one and a half month. Then you can come back. No one in the earth has been fortunate to have this rare opportunity. Of course, your people will be panicked. But we cannot write any message to them. In that case, all the scientists in the world will wait for our return. And that will result in the catastrophe of the earth. What do you say? “, the alien figure asked.

At that, he did not think much. He nodded in affirmative. The next moment the triangular vessel took off.

***********************  

            Balu’s father Jayakrishnan was an officer in the state secretariat. Mother Vasantha was also employed there. Little Babita was in class two. Since she had to prepare food before the children left for school, Vasantha used to get up early.

As usual, while she was walking to kitchen, Vasantha noticed the light from Balu’s room. Wondering why he had got up so early, she went in. But he was not there. Puzzled, she came out and searched him around, “Balu, where are you?”

But there was no reply.

Panicked, she woke Jayakrishnan up, who was still fast asleep. “Please get up. Balu is nowhere to be seen. And the doors are ajar.”

Jayakrishnan was startled to hear this. Rubbing his eyes, he got up and came out in search of Balu.

“Balu… my son, where are you? “, Jayakrishnan called him in a raised voice. But, there was no response.

Hearing the commotion, their neighbor, Sekharan Nair also came out.

“What happened Jayakrishnan, why are you so panicked? “

“My son…, he is not to be seen”, Jayakrishnan replied in a feeble voice.

“What? Where could he go?” saying this, he came to Jayakrishnan’s house and searched the room. The table lamp was still on. It was very hot, meaning that it was not switched off the whole night. The book was open. Normally, he used to read keeping the doors shut. He did not have the habit of getting up early as he used to sit late and read.

They came to the courtyard and searched all over. There was no sign of any forced entry or tussle. Then, they came out to the compound and searched. The only suspicious thing they could see was a triangular pit amidst the banana trees.

The entire episode made Vasantha lose her restrain. She started weeping and wailing. Babita also got up to hear this and she too started crying. While their neighbours tried to console them Jayakrishnan was dumbstruck. He had no idea as to what to do.

Sekharan Nair immediately informed the local police station. The sub-inspector came to the house to make enquiries.

“Have you misbehaved with the boy? Did you harass him to study more? “, the police officer threw questions upon questions.

After getting a satisfactory reply that nothing untoward had happened, he searched the location and examined the triangular pit near the banana groves. Back at the police station, he informed the nearby police stations and instructed to check the vehicles passing by.

********************

                  The sudden change in the air distressed Balu. Immediately, they made him wear a shield and everything was back to normal state. He looked out through the glass window. What a beauty! Gliding along the layers of cloud, their spacecraft moved forth. How far I am from my home? All of a sudden the memories of home pulled him back.

“See, how far we are from home?” he asked one of the fellow travellers.

He pressed a button. Balu was aghast to see the digits that appeared on the screen…three lakh and thirty thousand million kilometers!

They gave him delicious food, which he enjoyed. While he got up from sleep, the spacecraft was landing at the airport. His seat belt was tied. The vehicle was landing with a revolving movement. He looked through the glass window. The surface looked like a marble floor. Thousands of such vessels were parked there. Some were gigantic and some were tiny.

The one that they travelled landed at the back of the column. Those in the vehicle removed their shield. Balu stood watching their figure.

Their bodies were blue. They wore a very thin cloth. Over that, they had leather apparels on their chest and waist. The body shape was that of human beings, but both of them had indistinguishable similarity. Long eyes and nose, broad lips, long chin and abnormally lengthy frame of seven feet.

Balu watched them in curiosity and amazement. As per their instruction, he got down from the vehicle and came out of the aerodrome. Then, they walked towards a building. By that time, a woman also reached there. Balu couldn’t understand the language she spoke. She was also wearing the same sort of apparels like others and was more than six feet tall. She took Balu to the next room. The floor was very cold, but the room was warm. The method of building construction amazed Balu. It was not built of wood or brick, the material was something else.

I will ask them everything, Balu decided.

The lady, who brought Balu in, introduced herself.

“I am Nitavo. I am your guide in Michaelo. Whatever is needed, please feel free to tell me. Apart from me, only the man who brought you here from earth knows your language. By the by, you relax for some time. I will be back soon.” She bowed her head and went to the next room.

She was a very polite lady and Balu liked her way of conversation. Though he was not feeling tired, the moment he lied on the cot, he fell asleep.

****************

                   He had no idea about time. It was the feathery touch of a smooth hand that woke him up. It was Nitavo. She had brought a dish full of various fruits. He had never seen such fruits before.

Since he was very hungry, Balu started eating it. Good taste. Tastier than the banana,  apple and grapes available at Kerala.

As he savored the fruits, Nitavo stood there with a smile. Then she gave him a glass of milk. Once he finished drinking milk, she said, “ This is not cow’s milk, it’s from an animal called tengvo. It is like the deer in your planet”, she said.

“ It tastes good”, said Balu.

