It was going to be a great day at school. Miss Nemoney received the confirmation in the morning from the Principal's office. The proposal was accepted with a few conditions by the administration. The conditions didn’t matter. They would be looked after. Also, they had selected her to be the one to organize the whole trip. She had a week for this. She was ready for it for a long time.

Happiness took over Miss Nemoney. She was eager to see the reactions of her students. In a week, they were going to witness a geographical wonder. They had been granted permission to visit the newfound discovery – uncharted waters. She had been following the research ever since the discovery was made public. The discovery ignited in her the passion that had made her take this career path. Having gotten the nod to visit it and see it for herself is a dream come true. For her, she felt as if her life was coming full circle.

She took the notice received in the morning mail and kept it neatly in her bag. Then she packed her food, made her hair, and left for school.

It was the biggest thing that could happen to a geography teacher. Her parents hadn’t agreed to her taking up geography for her higher studies. They wanted her to major in dance and movement art. Esoteric dance had risen to the top. It was a rage among her peers. Most of her friends enrolled for the course when the applications opened. Her close friend tried to persuade her to take up the course. Her whole gang had enrolled and were waiting for the confirmation. She likes to dance. In fact, she dances brilliantly when she is in the mood. But she knew this wasn’t what she wanted as a career. It was something their kind was doing from time immemorial. She wanted to do something different. She wanted to break free from the established norm. She knew what her calling was. It surely wasn’t artistic movement. It was on the beauty of the world they lived in.

Her passion for geography was ignited in her by Drewdon. He was a senior in school who had passed out a couple of years earlier. When she saw him for the graduation ceremony, she didn’t feel anything for him. A year later when she saw him all decked up and ready to go to the fringes of the world with the National Exploration team, her body shuddered wildly. She felt light and moved ecstatically with the current. She wished she had seen him earlier in this avatar. She could have approached him and maybe had a casual talk with him. She would have offered to buy him a drink.

But the exploration party was to leave in an hour. They had to leave before the surface got dark. The team was busy with its preparations. Only the next of kith and kin were invited to say goodbyes. Others were kept in the distance. Miss Nemoney pushed her way through the crowd so that she could see him as much as she can. She wanted to soak all of him before he left. Was this love, she thought? Her friend had told her love was this jumpy feeling in the lower part of your body you got on seeing the one for the first time. She had experienced something similar upon seeing him.

Finally, the crowd was dispersed by the control group. It was time for the team to leave. They would ride the southern current to the middle of Crayola point. There they will spend the night. The team would leave at the first break of shimmer to the east with the objective of searching new waters. As always, there was a risk of discovering creatures unknown and falling prey to them.

The last team had met such a fate. Only one among them had returned to narrate the events that took place. It was shared with the high council following which he succumbed to his wounds. The high council released a statement following his death. It reverberated across the water for two long days after which it faded away. Everyone knows it by heart. No one could miss it. Even the kids knew it. Miss Nemoney knew it too. She didn’t heed it, until now. The long statement comes back to her clearly.

‘It is with great sadness that we, the high council, share this news with our folks. As many of you might have come to hear, the eight hundred seventy-fourth National Exploration team we had sent to explore the waters towards the east from the Crayola point met with ill fate. They came across an unknown creature that attacked them in the darkness of the night. Our brave explorers and their accompanying guardians put up a valiant fight before falling prey to the creature. One of the explorers survived. He somehow managed to make his way back to us only to succumb to his wounds. In the time he was battling to stay alive, he shared the horrendous experience he and his compatriots underwent. It is truly scary and tragic. Our expert team of apothecaries couldn’t save him. Peace be with him. He will be remembered for the courage he showed. He will forever be a hero for the National Exploration team.’

A brief pause follows. Miss Nemoney felt sad for the one who had survived. She knew how it was to lose someone. She had lost her Grandmother two years back. She was the one who told her old stories and myths. Grandma was the one to tell her the story of creation. Although it varied from the one being taught in school, she liked her grandma's version. It was more magical. And it was more in detail.

‘The council knows it would be difficult to enlist explorers following this incident. We could have hidden the news and remained mum about it. But we chose not to. Every life matters to us. With that the truth. Without truth, we cannot move forward. Truth will help us establish a society that will pave the way to a prosperous future. Also, there is no point in hiding the truth. It will be revealed at some point in time. Better to be out with the truth than to conceal it.’

The reigning high council was the best council to date. The decision to include a member from every species and to give them equal importance proved to be a game changer. Altansis had grown at a much faster rate than it ever had in the last thousand years. More creatures came to make it their home. With it, they brought in their culture and traditions. There was some protest from the conservative group. But it was shushed out quickly. Everyone loved the decisions taken by the high council. It was a time of progress and exploration. More and more knowledge was being acquired of the world they were living on a daily basis. New fields of study emerged. There was a lot of diversification and opportunities. The rigid structure of society was slowly breaking off. New thoughts and experiments were being encouraged.

