Anil: A Son Beyond Tomorrow Chapter 1

In the year 2038, Kosaksi Pasapugazh, a world-renowned scientist celebrated for ground-breaking innovations such as generating electricity using sand turbines and powering vehicles with photon energy, is preparing to unveil his most advanced technology yet: the world’s first time-travel device..

At Xentech’s facility in Dhanushkodi, national leaders, distinguished scientists, and reporters gather, entering the premises under tight security. A formidable presence of military forces, NSG commandos, SPG personnel, and state police ensures their safety. Upon entering, they are escorted to a grand hall featuring a large stage.

The event begins with a warm welcome from Manimaran, Kosaksi’s assistant, “Respected ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor to welcome you all to Xentech. I am Manimaran, assistant to Mr. Pasapugazh. As he is currently occupied with final preparations, he will join us shortly to demonstrate the time-travel machine. In the meantime, we invite you to explore some of our company’s upcoming products.”

The audience’s eyes remain fixed on the stage as Xentech showcases Xentech’s innovative products. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, scientists and engineers meticulously inspect the time-travel machine. A pod-like structure designed to accommodate a human body in a reclining position. The pod is equipped with numerous buttons along its side and connected to a complex network of wires.

The pod contains a dynamic quantum vacuum chamber lined with oscillating Casimir plates and superconducting magnetic bottles. Within this chamber, micrograms of true negative-mass condensate are created on demand. As soon as power from the combined photon and sand-turbine system enters the pod and acts as a trigger, a temporary region of negative energy is generated inside. This negative energy enables the formation of a wormhole connecting the pod to the selected time period. In this way, time travel is achieved.

As this is happening, in the designated waiting area room we see three people: Vishal, Salim, and Godson. Each one of them dressed to represent a different historical period. Salim is dressed like a man from the 17th century, Vishal like a man from the 15th century, and Godson like a man from the 19th century.

Salim practices deep breathing exercises to keep his anxiety under control, while Vishal speaks to his wife on the phone. Godson glances at the clock and, looking toward the washroom door, says, “Anil, what are you doing? We could be called to the stage at any moment.”

Inside the lavatory, we see Anil, a young 23 year old man dressed in early-2000s attire, standing in front of the mirror. He says, “Yeah, I’m coming. Just a minute.” His eyes are steady as he speaks to himself: “Finally, the day has arrived. The one I’ve been waiting for.”

He looks at his phone, which has a wallpaper of a man in his forties who bears an uncanny resemblance to him. He says, “I’m coming to meet you, Dad.” After saying this, he leaves the lavatory.

As he comes out, Godson asks, “What were you doing inside? I thought you’d stay there forever.” Anil responds, “Just leave it. They haven’t called us yet, right?” Godson replies, “Not yet, but we need to be ready. Let’s put on our time-travel suits. We can’t afford to waste any more time.”

Vishal overhears the conversation, ends the call with his wife and says, “Hey, you both forgot. We also have to demonstrate the suits on stage.” Godson responds, pointing emphatically, “Yeah, I forgot that too. Anil, you forgot as well.” Anil replies, “Yeah, I was so caught up thinking about the demo itself.” Salim adds, “We’ve already completed our trials many times, so don’t worry. Also, don’t forget the gold coins and the mobile phone. They’ll be useful in the past.” Anil nods in agreement.

As they were talking, an employee called all four of them to the stage. They stood behind the curtain, beside the time-traveling pods. All four of them felt a wave of anxiety, knowing they were about to demonstrate time travel to the entire world. From the stage, they could hear Kosaksi Pasapugazh speaking.

The curtain opens, revealing a large crowd filling the stage area. Pasapugazh announces, “Ladies and gentlemen, give a round of applause for our beloved time-traveling team: Vishal, Salim, Godson, and Anil. These individuals are about to register themselves in a historic moment.” The audience responds with thunderous applause, cheering and encouraging the four of them.

Pasapugazh continued, “Once they travel to the past, their main objectives are to obtain a currency note or coin from that period, capture snapshots and videos, record observations about the people and culture, and bring back one product from that era. While doing this, they must be extremely careful not to interfere with the timeline, not to lose the anchor device, and they cannot travel to any other time period without returning here first. They will have 10 gold coins and a mobile phone for their use.