“See Balu, you have only seven days permission to stay here. It is equal to forty nine days in earth. Within that time, we should visit as many places as possible. First of all, we will visit the technology park here. You get ready “

Then, she gave him a pair of new cloths. After wearing those thin garments and the leather garments on chest and waist, he felt being in an air-conditioned place.

“Come, Balu, let’s go”, said Nitavo. “You look smarter now. Let’s see the scientific and technological developments in our planet. You can see which fields that we have made development are.”

Balu keenly listened to her and walked along.

Their vehicle was ready in front of the room. It was shaped like an egg. It was made of some metal like iron. Nitavo opened its door and took Balu in. It had cushioned seats and inside was cool and cozy. The state-of-the art vehicle had automatic gear system. Even after it started moving, he could not feel its momentum. He looked at the speedo meter and was astounded to see the speed was touching two hundred kilometer.

Nitavo said,” In your place, the vehicles drink fuel like anything. But, here, the fuel efficiency is very high. The vehicles in Michaelo get a mileage of more than two hundred kilometers per liter. So the pollution level is also negligible compared to that on earth.

“Balu, have you noticed our roads? It was Nitavo’s question that made him realize that they were travelling. He looked at the road. They were wide. Its color was reddish like the country roads in India. Nitavo said the road was made of some alloy. “Unlike your place, we don’t get asphalt here. But, these roads have certain advantages. The tyres won’t wear out so easily. Also, the maintenance cost is very less. This apart,  there are other scientifically proven advantages as well.”

On either side of the road, there were gigantic trees like the jack fruit, mango and tamarind trees in Balu’s native place. Unlike in Kerala, there were no houses on the roadsides. Only a few fuelling stations were to be seen. This surprised him.

“Why are there no houses on the roadsides?”, Balu asked her.

Nitavo laughed to hear this. “Even the minor atmospheric and sound pollution will adversely affect the jatapovs, I mean the human beings in Balu’s language. In order to prevent any disturbance to our people, we have banned building houses on the roadsides. We build houses at least one kilometer away from the road. Here, we have multi- storeyed buildings only, which accommodate more than a hundred people. We don’t spoil the farmlands by building individual villas everywhere.

“Our Michaelo is hardly as big as your Asian continent, but it has many specialties. Unlike your planet, we don’t have religions, castes and sub-castes here. Our race is called jatapov. Though there are some minor economical differences, there is no inequality here.”

Balu was amazed to hear this. When he just thought of India, the pathetic picture of a huge community fighting among themselves in the name of religion and caste flashed across his mind. He wondered whether Michaelo is the heaven mentioned in mythology.

The vehicle came to a sudden halt. Only then he thought of its name. It could seat only three persons apart from the driver, like the auto-rickshaws we have. But it was very speedy and compact.

“Nitavo, what’s the name of this vehicle?” he enquired.

“I was wondering why you have not asked this?, Nitavo smiled. “ This is Thutalla, the commonest mode of transportation in our planet. Come Balu, let’s get down. This is the technology park. We have to see around the place as quickly as possible.”

Balu got down. The entrance to the park itself was amazing. A magic world of artistic excellence. He felt like seeing the Madurai Meenakshi temple, the Ajanta caves and the Sree Padmanabha swami temple together. For a moment he stood still in front of the gate. At this, Nitavo said, “A group of people under the leadership of eminent scientist Lavusokini has the responsibility of maintaining this entrance. The most important thing is that it is maintained without any damage for centuries.

Once again, he thought of his own country, where many murals, sculptures and archaeological wonders are being damaged due to the lack of proper maintenance. This is a paradise for the artists for sure.

The technology park was spread across thousands of acres. Balu observed that the front portion of all the vehicles from the ones for the kids to the gigantic trains, are pointed. The front of aircraft and plains looked like an arrow. They don’t use coal or diesel to run the vehicles. It is sarco, the light of the star that has the role of sun there, and the pressure of steam provides the fuel. So there is no question of any atmospheric pollution or ecological imbalance. It was a wonderful experience for Balu to get into the train compartment.

What a beauty! It is tidy and clean. The ugly train compartments in his place can never reach anywhere near this. All the coupes in the train had television. He had no idea how long did he sit there watching the television screens.

“If you sit like this, we won’t be able to finish seeing the things here”, Nitavo shook him. He got up in a flash from that dreamy train and followed her.

The next was an aircraft. It was the bottom of the aircraft that caught his fancy. It was made of some soft, yellow substance.

“Why  is it like ?”, he asked Nitavo.

“This is one among the many technologies used to prevent any accident. Even if the flight has to make a crash landing, it will not catch fire. It has been designed such a way that it can land anywhere including the sea in case of emergency. However, so far no accident has happened in Michaelo.”

“Really?!” Balu could not believe it. In Earth, not even a single day passes without accident.

