"We need to go back. Something is not right." Ragini told Pranshu in a loud and worried voice as she closed the door behind her.

"What are you talking about?" Pranshu said, waking up from sleep.

"The clouds, they are a little weird. It seems like they are under some kind of a layer, creating an illusion that the land is burning."

"Don't be absurd. It is all in your head. Just come back to bed and get some sleep. We don't know what phenomenon occurs when such a massive fire breaks out on a planet and how the atmosphere gets affected. You did what you had to. Now there's no point thinking about it. There's still a lot of stuff that is to be done. Just come and we'll figure it out later."

"I'm not Being absurd. You're Being stupid. Just get out here and take a look at it yourself."

Responding to the sternness in Ragini's voice, Pranshu unwillingly put on his Space suit and went to see what she was Being paranoid about.

"I thought it was just a Dream." said Pranshu as he looked at the magenta-purplish coloured layer covering the parts of land on the Earth.

"Tell me that looks like an atmospheric phenomenon caused by a massive fire breaking out on a planet." Ragini remarked sarcastically.

"Something strange has been happening. I saw Ahmed in my Dream. Telling people about this layer over clouds. Could it be real?"

"I don't know but I think it's certainly worth checking. We can land on the waters and see from a safe distance. It's better than spending the rest of our lives living in an illusion, trying to balance a scale that doesn't even have anything on One end."

"ASH!" Pranshu exclaimed as if he had had a sudden epiphany.

"No. No ash. No fire. Just illusion. Don't you get it? Are you losing your mind or what? I should have listened to my mother when she warned me against marrying a mad man. Not a single day has gone by that her face doesn't come in front of me going 'He's a useless fellow. All into his own head. He will never understand you. With age, he will only become crazier.' I wish I had considered her advice. After all, she was my mother. She knew what was best for me. Much beyond what I could see in that young age. The young age you took full advantage of and manipulated me into marrying you with all your sweet words. Probably, I too was just a practising net for you. Your main priority was always to create PranShoes. You manipulated Ten billion people, after all."

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

"Just shut up. It has all started to make sense to me. I've been thinking about it for a few hours now." said Pranshu, ignoring Ragini's rant and continuing the point he was trying to make. "You see, we had been sent here for a purpose. There was someone writing this. There is someone who still is. There is a purpose much bigger than what we had initially thought of. It is not about creating balance in the Universe. Hell, what is Universe anyway. Lately, I have been thinking that it is not just what lies outside, but also what is inside us that constitute the Universe and probably much beyond what we will ever be able to see through our eyes. I think all these people surrounding us, including ourselves, we are all fake. We have even been named for a certain purpose. The letters used in our names have a hidden meaning. Like Pran represents the letter A. Along with S and H, it becomes ASH. It must have some significance. We need to decipher it to know the truth. Our purpose. We can act on anything only once we know it. And that's what I'm going to do."

"Oh my God! Again, with the mad man talk. Just what I had been trying to tell you. There is no One writing anything, babe. It is all in your head. We must deal with the illusion that is right in front of our eyes first and then we can delve into the illusions which you alone are creating in your mind. Please don't make it more difficult for me." Ragini almost began to cry out of frustration and helplessness.

"I won't. I've had enough of you. Fuck off now." "What do you mean?"

"What do you think? I'm breaking up with you."

"Are you out of your mind? Where is this coming from? Are you not in love with me? Were you just in love with the idea of Being in love?"

"Yes, that's why I spent Thirty years with you. Now get lost."

"There is something else. You are not telling me the truth."

"Yeah. I've had enough of girls from Earth. I want to fuck girls from Mars now. That's the truth."

"I will not tolerate this. This is disrespectful. I am leaving you."

"Yeah. Whatever. Bye!"

Ragini told Pran to prepare to go back to Earth. Pran soon gathered the remaining Twenty-Four characters and made the preparations to leave. Pranshu silently watched all the proceedings take place over the next few hours wondering if what he did was right and if he should just apologize. He didn't really mean anything he said. Maybe it was not what he said, that was making them leave. Maybe she instigated him to say all that he said so she would have an excuse to do something that has a higher priority for her. Maybe this is what she really wanted.

His suspicion suddenly took over his reason and he locked himself inside his room. He tried to justify his thoughts while he got more and more furious at all the fake characters who were leaving him alone after all that he had done for them. He finally heard the ignition sound of the spaceship. He got out thinking of the numerous things he had to say to each One of them before saying goodbye. Probably give them precautions for the water landing. Also, tell them how to deal with Ahmed. And of course, to take care of Ragini.

As soon as he got out, the spaceship was already off the ground. There wasn't even anyone looking out of the window of the spaceship to get a last glimpse of him. All the Twenty-Six characters were gone for good. He was left behind all alone with no hope to ever go back to Earth again.

"Who is writing a Story like this for me?" Pranshu thought to himself.