They will return here within a minute. For you, it will feel like just a moment, but for the travelers, that will be the amount of time they spend there. So get ready to witness history and my travelers, suit up!”

The four of them checked their watches and pressed the blue button. Instantly, the time-travel suits sprang from the watches and enveloped them, snapping into place. The suits, sleek and futuristic yet reminiscent of space suits, fitted each of them perfectly, signaling that they were ready for the historic journey ahead.

Pasapugazh said, “This is one of our smaller inventions, the watch that suits you up. The suits you see are a special type, developed specifically for time travel. They will protect the travelers from radiation during the journey. Vishal will travel to the year 1550, Salim to 1780, Godson to 1905, and Anil to 2005. The watch also serves as a crucial anchor. As soon as they enter the pod and begin time travel, the watch acts like a lifeline, keeping them connected to the present.”

Pasapugazh continued, “The watch will store details of their present timeline, their landing location, and the past timeline they visit. After completing their mission objectives, they must return to the exact spot where they landed in the past. As soon as they reach it, the watch will start blinking. They have to press the blue button to suit up and the red button to return. Zap! And they will be back in the present. I believe that explains the entire process. Now for the demo, all the best to my dear testers.”

The four of them climbed into their pods, while people around the world watched eagerly through the live broadcast. Each of them silently prayed that the demo would go smoothly. At the same time, Anil hoped he would get to see his father one last time. Meanwhile, the scientists made final adjustments to the time pods and, with precision, pressed the activation button.

Soon, a flash of light erupted from the pods, and in an instant, the four travelers vanished. People around the world watched in shock, mouths agape, as a wave of heat radiated from the pods. Pasapugazh calmly reassured them, “Just a minute, nothing more.”

On the other side, Anil was traveling at light speed through the space-time continuum, the mysterious fourth dimension. Flashes of light streamed from his time-traveling suit as time and space twisted and bent around him, as if he were trapped inside a black hole. He gripped his nerves, silently hoping that everything would go perfectly.

Within moments, Anil emerged from the space-time continuum and arrived back on Earth. He landed on a wide, open grassy plain. No one was around, it seemed safe. Carefully, he tapped his watch, and the suit folded neatly back into it. Then, he pulled out the mobile phone, ready to begin his mission.

The watch had already displayed the latitude and longitude of his landing spot, thanks to its internal location tracking. The date read 12th April 2005, and the time was 11:10 a.m. He opened the map app on his phone, which contained a complete offline map of the year 2005, and entered the coordinates.

Within seconds, the map zoomed in, pinpointing his exact location. He was right on the outskirts of Tirunelveli. “Good,” he murmured. “At least I’m where I need to be.” The location matched the pre-mission data, he had landed perfectly. He quickly took a photo of the landing site, took a deep breath, and stepped forward, entering the city of Tirunelveli, his actual hometown.

He approached a stranger and asked, “Hello, where is the nearest pawn shop?” He spoke in English at first, but seeing the stranger’s confused expression, he repeated the question in Tamil. The stranger replied, “It’s on the second street from here. By the way, bro, are you a foreigner or something?”

Anil smiled and lied, “Actually, I studied in the Netherlands, that’s why I spoke in English. Sorry about that.” The stranger nodded, “It’s okay, but try to speak Tamil here. Most of us aren’t comfortable with English.” Anil nodded in agreement, “Okay, bro.” He then headed toward the pawn shop, planning to exchange some gold coins for cash so he could move around the city discreetly.

Anil entered the pawn shop, and the owner greeted him warmly. Anil said, “I want to sell my gold coin.” The owner asked, “Great! How much does it weigh?” Anil replied, “It’s 24-carat gold, 10 grams. It belonged to my ancestors. I need some money to settle a debt.”

The owner asked, “Okay, are you sure you want to sell it?” Anil nodded and carefully took a gold coin from his pocket. The owner examined the coin, then handed him 7,000 rupees in cash.

Anil then boarded a bus, heading toward the Tirunelveli Railway Station. As he travelled, his mind drifted to his own past. He remembered himself as a 13-year-old, living in a small house in Dharavi, a simple home with a combined hall and kitchen, and a tiny bathroom just for bathing.

He lay with his head resting on his father’s lap, listening intently. His father was telling a story to Anil and his younger brother, “It was 2005 when I came to Mumbai,” he began. “I had just completed my BA degree. My elder brothers were already working here, so they brought me along.”