“ I know you are surprised to hear this because of the innumerable accidents that occur in your planet. But you know why there are no accidents here? It is because of the well-designed wide roads, traffic and technically perfect vehicles. Also you see there is no dwelling place on the roadsides and we have effectively implemented population control here. “

Then, Nitavo took him along to see the cars and other vehicles. The cars were bigger than the thutalla, the vehicle that had taken them to the technological park. The cars there were named kaluvo. These apart ,there were many other vehicles like scooters, motorbikes and bicycles. And also he saw heavy vehicles like lorry exhibited in the park. The specialty of these vehicles was long life and high fuel efficiency.

Next was the computer and robot (computer jatapov) section. The computers were as small as a pocket calculator. They make use of computers to do only those jobs that the jatapovs cannot do. Nitavo told him that the trend of denying job opportunity by using computers was a problem of the earth only.

The robotic jatapovs had fast movements and dazzling look. Their main use is in the mines. “We don’t make any unnecessary experiments in robotics”, Nitavo told him. The next they visited was the world of machinery. There were quite a few machines- from the ones that could climb the trees to the ones that could make robots. Nitavo said that though they make lots of research, all the results are not necessarily implemented. There were many things in the park, which Nitavo also could not explain. But it was an enchanting experience and time sped away as they watched the things one by one.

On their return, Balu was feeling bit tired. At this, Nitavo gave him some soft drinks and he became more energetic. “You feel tired because according to the time schedule of the earth, you have not slept for four days. Back in your room, you should sleep. It will be as long as three days in the earth. Our body has been made according to the time here and this is normal for us. But that is not your case. That is why you feel tired. Oh.. we have reached our place”, telling this, she got down and Balu too followed her. By the time he had finished his dinner, Balu was feeling sleepy. And he slipped into sweet dreams.

***************

                       As he woke up a sound sleep, Nitavo was standing beside him with a smile. Two jatapovs were also with her. “Meet Thukko and Mikko”, Nitavo introduced them to Balu. They were experts in Hindi and Tamil. Thukko’s ears were larger compared to others, like the rabbits. His hair was smooth. When he said ‘vanakkam’, Balu felt the voice originated from some distant place.

Mikko’s legs had some specialty. They were tall like that of a giraffe. He told Balu ‘namaskar’ with bowed head. Naturally, Balu was curious to know how they learned these languages.

“ How do you get books from earth ? “, he asked Nitavo.

“ It takes only a few hours for us to bring any lifeless object from earth. If living objects could travel through space freely, we would have brought them too here”, Nitavo explained with a smile. But she knew that Balu was not convinced with this explanation. “Balu, our technology is highly developed. By the time we are back, your text books will be here. Then only you will believe what I said”, she smiled.

As Nitavo told him about his books, Balu thought of his house. Poor mummy, she would be crying all the time. Nitavo noticed the sad expression in his face.

“Sorry Balu, I think  my words have hurt you by rekindling the memories of the house”, she said.

“For a moment, I thought of my parents and little sister”, while saying this,  tears tumbled down from his eyes.

“Don’t worry, we will find a way out to surprise you”, Nitavo consoled him.

Balu had no idea as to how she was going to solve his problem. He looked at her in confusion.

“Balu, write a letter to your parents”, Nitavo said.

“Then...” Balu asked.

“We will post it. Then, your parents and relatives will be relieved “, she said.

“What a non-sense! How can the letter I post here would reach the Earth?” he doubted.

“That will reach, Balu. I promise. But, remember one thing. Don’t write that you are writing the letter from another planet. I shall tell you what to write.”

Then, Nitavo handed over a pen and a piece of paper to Balu. He was amazed to see the quality of the paper. It was smooth like snow. It aroused his curiosity and he asked, “How do you make this?”

“Balu, unlike your planet, we don’t make paper from wood pulp. It is made of some particular metal brought from the Mars. Its specialty is that it can be reused after erasing the writings. People on Earth kill trees mercilessly, but that is not allowed here. The use of wood is minimal even in the building construction. And wood is the costliest thing here. Whether it is in the forest or the residential areas, wood belong to the Mikka, means our government. When a tree is fallen down or is about to fall down, the Mikka puts an advertisement in the newspapers for the public auction. And the person who gives the highest bid will get it. No malpractice can be done in this. Balu really felt ashamed of the human race. How vile is our approach towards trees! And we scorn people who love trees. He remembered the humiliation faced by some environmentalists for their efforts to save trees.

“I know what you are thinking now”, said Nitavo. “You are thinking of the forests on earth, isn’t it?”

Balu nodded his head in agreement.

“You know the existence of life is dependent on Sarco and trees. If the trend of misusing this for making houses and furniture is not prevented, the future of Earth will be miserable. Actually two of our scientists are conducting research in this subject”, she explained.

“Oh, we were talking about writing a letter to your people. Better you don’t write on this paper. They will feel suspicious. We shall write on the paper available in Earth”, she said.

At this , she gave him another pen and paper.

“Make it as if you are writing from Delhi”, she said.

He started writing.

My dear daddy, Pardon me for not informing you about my trip to Delhi. Actually a friend of mine invited me while he was coming to Delhi along with his family. Since I thought you wouldn’t allow me to go, I left home without informing you. Sorry for the misbehavior on my part. I will be back in two months. Please don’t be panicked about my whereabouts.

