Rajata got up slowly. His whole body still ached, the residue from all the wounds that Lidia had projected onto his mind. Harso seemed to have stepped to the coffee table, while Kalyana sat pensive in her capsule."Where are we now?" muttered Kalyana."We are in the Lidia Project laboratory at CERN, Geneva, Switzerland, in the twenty-first century, Na," said Rajata."Na, Ta," said Harso, coming back to the capsule area with a glass of espresso. "You are doing well, right?"The two friends nodded weakly."Amazing," murmured Rajata. "It turns out that Kalyana and I have met many times, huh?"Harso smiled faintly."Could it be that your test subjects, who also have complicated memories like ours, have also met with me and Kalyana?" inquired Rajata.Harso shook his head. “I don't think so,” he said. “But, now that Lidia's ability to sort memories has gotten more sophisticated, I will try to ask permission from the

The sound of grinding machine, followed by the scent of coffee, awakened Rajata. For a moment he was confused about where he was. His body immediately sat up and alert, residue of emotions that Lidia induced."Morning, Ta!" said Kalyana from the kitchen. "Want some coffee?""Yes!" he exclaimed getting up from the sofa."Then you can help yourself!" sneered Kalyana, busy with the frying pan on the stove.Rajata just smiled, approached the machine and prepared a cup of strong coffee for himself.Soon the aroma of fried egg and butter filled the apartment."Come on, have some breakfast!" asked Kalyana while bringing a plate of sunny side ups. "This is the most complicated dish I can prepare.""Armand will be here today, won’t he?" Rajata asked a few moments later, busy scooping up his rice."Yes," said Kalyana with flushed cheeks."What time will he arrive?""Around seven o'clock, I think," answered Kalyana. "W

A bang on the door woke Rajata. Immediately he opened the bedroom door. Kalyana looked neat at the door."Come on, wake up, you lazy!" Kalyana exclaimed with a big smile.Rajata hurriedly took a shower and got ready.An hour later, they were in the elevator which led them down to the lobby floor."Have you said goodbye to Armand and Harso?" Rajata asked as they walked towards the train station."Yes.""How are they?"Kalyana snorted. "Harso sent his regards to you," she replied. "Armand was still waiting for my decision.""You haven't decided yet?""Yes, I have.""Then, why haven't you informed him?""I’ll tell him later, after I finish my novel."“What does that novel have to do with it?""Hey! Stop the nag!" said Kalyana with a big smile. "Let’s go, we’ll be late!"***The train that would take them to Zurich Flughafen arrived shortly after the two reach

Changi, Singapore, six in the morning. From the aviobridge window, Kalyana saw the wet tarmac from the rain. The air felt a little stifling, but that couldn't make the smile on her face disappear at all."Why have you been smiling all this time?" asked Rajata at his side."Oh, so I can't smile?" said Kalyana, trying to purse her lips. “Fine, I won't smile anymore.""Well, don't smile too much," murmured Rajata with a serious face. "If you smile like that, I will have a hard time looking ahead, as I want to see you all the time.""Ouch!" Kalyana grumbled. “I'm sorry I went out with you! You turned out to be too cheesy, making me nauseous!”Rajata just chuckled while squeezing Kalyana's hand gently.The connecting flight to Surabaya is still a few hours away. After getting off the shuttle train that took them to change terminals, Kalyana and Rajata chose to sit on one of the benches outside the departure lounge. Kalyana took out the phone, kill

“So you are ‘Rajata’,” commented the man who was sitting cross-legged on the living room chair. “I am, Sir,” said Rajata with a slight nod. He sat in a chair opposite the well-built man with his elbows resting on his knees. The white-haired man looked at Rajata investigatively. “Frankly, I don’t know what Kalyana sees in you,” he said a few moments later, “especially when compared to Harso who is a scientist and Armand whose successful career has led him to his assignment abroad.” “Papa …!” protested Kalyana who sat in another chair facing the two men. Kalyana’s fierce face then suddenly changed. “Errr, wait a minute, Pa. How can you know about Harso and Armand? “ The father turned to Kalyana. “Na, your papa is old-fashioned, not nonsociable,” he said, “I have many friends who are happy to tell Papa about many th