His father continued, “I would have stayed in our village, but due to some issues with the neighbouring village, I had to leave…” Anil interrupted with a grin, “You came to Mumbai, were unemployed for two years, then took a small job for a year, and after that got into the design field. We’ve heard this story more than twenty times, Dad.”

His younger brother, Shivam, chimed in, “What’s going to happen if we hear it one more time? Dad, do you even remember the exact date you came to Mumbai?” His father replied, “Yes, 14th April, right at midnight, after traveling for two days.”

Time seemed to rewind to 2005 as Anil recalled the exact conversation in his mind. Lost in the memory, he barely noticed the bus pulling into the Tirunelveli Railway Station. He stepped off, ready to continue his mission.

He went straight to the ticket counter and bought an unreserved ticket for tomorrow’s train. The reason for choosing this exact place and time was simple: Anil wanted to ensure he could see his father one last time. Afterward, he headed to a nearby hotel to check in and rest for the night.

That night, lying on the bed, Anil thought about his past life. His mind shifted to the time after his father’s death. Debt collectors had come to their house, and his mother had promised to pay them all. She took up a teaching job at a small school, while Anil and his younger brother had to deliver milk and newspapers every morning to help make ends meet.

In the evenings, the three of them had to take tuition classes, while night-time was the only time they could rest. They had also moved to a newly rented, inexpensive house. During their teenage years, when most children were meant to focus on studies, both Anil and his younger brother took on odd jobs to help support the family.

Every month, the family struggled with money, constantly worrying about which debts to pay. Amid these hardships, life went on. Both Anil and his younger brother studied with the help of scholarships and eventually completed their education. Anil had joined Xentech two years ago, and now, through time travel, he had come back to 2005 to see his father one last time.

The next morning, Tirunelveli station was crowded with people boarding the train in large numbers. Luckily, Anil managed to blend into the crowd and make his way into the unreserved coach, carrying a bag of clothes with him.

He began searching for his father throughout the coach, weaving through the crowded aisles and slipping through narrow gaps between seats. After checking every possible spot, he realized his efforts were in vain.

The train began departing from Tirunelveli station. Anil pressed himself against the wall near the door. The coach was crowded, with passengers arranging their luggage and chatting with one another, a whirlwind of commotion. Yet amidst all this, Anil suffered silently, his heart heavy with longing.

He didn’t know where he had missed his chance. His last opportunity to meet his father now felt like a dream slipping away. The train was speeding toward the next station, Valliyoor, about an hour away. Anil’s mind was spinning with countless thoughts. Had he not heard his father properly? Had he made a mistake during time travel? Questions kept surfacing, but the most painful realization struck him hardest: he had lost his final chance to see his dad.

After an hour of travel, the train arrived at Valliyoor station. Anil decided to get off here, complete his mission, and return to his own timeline. As he was about to step down, a man outside called out for help with his luggage. The moment Anil saw his face; he froze shaken to his core.

The man’s face resembled his father’s so closely that it was like looking into a mirror. Even the man seemed slightly shocked, as if he were seeing a doppelganger of himself. Without wasting a moment, Anil quickly stepped forward to help him with the luggage.

Behind the man stood his elder brother, and in that moment, all of Anil’s doubts were cleared. The man was his uncle, and the doppelgänger he had seen was his father. Excitement and joy surged through Anil, but he kept it hidden, not wanting to reveal his feelings.

He helped them find a place in the unreserved coach. His wish to see his father had been fulfilled, and he decided to leave the coach. But just as he was about to step away, a voice from behind called out to him.

Anil turned around and saw his father. “Brother, where are you going?” his father asked. Anil replied with slight unease, “To the door?” His father then asked, “Why don’t you have a seat?”

Anil said, “Yes.” His father asked, “Then why don’t you sit with us?” Anil gave a small smile. “No need for that.” His uncle chimed in, “If you don’t take the seat we’re offering, you’ll just end up standing by the door. Come on, sit with us.” Anil nodded and took the seat beside them.

Anil’s father said, “I am Surya, and this is my brother, Selvan.” Anil replied, “Anil.” They shook hands. Anil’s only aim had been to see his father one last time and complete his mission. But now, he was heading to Mumbai with no plans at all. What would happen there?