AEONS AGO EPILOGUE A man from Mars is seen sitting on a volcanic rock with his eyes shut as if in deep thought. A bluish glow emanates from him like an aura. It begins to spread far and wide. His longing to contact Uranus shows up. If Zeus can do it, I can do it too, he reaffirms to himself. Nobody comes in my way to live my life to the fullest. Not even the Chief.  He remembers the moment when Iris stepped onto Mars. He grins as he savours the memory.  Far away in Uranus, a woman named Evelyn receives a unique transmission from someone who introduces himself as Addy.  Rest is history. *** Planet Earth The Polar Opposites I don't belong here. No. Definitely not. I am from someplace else. Literally.  A place where our kind lived in harmony, experiencing pure bliss. A home where only peace reigned. A planet whose inhabitants have the heart at the right place; more importantly, that which has never fluttered, skipped a beat, banged itself against the ribs, or gone through a surge of fluids absolutely unknown to it... Until the day I came to know of the other gender, so jarringly opposite to our kind. Never before have I believed in their existence nor have I longed for a company outside my world. As I close my eyes visualizing the day I was transported to a world full of the other gender, I find myself smiling. Not the smile of innocence like a child eager to explore the world that drove her heart into a tizzy, but, a know-it-all wry smile mocking at what her heart has signed up for. The smile soon fades away as self-pity kicks in making me aware of my current situation. That tranquil confidence that is inherent in our kind seems to have taken a dent somewhere during the travel between my world and my new home, the planet Earth.  Pity makes way for bubbling rage at the way destiny has chalked itself out for me.  Why did we meet and fall for each other? Why do we have such differences of opinion? Does he being the man give him the power over me? Aren’t we created equal? Innumerable questions vanish without answers. I pick up a pebble from beside me and fling it into the stream, as I perch myself atop a rock gaping at the flowing water and trying to drown my anger into the depths of it. The serenity around me has its effect on me. The burbling stream of water provides music to my ears. Everything about the place calms my nerves down.  This planet is indeed a beautiful place. The plush vegetation around me, the vast sky above, the fiery Sun that has never ever gone back on its word to spread warmth every day, the rejuvenating wind that brings scents from far across, and the musical sounds of nature are unmistakable signs of an assurance of life that Earth is going to give birth to, eventually. I alight and walk towards the stream to take a dip. A look at my reflection reveals what an aesthetic creation of God I am. My lush long hair gently caresses my face as it dances to the wind, making my almond-shaped eyes squeeze to take a look. A perfect nose and full lips add to the piece of art that is me. God must have been very happy when he created me. Or, rather, our entire kind - the women. For, God also gave us a heart of gold that reflects on our entire being; a heart that withstands love and pain with equal ferocity. With love comes pain too, I realize. As I step into the running water, a voice that is too familiar by now breaks the silence. “Iris! Here you are. I was searching high and low for you. The anxiety almost killed me.” The other gender declares. And… it mollifies me. Pain tags along with love, doesn’t it? My heart beats itself dizzy at the deep voice like it has always done, right from the day I met... him. The maddening annoyance settles down as he becomes my dearest Zeus from being referred to as the other gender. I step back from the stream and glare at him. His lanky legs cover the distance between us in three long strides and he takes me in his arms. He runs his fingers through my hair and kisses me like there is no tomorrow. My senses conquer me completely as I melt under his muscular arms. “I’m sorry, Iris. I shouldn’t have behaved the way I did.” the man whispers as we come up to catch our breaths. “I should have explained…” “That’s fine. I love you, Zeus,” I reply as I bask under the intense passion and masculine strength of my partner from another planet. The one who I can’t live with, yet, can’t live without. The one who is my better-half and… bitter-half. The one who is too much a polar opposite to me. No wonder God created us on separate planets. Indeed, Men are from Mars and we Women are from Uranus. *** Clash of Titans You have never felt so excited about life before. You understand more about the special connection you share with Iris. It multiplies your powers.  