Lovingly, Balu.

Balu sealed the letter and gave it to Nitavo. She handed it over to another person and gave him some instruction. Then, she said to Balu, “ Now we are going to see the zoo in Michaelo. Balu was very happy to hear this. Soon he had a shower and got ready.

They got into a seva, a four wheeler, which was faster than thutalla. He enjoyed the scenic beauty on both sides of the road and also the programme in the small television inside the vehicle. The trees on the roadsides were very huge and had splendid blossoms and fruits. Seeing this, Balu thought of the eucalyptus trees planted in many places in Kerala, which had ruined the soil and drained the water resources. He was really infuriated to think of it. Had there been beautiful trees like this on the roadsides, how pleasing it would be to travel around! But the narrow roads amidst concrete jungles make everything impossible. He just remembered a poem, An Elegy for Earth by O.N.V.Kurup, a famous Malayalam poet. As he recited a few lines from that poem Nitavo said, “When I read this poem , it really haunted me. These are the weeps of a farsighted poet.”

“Even now there is time to save the Earth. But for that, you have to rectify yourself”, she added. In a flash, the vehicle screeched to sudden brake. When he looked out he saw a herd of tengvo, the deer-like species. They had long horns and hair. “Their milk is rich with proteins and minerals and it has the capacity to improve body’s immunity power. And their fur is used to make excellent winter dress” ,she said. Once, the herd crossed the road the vehicle moved fast.

The vehicle stopped near a place covered with a metallic fence. Spread across nearly two thousand acres, that was the zoo in Michaelo. Though, Nitavo said it was the zoo, it was more of a wild life sanctuary. A vehicle is used to see around the place. Balu compared it with the zoos in India, where animals are confined to tiny cages from which emanated the foul smell of food waste and excreta.

But the zoo in Michaelo is in sharp contrast to it. It had a variety ranging from fishes to gigantic creatures. He could not take his eyes from the two foot long golden fishes. Another fish had rain bow colours. Some were similar in shape to the fishes on Earth. And there were frogs with green and black stripes, and many varieties in the ponds and glass chambers. While some where  tiny, some others were thrice as big as a football. Then, there were many varieties of reptiles, like lizards. They all had protruding eyes. Balu was horrified to look at them. When Nitavo told him that some reptiles could easily eat a tiny animal of the size of a rabbit, he was shocked.

However, reptiles like crocodile, alligator or snakes were not seen in Michaelo. But, he could see tortoises of the size of an elephant. But their shells were not very thick. Since it produces a kind of poison, no animals would dare to eat them.

When they reached the section of birds and the scenes overwhelmed him. What a beautiful sight! What a sweet voice! Balu felt that no such beautiful birds have ever taken birth on Earth. It was a dream world of colours. One rare sight was that of a golden peacock. As it spread its feathers, the entire surrounding blazed. When the six foot long cranes spread wings, Balu experienced a storm. Though Nitavo told him the names of each bird, nothing entered his mind as he was completely immersed in that scenic wonder.

In one cage, he could see five creatures like rats.  

“These creatures are on the verge of extinction. Only five of them are left now. A few decades back, there are millions of these creatures, which used to destroy the crops. But the jatapovs killed them all. Scientists are trying their level best to prevent its extinction”, Nitavo explained. “The scientists discovered a particular kind of poisonous tuber that has the capacity to attract these creatures. The moment they see it, they would eat it and fall dead. These creatures called Bhukko used to cause heavy damage to the crops.”

“Unlike your earth, we don’t have the practice of using strong poison as pesticides. Instead, we use the organic resources from nature as pesticides. I think your people never conduct research on organic pesticides. In earth, people have the tendency to manufacture pesticides and pollute the nature.  “

Another great attraction was the elephant. They were nearly double the size of the elephants on earth. Both the male and female had mighty tusks. But the trunk of she elephant was bit small and they had some marks on their body. There were two kinds of elephants in Michaelo. One was pure white and the other was pale red. Since the increase in the population of elephants is likely to affect the ecological balance of the forest, they have successfully implemented ‘family planning’ among the elephants. Here they have cultivated a peculiar plant in the forest, which has the contraceptive power. Elephants love to eat it and thus their population comes under control.

There were many other animals that resembled lion, tiger and leopard. But the deers were really beautiful.

**************

All of a sudden, the sky was overcast with dark clouds and the temperature came down. A cool breeze swept past them.

“It is going to rain”, Nitavo said.

But they had no umbrella. Nitavo understood his embarrassment and said, “Come Balu, let us take shelter under this.”

Only then Balu noticed a big plant. It had a single stem of about eight feet height and a big single leaf on top. He knew it served the purpose of an umbrella. Such plants were seen on either sides of the road. That would offer them shelter during sudden downpour. This again took Balu’s thoughts to his native place. Leave alone such useful plants on the roadsides, there is not even a proper waiting shed at the bus stop in many places. In a flash, it started raining cats and dogs. It was just like the same as on earth. In a few minutes the rain stopped and the sky was clear. The rain was a pleasant experience for Balu.