‘Since exploration is an essential part of progress, it is of utmost importance that we keep exploring and discover all that we can of the world we live in. This makes us ready for the future. It gives us information that can be used to progress our community. It is our time in this world. We need to seize it. We need to keep knocking on bound doors till they break open. What beholds us beyond the door is beyond our control. We need to accept it for what it is. Only then can we move forward as a society.’

‘This minor setback will not prevent us from exploring our world. Instead, it makes us more enthusiastic to explore it and discover its hidden secrets and treasures all the more. It makes us embrace our position in this world, that of an eternal explorer. We are explorers. We have always been explorers. From our forefathers who charted the length and breadth of the world they believed in, we have made huge progress. Their courage and grit flow through us. It flows through the water we live in. We need to embrace it and let it show us the way. The way of exploration and discovery.’

‘It is with confidence in its inhabitants that the high council makes the following statement. In one month’s time, we will be sending out our eight hundred seventy-fifth exploration team. It will be with the intention to resume the exploration that met with a tragic fate. Since there isn’t much time to put together a team, volunteers are welcome to audition for the post. This time we will be sending across a team with better reinforcements. Risk will always be there. But we are sure many daredevils among us would take this as an opportunity to live the life of an explorer and take part in the many adventures that await them. The recruitment drive starts in two days. Details will be posted throughout the city.’

‘We hope you make the most of this opportunity and live a fulfilling life serving the future of the community. Thank you for your support as always. To a higher life!’

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

The gig lasts for six to seven months. Sometimes it can take a year. On certain occasions, if the exploration is going in the best way and has a possibility of yielding something interesting, the party stays. Such parties have never come back. Not one of them. What has happened to them is unknown. The parties that have been sent as a scout have never come across them. It is assumed they have taken things into their hands and have set off on their own adventure. The council keeps the hope of them returning sometime in the future with some life-changing discovery.

As Miss Nemoney left for her house, she wished she could talk to him before he left. She wanted to wish him a safe journey. She would pray for his safety and his well-being while he was away. She would do it till the time he was back. She felt sad.

At dinner time she wasn’t feeling hungry. On seeing her moody, her mother asked her what was troubling her. She denied saying what was going on in her head and began to forcefully eat her food. It tasted bland. It was her favorite dish.

She was done and left for the kitchen to clean up the dishes. Her parents along with her siblings were yet to finish. As she was washing the dishes, her hopes rose upon hearing her parent’s conversation.

‘Have you heard the news, honey? The exploration team couldn’t leave because of some last-minute failure in the guiding pod. They have decided to postpone it for a day.’

‘Is it dear? Well, it is good they didn’t take any risk. Any more haphazard and the whole morale of the team would come down, along with the possibility of getting any future volunteers.’

‘It will be a setback but the council will know what to do. They have been successful in recruiting this team after that tragic incident last month. They were able to put this team in the fastest time possible. I heard high councilor Jeffermack was personally seeing the arrangements being made. He is a capable person.’

‘Indeed he is.’

By now the conversation had trailed off from Miss Nemoney’s head. The news ignited a small ray of hope in her. She finished the dishes quickly and approached her parents. They were just getting off the dining table.

‘Dad! I have to meet Keracline for a project we are working on. Can I leave now? I will be back in an hour's time.’

‘It is late Nee. Do it after school tomorrow’ her mother said.

‘But mom, it has to be submitted tomorrow. I was going to tell you about this upon returning. We had made plans to sit together after school. But the whole crowd was going to see the exploration team go. Otherwise, I would have done it by now. Please, dad. I won't be late. I will come back as soon as we are done.’

‘Hmmm. Okay. Go. But this one time. Don’t repeat this again.’

‘Thanks, dad. Love you so much.’ Gleefully Miss Nemoney goes to her room, packs her bag with a couple of books, and leaves the house.

Keracline was her good friend in school. Her house was a couple of blocks away. There was no project. It was made up. Keracline would be surprised to see her at this hour of the day. She will have to share what is going through her mind with her and corroborate her story. What if her parents have a casual talk with Keracline’s parents someday? Lying was not tolerated in her house. She too doesn’t lie. But she had to. It was the only way to get out of the house. And she needed to get out of the house if she wanted to see Drewdon. It was a long shot, but worth taking.

Why Miss Nemoney chose Keracline specifically can be attributed to the path she needs to traverse to reach her house. The second house before her house was Drewdon’s home. His parents and Keracline’s parents were good friends. Their fathers worked in the same enterprise.

Miss Nemoney has always been a bright and witty person. The moment she heard her father say the team had to stay back and leave the next day, her mind set out to find a way to meet him. With the trip being canceled, the members would have been sent back to their homes. They wouldn’t be kept in a lodge for the night. One extra day with their near and dear ones would be what every member wants. In a way, it will take the sting out of their departure.