You both have a vision together that heightens your happiness. It is love, it dawns on both of you. You lose count of the days and nights that whizz by in bliss.  But, even joy doesn’t last forever. Nightmares start haunting you. Every night turns the same. You keep tossing around in sleep as you see your partner being mauled by a huge yellowish animal with a lustrous mane… when you wake up suddenly and sit bolt upright. Rivulets of sweat drench your face as your eyes adjust to the darkness around. You grope around for the familiar comfort of your partner’s hand to make sure she is safe.  “Iris, I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. That’s a promise from your Zeus,” you mumble and kiss her forehead. Sleep evades you for the rest of the night. As the first ray of sunlight touches the ground, you amble outside to soak yourself in its heat and splendour. As much as you try to forget the ghastly nightmares, it keeps playing at the back of your mind like a constant threat. You make up your mind. You feel it is time to change your dwelling. You feel the place where you set up your first home together is not safe anymore. Even as you decide to look for options, the sudden rustling of leaves behind you sends warning signs to your brain and you turn around sharply. “What’s bothering you so early in the morning, Zeus?” It was Iris smiling away like a zillion stars shining together brilliantly. Your heart races like those crazy meteors visible from Mars. You feel a hundred of those colourful butterflies you noticed on this planet Earth flitting about in your stomach. Like the first time you set your eyes on her. The woman seems to wield magic on you. And, you seem to fall for her every other moment. “Ah! Nothing. I’m off to hunt for some food,” you say, “and search for a new clearing to erect a dwelling for us. A safer place. It’s time to make a move,” you mention with finality as an image of the mangled body of Iris flashes across your eyes. “I want to accompany you today. Would like to know where you get those orange fruits from,” she suggests as she rests her head on your chest. Even as your skin tingles with excitement at her touch, you feel a sense of fear rising in you. The last thing you want is Iris roaming through the dense forests. “NO! You stay under the safety of our dwelling. Don’t loiter anywhere outside. I mean it.” Your words come out as a bellow echoing through the woods before you can control them. Iris staggers away from you. Your behaviour change replaces her radiant smile with a stern frown. “I don’t have to be told what to do and what not to, Zeus. What’s with the new dominance? And, above all, why are we shifting? I love this place,” Iris fumes. “I’m the man and I get to make important decisions.” You scowl at your own response trying to make sense of how you suddenly assumed the authority of the decision-maker. “If we say we’re shifting, we are. I don’t want to hear anything otherwise,” you roar the next instant as if something is hurt inside you… and wonder if those are your words.  Are those newly found emotions after meeting Iris playing havoc with your mind too? Or, is that the strong instinct to protect your partner making you act the way you do? Or, is the dominance an outcome of your male ego? Ego!? You wonder where that came from. “Nobody talks to me like that. Not even you, Zeus,” Iris looks visibly shaken at your reactions and tries to walk away in a huff. You grab her hand and pull her towards you to explain. You look into her eyes. Those eyes that always brim with love for you seem to loathe you at that moment. Your words of reasoning die inside you. You turn away and hurry into the forest. If only you are more expressive and better at communicating your feelings… *** A Home full of Life I feel lighter than air as I vanish from Mars and appear in some place that seems neither like my world nor Mars. It is… much more beautiful. It buzzes with the kind of energy that is so positive and lively. I notice Zeus still holding my hands, but, not wanting to meet my eyes. I gently release mine from his grip and ruffle his glossy black hair bordering his handsome face. I trace his perfectly chiselled muscular torso and take in his wild macho looks to my heart’s content. I pull his hair back in a tight bun and look into his brown eyes. It conveys guilt. “I’m sorry. I didn’t expect the Chief to get so irate and curse me. Now, we’ve no place to go. You’re homeless too for no sin of yours,” Zeus drawled. Everything about the man fills me with such cosiness – right from his voice to his touch - that I only feel at home in his presence.  “You’re my home, Zeus. And this place…,” I wave my hands around to divert his attention to the beauty of the planet we found. “…is a paradise. Perfect for a new beginning.” “This is Planet Earth,” Zeus interjects as he smiles a little.  “This planet’s a sight to behold! Everything happened with a reason and we’re soon to find that out,” I reaffirm, mirroring his smile. He hugs me gently. It feels electric. I tear apart from him and lead him to explore the place.  We walk through the dense foliage and set up a dwelling in a clearing. We experience the comfort of the planet, cherish its music and smells, meet diverse species large and small, and find solace and pleasure in each other’s arms. We begin our journey together; a hitherto unknown one, but, that which is pregnant with promises galore. *** Planet Mars The Curse You feel your planet turn redder indicating the rising fury of your Mars family. You suddenly get a vision of a hundred stars exploding at the same time and causing a storm that sweeps you both out of the Universe. You can see and feel the intensity of the explosion in the Chief’s eyes. “Nobody talks to me like that, alien," yells the Chief. The ground rumbles ominously and wisps of smoke emanate from the surface. Iris, instead of cowering under his fierce stare, glimmers at this strange phenomenon. You are impressed. You are drawn to her even more. You sense the onset of an impending disaster and you are overpowered by an instinct to shield her from harm. In one quick step, you block Iris from the Chief's menacing gaze. "I apologize on the woman's behalf, Chief. Now, if you permit, we’d like to take leave from you, please," You inform and hold her hand. Having not gotten used to Women contact yet, the simple touch of her hand sends shock waves inside your body. You feel energized. "We? There’s no place for the alien on Mars. Chuck her out," the Chief screams. Puffs of reddish smoke rise from the ground at the increasing tension in the air. The sprouted flowers start withering away.  You turn to consider Iris for a while. "I can't. The woman...she found me. I found her. It feels as if I’ve discovered half of me that had been missing for aeons. I feel complete and contented. I'd not give her up at any cost," you blurt out, losing yourself in the depths of her eyes which only seem to reciprocate the exact same words. A heavy silence prevails as the Universe listens to you. "Then, off you go along with the alien, Zeus. You are expelled from Mars!" the Chief proclaims. Sudden gusts of wind blow in all directions. The atmosphere turns into a red blur. You feel the full intensity of the curse hit you. You stumble. "Zeus, are you okay?" You hear the voice of Iris as she clutches your hand even more tightly. “Never been so fine,” you stammer and run to a small shelter nearby along with her. You feel overwhelmed by a new kind of commitment to protecting her. You smile to yourself at the changes you undergo. You know that you can't stay here for more than one Mars-minute because of the curse and convey to her the urgency to find a new place for them to live together.  Your fingers entwine hers and you close your eyes. A planet so blue and full of life appears in your mind's vision and you concentrate hard to find its exact coordinates. You zero in on them, clasping her fingers like they mean the world to you. You both disappear from Mars in a flash. *** What’s in a name? "Ahem!" I hear a rough voice clear his throat. As if somewhere far off. At a distance beyond the human ear’s perception. "Ahemmm!" Another throaty noise interrupts my incoherent stream of thoughts which involves me floating high up in the air without a care. I can feel a stir as the tight hug that Zeus has locked me in loosens up. I can almost feel his muscles ripple beneath his skin. It sends a thrill down my spine. I exhale and push myself a little away from him and let the heat of the moment settle down. I look up at him and smile. The remnants of the sparks that lit up the place of our union hovers over us. He looks equally moved and disoriented for a while before he gathers himself up and brushes my lips in a soft kiss. It feels heavenly as I close my eyes to enjoy it. "Well..." A high-pitched male voice breaks my never-ending reverie. His voice sounds like that of a very senior man who tolerates no nonsense. "Who’s this alien? What's going on here?” Alien?  My mind, though hazy, picks up the word. The truth hits hard. Of course, I am an alien here. I realize it as the haziness lifts to let me focus on reality.  