“Come Balu, let us walk”, Nitavo said. “The heat after rain is good for health”, she said. They walked along and saw innumerable animals there. Thus one more day was over in planet Michaelo. Back in the room, Balu’s thoughts once again started revolving around his family and people. Nitavo understood what was there in his mind.

“Again the thoughts of your home and dear ones have crept in, isn’t it? Then I will show you something interesting.”

Balu had no idea as to what she was up to.

Nitavo talked to somebody over phone. After a few moments, someone brought him food. Since he was very hungry, Balu sat at the dining table. At this, the telephone rang. Nitavo picked it up and talked in her language. When she switched on the television, Balu couldn’t believe his eyes.

The television showed his house. His father was reading his letter while his mother and little sister were sitting beside him. They were very happy. Though he could not hear what they said, he could guess what it was. The next moment his father came out of the house and called Rajan uncle who came running to the house. He could see them laugh as they talked to each other.

Balu felt ease at heart to see their happiness. When this was over, Balu savored his dinner.

“Hope now you are all right. This is as simple as that. How was it? , Nitavo patted his shoulder.

“You are really great!” said Balu.

“ Good night Balu, see you tomorrow”, Once Nitavo left the room, Balu went to the bed and slept peacefully.

***************

                   It was the chirping of the morning birds that woke him up from deep sleep. The morning was still misty. The air was fragrant. It reminded of the fragrance of tulsi plant in the Earth. In the meanwhile, someone brought him a glass of hot ‘taga’ prepared with tengvo milk. He felt refreshed after drinking it.

By then, Nitavo came to the room. She looked very sprightly. “Today we  would roam around the forest in the helicopter. Then, there is a water fall next to the forest. On our way back, we would go to the temple in Michaelo.

Balu got ready very quickly. By the time they came out of the room, the helicopter was waiting outside. It looked like a turtle raised on four poles. But its tail end was just as the same as that he had seen in Earth. However, it was the fuel, which made it different. It runs on the energy from Sarco. And it can fly very fast without making any noise. As the helicopter sped fast ,sights after sights  flashed before his eyes. It was thick forest. Balu was amazed to see that.

“Trees are our family friends”, explained Nitavo. “So, nobody fell it for unnecessary reasons. Right from the junior classes, we teach children about the importance of trees. Since all the houses are built by the government itself, people won’t cut trees. “

Nitavo said that in Michaelo, nearly sixty percent of the total area is forest.” We have been keeping this equilibrium unaffected for years”, said Nitavo. “If you hear the age of some trees, you will be startled”.

As they were chatting, the helicopter landed near the waterfalls. As he came out, water drops fell on his body. He was very enthusiastic to experience the scenic beauty. It was a breathtaking water fall in fifteen steps created by Nature. After falling down, it flows for kilometers like a milky stream. An amalgam of colours, the environs made Balu dumb bound. He wished if he could stay there forever.

As sarco rose over their heads, Nitavo said, “ Balu, if we climb down a little, there is a giant of a tree, an old one. It is called Kaku.’

Without wasting a minute, Balu started walking to the spot.

“Take care Balu, get hold of some of those shrubs”, Nitavo called from behind.

As he reached there, Balu saw something that appeared to be a rock. But when looked up, he was convinced that it was a tree, a really giant one .Its leaves were very small. They had to walk around almost a kilometer to cover its entire circumference. Nitavo explained that there were more than a thousand trees like that. Some of them were more than five thousand years old. Had it been on Earth , these trees would have become pieces of furniture, Balu thought. But, jatapovs are very careful about nature and they preserve it with reverence.

Balu did not want to leave that place. However, halfheartedly he got into the helicopter.  They did not have much time. The next place to visit was the temple of the deity of Michaelo. The temple was a visual splendor made of many flashy metals. The flooring was of some violet coloured metal. The wall was decorated with yellow metal, which had figures of birds and animals carved on it. It depicted the evolution of life. And the roof was made of some white metal.

The idol was about ten feet high. No one can evade the dazzling eyes of the idol. It was so sharp. Balu prayed with folded hands, “Oh! God please save our Earth too with your strength.”

Balu was very sad to think that there was no such force on the Earth that could unite the human race. Though he revered the ethereal beauty of the temple, he wanted to spend more time there. But it was already evening and they had to leave the place. By the time they left all places were bathed in the light of the Sarco lamps so that he could enjoy the beauty of Michaelo from the helicopter.

********************

                Back in the room, the memories of his family once again haunted Balu. His joys vanished and a shadow of melancholy made his face gloomy. Nitavo was watching his expressions. She said,” I can see your feelings as if in a mirror. You are longing to see your people, isn’t it? “

Without waiting for his reply, she pressed a button. Then she brought a glass of taga for him. After drinking it, his tiredness went off. In the meanwhile, somebody came in and Nitavo talked to him in their language. At this , he looked at Balu and passed a smile. Though he could not understand what it was all about, Balu too smiled. In a few moments, a picture appeared on the television screen.