Drewdon would be back in his house. It was along the way to Keracline’s house. She decided she needed to get out of the house on the pretext of meeting her if she had to meet him. A couple of minutes is all that she wanted. She would tell him how she felt today. She needs to get it out of her chest and let him know. She has no clue what will happen. She just knows she has to tell him. Otherwise, it would weigh her down.

Since it was dark, it didn’t matter what she wore. It wouldn’t make much of a difference. She wished it was daylight. She would have worn her pretty red dress.

She reached his house in a few minutes. There she saw some of the members of the enterprise come out of the house and bid them a sound night. On the door, Drewdon stood with his parents. As she looked at him, he turned his head in her direction. Their gaze met. She felt shy and increased her pace slightly. This would be harder than she had thought. She couldn’t approach him with his parents alongside him. She can’t linger for long in front of their residence. She didn’t know what to do. For once she felt helpless. And sad. She crossed the entrance to his house. His parents were still standing and discussing something with him. She felt he was stealing glances at her. She couldn’t confirm this.

As she was crossing the end of his property with a heavy heart, she heard her name being called out. She stopped and turned around to see who it was. Drewdon had come out from the house. His parents had gone in. She felt a familiar jumpy feeling take hold of her from the lower part of her body. She stood motionless as he approached her.

‘Hey, Nemoney. Where are you going at this hour?’ His voice had crispiness that signaled he was bold. She liked crispy voices. The jumpy feeling took hold of her.

‘Hello. Are you there? Helloooo!’

Miss Nemoney was jolted back to reality with the long hello. She shuddered and regained her senses. He was standing right in front of her. He still had his suit on. She couldn’t keep herself from checking him out. She somehow managed to draw out enough courage to speak to him.

‘Oh hi. I was going to my friend’s house. To Keracline’s house. I have something to do with her for tomorrow's class.’

‘Oh okay. Better not be late.’

‘Yeah. Thanks.’ She didn’t know what else to say. She wanted to say all that was going through her head, but she just couldn’t. Suddenly her attention was drawn to the conversation they just had. Drewdon was about to leave.

‘By the way, how did you know my name?’

Drewdon stopped in his tracks. He looked at her. Their gaze met. Once again.

‘You are my junior right? I know you. I have seen you visit Keracline’s house.’

‘Right!’

‘Well if that’s that I should be leaving.’

Miss Nemoney didn’t reply. She stood there and looked at him. She had gone blank. A lot of thoughts were spinning through her head. She didn’t know what to make of them.

‘Is everything okay?’ Drewdon asked when he got no response from her.

‘Yeap. All is good. Have a safe trip.’

‘I will.’

‘We are looking forward to hearing your stories on your return.’ She didn’t know why she said this.

‘Okay. Ummm, I will be going on. Is there anything else?’

This was the moment. The moment that decides the kind of life you will be having. This is the major fork in the road. Everything else would be minor paths. This is the major one. The one that will always be revisited from time to time. The thing that makes it to the highlight reel of your life. She couldn’t let this pass. Here he was standing in front of her, talking to her. From having fallen for him to here, it was like a dream coming true. She has to see this through. Otherwise, she will regret this moment for the rest of her life. She musters all the courage she has.

‘Yeah. Well, the thing is I just lied to my parents that I am going to Keracline’s house for a project with the ever-so-tiny hope of seeing you maybe standing out in front of your house or in some other way so that I can somehow strike a conversation with you in which towards the end of it I will tell you how smitten I was to see you today while you were about to leave for the exploration and along the process got this jumpy feeling from below which is a signal for having found someone special according to my friend.’

Drewdon stands still for a while. It was a non-stop sentence to comprehend. Miss Nemoney was happy that she got it out. Now it was all up to fate. She did what she had to do. It was his turn to say something. Just then his mother peeped out of the door and called out his name loudly to come for dinner. It was getting cold. He turned to look at his mother. She was now standing at the door. He turned back to her.

‘I get the same feeling every time I have seen you at Keracline’s house. I am having it right now as we speak.’

His mother calls for him once again. There is a hint of irritation in her voice. He calls her and says he will be inside in a minute. As he turns to leave, he fixes his gaze on her.

‘I gotta go now. I want you to be the first person to hear my stories from the expedition.’ Saying this he leaves.

Miss Nemoney sees him all the way to his house. Before he enters, he turns and looks back at her one last time. There is happiness emanating from him. She is happy too. She is beyond happy. She is ecstatic. A small ecstatic movement comes out of her body. On seeing her move, Drewdon waves at her and enters the house. The door shuts behind him. With that, Miss Nemoney is left flabbergasted. It was done. She had confessed her feelings for him only for them to be returned. She never expected this to happen. She is still in a state of shock. She couldn’t believe all that happened.

She regained her senses and turned to go to Keracline’s house. She has to tell her everything that has happened here. With a newfound energy, she trod the way to the house.