The deep husky voice that mesmerized me to my current state speaks next, addressing the senior man. “Chief, I was seated on a basalt in deep meditation yesterday. My aura had widened to unimaginable levels. Beyond my usual capacity. And, it had touched another planet. The Uranus. The alien here is so sharp that she picked up the frequency and responded, assuming it was some form of communication.” “Ahem!” It is my turn to harrumph now. I feel it is time to impress upon the Men from Mars that this alien they mention is not as inanimate as the rock and that it has got a name for itself. I sense the stares of all of the planet’s inhabitants at once. “I’m Iris from the Women Planet, Uranus. I’ve travelled light years away from home not to feel unwelcomed here. I like it better if you refer to me by my name.” I close my announcement with a gentle smile.  *** The Union You focus on a star above you and read the signs. You smile to yourself.  “I shared the coordinates. You concentrate on them and visualise your destination,” you mumble almost inaudibly, closing your eyes. You can almost see her in your mind’s vision and your heart does a somersault already. You feel a bunch of bizarre fluids course through your veins letting you discover pleasures hitherto unknown. You hear a rock snap at a distance and open your eyes… for the sight of a lifetime. She looks a little confounded for one Mars-second before straightening up. An angelic face with strands of gorgeous hair flying across her sharp features bowls you over. You gawk at the alien from the Women Planet. Your planet, Mars, suddenly glows in an iridescent reddish light, dazzling you with a brightness you are never used to. You stand rooted to the spot, taking in the scene. You see her amble across the planet’s rocky surface with great trepidation. Tiny yellow flowers pop up from the ground as she walks. A sweet scent fills the air.  Even as she smiles furtively at you acknowledging your insignificant nod, you gather that she is under the piercing gaze of more than a thousand pairs of eyes on her. You cannot blame your Men companions too for the tumultuous emotions they are going through. They have never seen such an alien before. You walk towards her in all your masculine glory and come to a halt in front of her. Her smile turns confident as you introduce yourself. “I’m Zeus. I’d contacted you. Welcome to Mars, the Men Planet.” “Hello, I’m Iris.” You hear a melody in her voice. “And, you bring flowers as you arrive,” you mention gesturing at the tiny flowers lining the path she just trod. Sparks erupt above the two of you, steadily increasing in number and speed. In one swift movement without thinking, you pull her, run your fingers through her silky hair, feel the softness of her skin on your fingertips and lock her in a warm embrace. Your brain becomes fuzzy as a mild breeze glides by wrapping you both in a cocoon. You experience an other-worldly ecstasy. The Universe stands a merry witness to the union of two different species from two planets. A cracker of thunder splits the sky above, showering you with sparks that heat up Mars. *** Planet Uranus Who’s who? I love my place. I adore it. We live in such harmony and peace that there has never arisen a need for an association outside our planet. It is the only home that I have ever known in the past two decades of my existence. A cosy setup that I would never leave and trade for anything in this universe.  But, one fine day changes everything that I believe it to be. As I go about doing my tasks for the day, I experience an unusual disturbance in the frequencies that we use for our communications. One lone wave of an extremely low frequency hits my head. I lose my balance for a moment. That is when I first hear a new transmission. A fruity voice like I have never heard before. So unlike the mellifluous or high-pitched ones that I had grown up listening to. Addressing me. Apparently, only me. That too inside my mind. "Hey there..." It said. "Huh? Who's this?" I ask. "Zeus from Mars. I didn't expect to locate a life so far off." I hear the excitement in the voice; the husky voice tingling my nerves in ways I don't fathom.  "And, I didn't expect an alien to contact me today," I mention. A guttural laugh echoes in my head. My heart skips a beat at the sound.  What's going on? Who’s this alien? And, why does this thing make me feel what I’ve never felt before?  “You are?” The voice queries.  I pause, making up my mind if it is safe to reveal. “Iris from Uranus,” I manage to reply. “Like that,” it concludes. My mouth goes dry and I heave a sigh of relief as though my life depended on the alien’s acknowledgement. What’s happening to me? Even before I get to compose myself, the alien shoots the next question, “Will you give me the pleasure of meeting you?” “Meeting? WHAT?” I exclaim, unaware that my life is going to turn topsy-turvy.   Penmancy gets a small share of every purchase you make through these links, and every little helps us continue bringing you the reads you love!