That was his house amidst banana grove and coconut palms. His father was reading something. The camera took him to the kitchen where his mother was busy doing the household works. Her face was gloomy due to the thoughts about her missing son. Balu too felt sad.” Mummy...” he called out with chocked throat. At that, his mother turned her face to him as if she had heard his voice. Balu looked at her with great expectation. But she took some vessel from the rack and continued with her works.

Nitavo said that he could not watch the scenes from home for long. Those television eyes were meant to catch different happenings on earth. “Now we can see something else”, saying this, she pressed a switch and a red bulb was on. The next thing that appeared on the television screen was Qutab Minar. Soon that sight was also vanished and it took him to some unknown landscapes of snow and mountains.

“By the by, tomorrow afternoon, we have to see circus and a dance programme”, said Nitavo. “Before that, we will meet some scientists and teachers in Michaelo.”

 Balu was in a world of sweet dreams after seeing his dear ones on the television screen. He nodded his head. Nitavo knew what was in his mind.

“Don’t worry Balu. It is a matter of two days and you will be at home.”

Since he had come all the way from earth, Balu also decided to see everything in Michaelo. So he had a sumptuous dinner and went to bed peacefully. Nitavo wished him good night and left the room.

“How sweet she is!” Balu thought. “She does everything possible to keep me happy”

Wherever he had gone, Balu had seen only virtue and generosity. He was really impressed by the inhabitants of the strange planet.

When he got up into another pleasant morning, Balu felt very fresh. Sarco had spread its golden rays all over. As he was getting ready, Nitavo entered the room and greeted him.

“Balu, you are lucky to be here today”, she said.

“Why?” ,Balu wondered.

“Today is a special day on Michaelo. A day similar to what you call solar eclipse. Today will be a brighter day with golden light. And it will not be hot at all. Get ready; we should enjoy this rare opportunity. Today we are visiting a research center nearby.”

Balu got ready and they walked to the research center. It was for the first time that he was walking through a public place. As they walked along, people looked at him as if he was a strange creature. Some of them asked Nitavo in their language. After listening to her reply, they raised their hand and greeted him. Balu too reciprocated in the same manner.

He was amazed to see huge buildings with great architectural and sculptural brilliance. Surrounding each building were arrays of huge trees that inhabited a variety of birds and animals. Vehicles sped fast the wide roads. Despite the density of vehicles, there was no atmospheric pollution.

The research center was not far off. There were twenty five research centers all over Michaelo. The one that Balu visited was the most prominent among them. The scientists there handled very serious matters, Balu was told. There was no gimmick in the name of research just for the sake of getting an employment somewhere.

Most of the researches were centered on energy resources, medicine and health care. But they never used any animals to test the success level of their invention. When the head of the institution explained the functioning of the center, Nitavo took the role of an interpreter and explained everything to Balu. He told Balu that fuels like petrol and diesel were very dangerous and was a main cause of many diseases on Earth. He also accused the human beings of not using the natural resources properly. “Instead they pollute the Nature by manufacturing synthetic products. The human beings are caught in that trap”, he said.

The head of the research center also blamed the tendency of the human beings to accumulate weapons and causing tensions all over the world.

“But here we have no tensions or battles and hence no need for weapons”, he explained. “Also we know that the human beings are conducting researches to find out whether there is life in other planets. It is quite possible that they may find us out one day. And, considering their nature, they may attack us too. To defend any such possible attack, we have also made some weapons. If at all we use a couple of such weapons, the entire Earth will become an ocean. “But he did not tell him what was the kind of weapon that they had developed or what was its technical knowhow. Even Nitavo had no idea about it. That was one of the few secrets in Michaelo.

The government was very keen about the welfare of the scientists and had provided them with all facilities. Nearby, there was a school. We walked towards that.

******************

The school was built in a calm and quiet surrounding and the buildings were not clustered together. Pin drop silence prevailed all over. Well maintained playground and the trees surrounding  it made it very lively. Balu looked around the school. He was amazed to see it so neat and clean. Not even foliage could be seen. A huge box was kept outside the school buildings to put the garbage.

 Balu and Nitavo climbed the steps of the school. The only sound they could hear was that of the teachers. Nitavo took Balu to the head teacher. Books and computer were neatly arranged in his room. With the help of Nitavo, Balu conversed with him and gained many new information.

In each class, they have only fifteen students and each of them have computer and other learning aids. Students join school at the age of five. In the primary and early secondary levels, they are taught all subjects. Later on, based on an aptitude test, they are permitted to choose one specialization subject and advanced training is given in their respective fields of interest. They don’t have the concept of annual examination. It is through monthly examinations that they evaluate the performance of the students. When Balu mentioned strikes and campus politics , the teachers laughed, “ We had heard  quite a bit about these things. It seems the worst in your place”, one of them said. Balu was ashamed to learn from that this state has got the notorious impression all over due to its deteriorating quality of education. Students in Michaelo have studied about this scenario in Kerala, and it is part of their curriculum.

