Deepak, Tushar and Rahul were playing cricket in the backyard of Deepak’s house.  The boys were in the sixth standard and loved playing cricket.  Deepak’s little sister Tina was also part of their team.  Initially the boys had been reluctant to include Tina in their team because she was a mere kid – just six years old –and she did not even know how to hold a bat properly. But her eagerness to please, her willingness to run errands for them, for fetching the ball when it went behind the hedges or for bringing water for them, earned her a place. Moreover, the fledgling team suffered from paucity of players, and Tina was always useful.  However, they called her ‘Kachcha Limbu’ which meant she did not enjoy the same status as the other three.  This did not deter her enthusiasm in any way and she was happy as long as she was allowed to tag along with the others.    

It was now Deepak’s turn to bat.  Rahul bowled a full toss which Deepak lifted for a huge six, or, was it a four?  A heated argument ensured with no signs of abatement.  Tushar, the quiet philosopher stepped in and brought truce by awarding five runs to Deepak.  Both parties agreed on this verdict and to everyone’s relief the play resumed.

Suddenly just when Rahul was about to bowl his next ball, they heard a whirring sound overhead.  What they saw made them gasp in wonder. A dazzling red and gold 'Vimaan' was descending from the sky into their courtyard.  In the blink of an eye it had landed right on their cricket pitch.  Immediately, invisible hands picked them up and put them gently into the copter.  In no time the 'Vimaan' took off and the children found themselves flying high above their houses, and then higher and higher into the sky.  They were perplexed and dazed.  They tried to speak but no words came out.  With great difficulty Rahul mouthed the words ’Flying Saucer’.  Tina, bewildered by what was happening, started crying.  Rahul, noticing that he still had the cricket ball in his hand, gave it to Tina and asked her to close her eyes and go to sleep.  She dutifully obeyed resting her head on her brother’s lap.

The boys realized that they were taken hostage by some super-intelligent extra terrestrial beings.  They also observed that the spacecraft was moving at tremendous speed.  They wondered if anyone from Earth had seen them being picked up.  If so, the news would soon flash all around, and they could hope for some help.  Before long, the boys sensed that that they were now moving out of the earth’s orbit and into in space. They felt a strange mixture of fear and thrill at the impending adventure...

They needed to remain calm, keep an even keel and take stock of the situation, they told themselves.  Fear would be fatal. They would have to pool all their resources, all their inner strength to combat this predicament.  They formed a pact. They resolved that they would not perish, not at any cost. Survival was key, and they had to work towards this goal.  They would have to employ devious ways to find escape routes. By and large, it would be a mind game, because they had no weapons.  The task was daunting – and they had no aces up their sleeves-apparently they had to wage a war against superior beings, not fools. They harkened their brains to work to its full potentials - to dole out commonsense, ingenuity, keen observation and quick thinking... in large measure –they needed it for combating the extraordinary situation they were in.  Having chalked out a strategy, and with nothing else to do for the present except wait and watch, they relaxed and soon drifted off to sleep.

They woke up to soft music, incensed air and a clear voice in English which said –“Welcome to Planet Zieus.  A warm welcome to the first visitors from Planet Earth, Do not be afraid.  You are our honored guests.  We welcome you on behalf of our beloved King Zeno and Queen Zephyr.”

They were ushered out of the space craft by tiny fairy-like beings that were exquisitely beautiful and delicate.  The children’s eyes opened to a breathtakingly beautiful place, the soft fragrant air caressing their cheeks.  There were mountains, rivers, springs and waterfalls everywhere, birds and insects of every hue and neatly laden houses all around.

The fairies guided them to a huge domed structure which was sculptured in the most exotic fashion.  The structure had many chambers.  In a maze the children passed through several rooms until they came to a large dining hall.  Here a grand feast awaited them, consisting of a variety of mouth-watering delicacies, puddings, soufflés, chocolates, creamy cakes and oozing ice creams…..  The feast ended with a large serving of nectar. The sweet nectar was not only an indulgence to the tastebuds, it also had a magical effect on them. The children sprang up, bursting with energy after drinking ‘the magic potion’ as they named it.

