NASA scientists had fixed up a date between the Earth and the Mars. They had told that on 14th February 2024, Earth and Mars, while orbiting around the Sun, would be in a straight line and while doing so, would be very close to each other. Closest in the history of universe. So, in a way, they fixed a date between Earth and Mars.
Mars was very excited.
He had always wanted to date Earth. He hadn’t had much luck finding dates and
he had attributed that to his rough, barren, and uninteresting looks. He hadn’t
expected that someone as pretty as earth
would agree to go on a date with him. Initially he didn’t believe, but then he
though “NASA scientists have confirmed this, so it must be true. NASA scientists
were always accurate with information.”
The dry barren
personality Mars had chosen for himself contrasted the beauty and liveliness Earth
possessed. But then, opposites attract.
“Opposites attract“
was true for Earth as well. She had always wanted to have male friends. She had
some female friends, like her next door neighbour Venus. But Earth had never
got along well with Venus. Envy was one of the reasons. Because Venus was hot.
With a surface temperature of 500 degree Celsius, she sure was hot. Venus was a
celebrity too. She was considered an icon of beauty and femineity.
Another reason for
the dislike was that Venus was boastful. And she was spiteful towards Earth. She
always tried to put Earth down. Earth was very proud of her colour green. Venus
once said to earth, “Hey, do you know where this colour green of yours come
from? Because you are just next to me and looking at me you turn green with
envy”, and had laughed spitefully. Earth hated her.
Earth wished she
had someone whom she could call a “man-friend.” So, she was quite excited for
the date with Mars.
She prepared
well for the date. She wore a blue and green dress. She wore snow-white hat and
matching white shoes, which incidentally were made of the icecaps of her north
and south poles.
So, the date
came. 14th February 2024. Mars and Earth were running in their own
orbits. As they both took a turn around a corner they suddenly face to face
with one another, and very close.
“Hi, Mars”, said
earth, smiling.
“Hello Earth”,
said Mars, beaming with happiness!”
Then Mars said, “Oh,
my my!, “You are so pretty”. Look at the colours, green, blue, husk and brown, with
a tint to orange at edges, he complimented Earth.
The earth
laughed softly. She felt a little gave a friendly smile. She felt happy with
the compliments she had received. She wished Venus was there to hear this.
Then Earth said
to Mars, “You too are looking very handsome, Mars”. “And you are so cool.“ Minus
150 degree Celsius at the surface. That’s pretty cool!”
She continued with
her words of admiration, “Aand I love the light red suit you are wearing. Matches
well with your vibrant personality.”
Mars was not
used to getting complimented by the opposite gender. “Oh, you must be kidding”,
he said.
“Oh, why?”, said
earth. “Do you know, at the place I come from, you are considered an icon of
masculinity”. Strong, assertive, yet composed. Visibly visible among the crowd
of planets, yet a mystique”. You must be having a lot of female fans, Mars.” Earth
asked playfully.
Mars was too
awestruck with earth’s words to say anything. And for some time, both just stood
looking at each other.
Earth broke the
silence. She asked Mars something she was anxious about and was eager to know.
“Mars, who are those playful kids which I see around you?” she asked.
“Mars replied in lightening hurry. “Oh, you mean, Phobos and Deimos? They are my neighbour’s
kids. They like to hang around me all the time. They see me as their role mode.
I am like a big brother to them.
Mars paused, then
clarified again, “You know, I am single”, with an emphasis on “single”
“Alright, said
earth”, happy and relieved to hear this.
Then it was Mars’s
turn to ask. “Earth, who is that little kid who roams around you? The one named
moon or something?”
“Oh, that. That
is my younger brother, Moon. He always sticks around me wherever I go. You know,
he feels lonely. Unlike your neighbour’s kids, Phobos and Deimos, who have each
other to play with, moon doesn’t have anyone to play with. So, I have to let
him have my company, you know.” Said earth.
Then she added “I
too am single, for the record”, “What did you assume Mars?” she asked playfully.