     Head teacher took Balu and Nitavo to one of the classrooms. It was a big hall with fifteen sets of tables and chairs. Each table had a computer. Behind the hall, they had the facilities to conduct experiments and detailed studies. Teaching aids like projectors and screens were also there.

When the teacher pressed a switch, he heard the voice of Mahatma Gandhi. Balu was amazed to hear it. “We have recorded the speeches of many such great personalities in all fields “, the teacher explained.

Balu noticed that all the students were very energetic. None of them were lazy. Once again Balu was compelled to compare it with his school, which gives a pathetic picture. On either side of the front gate of his school, there were dozens of flags of different political parties and the compound was dumped with all the waste materials. Teachers have no control over students who run around shouting and shrieking. No reason is needed to call for a strike and the teachers more than welcome it. In every class, there are around eighty students who fight among themselves to get seat. The teachers in Michaelo said that it was sad to have such a scenario in a state like Kerala, which boasts of hundred percent literacy.

In Michaelo, they make it sure that information regarding all major developments in the field of science, art and history reach the schools in time. This enables the students to update themselves and have clear picture of what is happening around. Also since each student is evaluated at every stage by their teacher only, there is no question of the torture called annual examination.

As he bid farewell to that school, Balu wondered whether all these things would happen in his place also.

*********************

“Now we will go to see circus”, said Nitavo. Balu happily followed her. The world inside the circus tent was a mesmerizing one. Clouds floated around caressing the audience and the fragrant air prevailed all over. Umpteen varieties of birds flew around freely in the tent and on the ground were animals wrestling with each other. Soon some jatapovs came and presented different items. The trapeze was amazing. “Actually Russia is our greatest inspiration to learn circus”, explained Nitavo, as Balu watched the show in amusement. “Our people have recorded many of the circus shows by Russians and learned the items from that only. Also we have developed our own items.”

After watching circus for some time, Nitavo took Balu to the dance hall. The hall was a palatial one decorated with rainbow colours. They used to have dance programme every day. Like on earth, in Michaelo too, women excelled in dance than men. The dance programme resembled bharata natya. The set has been designed in such a manner that once the programme begins, it takes the audience to a different world altogether.

“Here, the artists get considerable respect”, said Nitavo as they came out of the dance hall. For them, it was a blessing from the almighty. Apart from dance, there were other art forms like cinema and plays. But they didn’t have time to watch everything.

“Let’s go back, it’s already too late”, Nitavo led him to their vehicle.

Only one more day was left to say adieu to Michaelo. It was a luck that nobody on earth had ever received.

Back in the room, Nitavo said,” Balu, you refresh, I ‘ll be back in a while”. In a few minutes, Nitavo was back with a smile. “Balu, we are going to Milo tomorrow. They have given permission,”

“Milo?” ,Balu was bit puzzled.

“It’s our capital city”, Nitavo explained. “I have not been there so far. Thanks to your visit, I also got a chance to see the place. Now, you have dinner and go to bed. See you tomorrow”, Nitavo left the room like a breeze. And Balu slipped into a night full of dreams.

*******************

In the morning, Nitavo took Balu to Milo in a helicopter. As he watched through the window, the sight outside was amazing. However, when he saw the sky scraping buildings, Balu trembled with fear. He afraid that the helicopter would go and hit some of those towers. There were thick forests on the outskirts of the city. Even in the capital city, they made it sure that sixty percent of the area is covered by forest.

When they came out of the airport, the vehicle from the parliament of Milo was waiting for them outside the arrival lounge. Within minutes, they reached the parliament building. It almost resembled the parliament building at Delhi. But it was spread across kilometers. As their vehicle entered the building complex, Balu was surprised to see that there was no security check inside. There was no police man or security guard. Once again the situation in his own place came to Balu’s mind. Leave alone the president or prime minister; it was tough to see even a state minister. But, here the scenario was totally different. It was not even crowded as a normal government office.

First, they went to the information wing. The information they gave was surprising to Balu. There are no political parties in Michaelo and there is no election to choose the rulers. The people who control the state machinery are the ones who have proved their talent in their respective fields. It was no out of personal interest that a person assumes the responsibility of a Mio or minister. It was the compulsion of the people that lead them to power.

It is mandatory that every minister should remain in power for five years. Even if the people want the ruler to continue for another tenure, he has the discretion to refuse it. Nobody wants to remain in power for more than five years. This because, they feel that during the time of ruling, they are unable to acquire their personal skills and improve their talents. This was totally contradictory to what he had witnessed on Earth.

They have separate ministers for each portfolio like art, science, education, home affairs etc. Science is the most important portfolio and defense is the least important one. They have nobody to fear except God. Unlike on earth, the police force is also not very strong there. Barring the very rare cases of traffic violations, the life in Michaelo flows very smooth. They have no fight over property or employment. Hence, the role of the police is negligible. Their ratio was one police man for thousand people, they explained.

The parliament building in Milo was a meeting place for the representatives and the Mios. They meet once in a week to review and coordinate the development activities.