They were then taken to another chamber which had, what looked like, a large cinema screen.  Moments later, the King and the Queen appeared on screen and addressed them in a soft lilting voice.  They spoke thus- “Welcome to Zieus. Our Planet is only one-third the size of the Earth and half of it is covered with water.  The oxygen you breathe here is pure and healthy.  Our atmosphere is free from pollution in spite of our advanced technology. We have riches beyond imagination.  Some of our mountains are made of solid gold, others of platinum; many others have rich deposits of rare minerals, all left behind by volcanic eruptions that occurred long ago.  Poverty and starvation are unheard of, here.  We have only one race – the Zien Race – our people are one. We have no religion, no caste.  We have no wars, hence no soldiers, no weapons, no boundaries.  Our race is genetically superior and hence we are not prone to diseases.  Just like you, we too have the emotions of love, compassion and togetherness.  But unlike you, we do not nurture feelings of hatred, greed, jealousy, pride and selfishness.  You may wonder how we are able to compare the two  planets– you may be surprised to know that we have visited the Earth several times to study its environment, its culture, its people.  We have in us the power to choose death when we wish – just like your’ Bhishma Pitamah’ had.  A Zien can also choose what he wants to be in his next birth, so death for a Zien is like discarding one attire and wearing another.  All creatures live in perfect harmony.  Like in your land, our Sun (called Zun by us) is the life-giving force and we worship it.  Now, if you have any questions, you may ask”

Little Tina who had been quiet all along blurted out –“Sir, do you have schools and examinations here?’” Well child”, replied the King, most kindly, “We do have schools, but our schools are meant mainly to inculcate the values of truth, discipline and respect towards others.  As for academics, we have readymade micro-chips which can be implanted into the brains of young adolescents after they have decided the vocation they wish to pursue. The information stored in these chips blend naturally with the grey matter in the Zien brain, thus expanding the capacity of the brain many times.  Now you will understand the secret behind our innovations and highly sophisticated technology.  “Amazing” chorused the children. “How do you implant the chip” questioned Rahul. “Through beams, by a bloodless and painless process” explained the King.

“Sir, how is it that you speak English just like us?’ enquired Tushar, rather shyly.  “We do not speak English.  Our tongue is Zeelish.  You may be surprised to know that all along and even now, I am talking to you in Zeelish.  Even as I am talking to you, the sound waves are simultaneously being processed, manipulated, translated and converted to English, all in a fraction of a nanosecond.  Likewise, your English too is being converted to Zeelish for me.”  The children stared at each other in disbelief and astonishment.

“Now if you like, you may go around and a get a feel of our habitat” suggested the Queen.  The children jumped at the idea, eager as they were for excitement and adventure.  The royal couple bid them adieu after blessing them and then disappeared from the screen.  Two fairies came along and guided them to an open garden.  Two others came along with multi colored intricately fashioned pairs of wings and fitted one pair to each one’s waist.  And lo and behold! They could fly.  They had only to flap their wings for maneuvering   their flight.  It was so easy. Even Tina was not afraid.  In fact she cried with joy.  It was a most thrilling experience.  They could go wherever they wished and their feet would never ache. The scene below was fascinating. Everywhere there were trees laden with ripen fruits, strange miniature animals, birds, curling streams and carpets of flowers in full bloom.  Butterflies and insects of every hue were fluttering around as in Heaven.  After having had their heart’s fill, they landed back on the alien soil with absolute ease.  The fairies presented the children with a huge Christmas tree on which hung gold and silver bulbs, diamond broaches, colored gemstones, rubies, pearls, chocolate bars, bright red cherries, fruits and nuts and other wonderful sweets.  The children filled their pockets to the brim and finally it was time to leave.

               ……………………………………

“Get up Deepak.  How long will you sleep.  Don’t you want to go to school?” ….a distant voice stirred Deepak out of his slumber.  Deepak woke up with a start. “Flying saucer”,”Zieus” “diamonds” muttered Deepak, rummaging his pockets.  “Deepak, you have been dreaming.  Now go quickly, brush your teeth and get dressed.  “But Amma” he protested, ‘it was real”, “Okay, tell me your story in the evening when you return from school.  Now off with you”, reprimanded his mother.  She was sure he had read a science-fiction novel the previous night before he went to bed and had gone and made a motion picture of it in his sleep. Her son was incredible, she mused.