“Oh yes, yes, I know,
I know you are single. I was just curious about the kid” said Mars.
“Anyway, glad to
know more about you and your family, earth.”
Receiving desired
replies to the important questions asked by each of them, Earth and Mars now settled
comfortably into conversations.
Mars admitted,
“You know, Earth. Last time we met, perhaps in the year 2500 BC, I just
couldn’t take my eyes off you”.
“Don’t lie”, said
Earth. “I had seen you looking past me and stealing a look towards Venus”, making
no attempt to hide her annoyance.
Earth was right.
Venus was so beautiful that no one could resist a look whenever she was visible.
Mars too ]had never lost a chance to do so whenever he flew past Venus. But
this was neither the time, nor the place to be truthful. So, he said “Oh, no, Earth.
Not at all. I have no interest in Venus. You know she seems bright but I find
you prettier. And you are so full of life.” Mars was clever enough to know that although
he liked Venus too, but she was far away and long-distance relationships rarely
work. And earth was the best bet for him.
“Ok” said earth,
happy with the reply. Even though she knew that the reply might not be a 100% honest
one, she allowed it to cheer her up.
The conversation
between them grew warmer and warmer. They talked about their work, families,
interests. Earth told that she worked in Real-estate. She had provided shelter
to trillions of species including humans and others, and was managing it well. Mars told he was working on a start-up
aimed at generating oxygen and food on its surface. He wanted to make
a preferred motel for the intergalactic travellers.
They were getting
along well. But Mars wanted the date to be much more than this. He was hoping
that the date would lead to something more intimate.
So, he said, “Hey
earth, it’s obvious that we both like each other. Rather, we love each other’s
company. So, why don’t we get a little closer?”
Earth smiled to acknowledge
the affection Mars expressed, but said nothing.
Mars waited for her
to respond. But She didn’t. So, he decided to say this finally. Gathering all
his courage, he asked, ”Your place or mine?”
Earth responded
with silence.
“Your place or
mine?”, Mars repeated the question.
Earth gave a shy
yet loving look towards mars, but then turned her face away.
Mars was
perplexed. He asked Earth, “Do you, or do you not not want this, earth? Do you
not want us to get to the next level of closeness”? Don’t lie to me, earth, I
know you want me. Then why not?”
Earth turned
back, with a little bit of sadness in her eyes.
She said softy,
“This can’t happen Mars”, and fell silent again.
“But why? Why,
Earth, why?” inquired Mars.
Then earth spoke.
She spoke in a calm, composed voice. “This can’t happen, Mars. You and I can’t
leave our respective orbits. The moment I cross over to your orbit, or you step
into mine, strong forces of attraction, which we call gravitational forces,
will pull us together and merge us into one.”
“So what? I want
to be one with you. Don’t you?” said Mars.
The Earth began
to explain, with sadness in her voice. “Mars! These forces of attraction are
interdependent. They also hold the solar system together. The moment you and I meet, the balance of
forces in the solar system will get disturbed and all planets will get thrown out
of their orbits. They will either fall into the Sun, or drift away deep into the
universe.
“This is where
we need to stop Mars. We can’t be any closer than what we are now. And I think now
it’s time to say goodbye before the forces of attraction make us do something uncalled
for”, said earth, raising her hand in a good-bye gesture.
“But I will
always look up to the next date with you, Mars,” assured Earth, holding back tears,
but smiling.
Mars was sad
beyond imagination. He had hoped this date to be much more intimate. He was sad
it didn’t happen so. But he understood, he understood that the date on 14th
February should not be the last date for them. He wanted many more dates with
earth, and that was possible only if this date didn’t go in any other way than how
it went.
So, he moved on, continuing to move around the sun in his regular orbit. Going away from earth, he started to hum -
“Oh God, I
don’t want to be single,
I too want to mingle.♬
“Oh God, pull
me out from this Blackhole of singularity”
Oh God,
please please, do me this charity” 🎜🎜