Balu got free access to meet the Yomio or the prime minister. He said that they had no plan to attack Earth. But he was apprehensive of the future of Earth. In the present condition, Earth cannot survive for more than thousand years, he said. Balu had a free flowing interaction with the Yomio, of course, through Nitavo as the interpreter. Balu thanked him for providing a patient hearing  and giving so much information about Michaelo. As they took leave, the prime minister blessed them placing his hand on their head.

On their way back, Balu noticed that tear drops rolled down Nitavo’s cheeks. The time for farewell was nearing.

“What happened Nitavo? Are you crying?” ,Balu was puzzled.

“Balu, it’s time for you to leave Michaelo”, Nitavo said.

“Oh!” ,for a moment Balu was dumbstruck. The reality struck him like a thunderbolt. Though he wanted to be with his people, he found it hard to bid farewell to the good people of Michaelo, especially Nitavo. Balu embraced Nitavo and started weeping.

“See, Balu, this is the reality of life. We have to part ways. However, I will never forget you in my life. “

“ I too will never forget you, Nitavo … never”, he held her hands tight.

By the time Balu reached the room, the vehicle to take Balu to Earth was waiting there. “Balu, now my duty is over. It’s time to go. I… I … “, before she could say anything, Nitavo broke into tears. Balu could not say anything. He thanked her with his wet eyes.

By that time, the two jatapovs who had brought Balu from earth came near him and one of them asked, “Balu, don’t you want to go home?”

Balu wanted to say no. he wanted to stay with Nitavo and the good people over there. But that he could not.

Balu was in a dilemma. On one side Nitavo and the good people and on the other , his people eagerly waiting for his return.

He did not have time to think. Balu got into the vehicle and wore the special dress. In his mind, Balu was rewinding the trip to Michaelo and the dream like events there. Recounting the days in Michaelo, Balu slid into deep sleep. He had no idea as to how long did he sleep. Balu opened his eyes only when his fellow passengers woke him up .” Balu, you are back home.”

He woke up with a startle. He could see his whitewashed house in the darkness. As the shuttle landed , Balu changed his dress and got out thanking the inhabitants of Michaelo for giving him a rare chance to visit the planet. As he walked home the vehicle from the alien planet took off and disappeared in the sky.

*******************

Balu knocked at the door,” Mummy, Mummy... “

“See, Balu is back…” ,he could hear his mother calling out to his father in joy.

“Is he back?!” ,father asked.

“Where is he?”, Babita too got up and all of them came out to receive him.

The moment she saw Balu, his mother embraced him and broke into tears of joy. The eyes of his father and sister were also wet. Balu embraced his father and apologized for his mischief.

“Why did you do this, my son?”, his mother complained with a sob. “If you wanted to visit Delhi or anywhere else, your daddy would have gladly taken you.”

“But I had gone somewhere only God can take me. I will tell you everything. First, get me a cup of tea.”

Everybody was anxious to know where he had gone. His mother was about to ask him something, then his father forbade her. “First you get him a tea. We have enough time to ask him everything. Don’t be in a hurry.”

However, he was also bit puzzled. He wondered whether something had gone wrong with his son.

By the time, his mother prepared tea, Balu refreshed himself. Sipping the tea, he opened the Pandora’s box of tales from Michaelo. In the beginning, nobody could believe him. But soon, they were convinced that he was telling the truth and listened to his breathtaking stories from the alien planet.

Early in the morning, Rajan uncle and children came to see Balu. The news of his return spread like wildfire and everybody thronged the place. By that time his teachers and class mates also reached there. They were amazed to hear the details of Balu’s incredible journey. Some of his class mates were happy to hear it and some others felt envy.

Television channels and newspapers celebrated Balu’s trip to Michaelo with reports and interviews. People from even distant places came to meet Balu. People from all walks of life, including the rulers and scientists came to Balu’s house. Balu shared whatever knowledge he had gained from Michaelo with the visitors.

Balu told them that if the human race does not move in the right direction, the result would be disastrous. He convinced them with example as to how the Earth will die a premature death if we live against the harmony of nature.

************

After Balu left Michaelo, Nitavo used to write him letters regularly. As per her suggestion, he would write the reply and keep it in a secret place from where it would be lifted to the alien planet in the darkness of night. She told him that she used to see Balu regularly on their television. And he too longed to meet her at some point of time.

Nitavo always updated him about the latest developments in Michaelo and he was very happy that she still kept their friendship intact.

Balu passed the class X examination with first rank. It was another occasion for celebration for his people and the school. But all these praise apart, what made him happy was the letter from Nitavo.

Dear Balu,

I am extremely happy to learn that you have got first rank in the class X examinations. My hearty congratulations. Keep it up. I am sure that you will try your level best to make Earth as beautiful  as Michaelo. Keep in touch.

Lovingly yours,

Nitavo.

Balu did not show the letter to anybody. He kept it in his trunk like a rare treasure. He prayed God to give him the strength to make Earth a beautiful planet as suggested by Nitavo. 

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