Life in Slow Motion ||Gone in 60 seconds by Priyanka

WARNING: Extremely long story, capable of testing your knowledge of Pop-culture, patience and sanity on multiple levels. Not recommended for novices.


Sango came into being just as everyone else around her; nothing new in being thrown onto Mother Earth on account of the parent over-eating beyond herself!

As she was growing up, Sango’s mom started slowly drifting away, and then the inevitable moment came when as Sango looked around for that familiar comfort of her mother, there was just the sea of nudges and shoves. The neighbors, instead of bad-mouthing her mom for maternal negligence, instead pooh-poohed her as a sissy. No-one in their knowledge had latched on to her mother for as long as she did!

“What a disgrace of a progeny!” “Good for the poor mother, she practically had to run away. These kids I tell you…”

There was no way out: She had to go about her life in search of safety, livelihood and more. She was now capable enough to fend for herself; she had done well to learn how to hunt for food, which region to slurp water from, which places to rest for the night, how to mix herself into the crowd and how to avoid the stout fellows everyone called Grinches.

“They would hurt you if you go too close, or if they’re in a bad mood,” her mom had once told her.

But Sango still missed having her mom. She was the one with the answers to the endless stream of questions swirling within her, waiting to burst out, as if. No one wanted to stop and talk in this world… it was such a task!

“How does night replace daylight and then daylight replace night without fail? Where does the food go once she eats it? How does it feel to love someone? What lies beyond the Forbidden Sea? Why is she where she is? Where is she? What will happen next?”

Thinking of all the questions without getting a single answer made her wish she never was. Her life seemed totally pointless… eating, drinking, walking and sleeping. How could she have been created without a purpose?

“When will this end?!!”

She was walking along in another one of her seemingly pointless journeys, towards the food-rich plains when she suddenly bumped into someone. “Sorry, I didn’t notice you”, she said to the fellow she’d knocked down. The guy looked at her smiling wistfully, said “Oh no, it was me. I am just so over this pointless life... I just want it to end being so boring.”

Sango grabbed the stranger tightly, “ME TOO! I’ve been thinking the exact same thing!!” He managed to mumble a few words, by now almost squeezed to choking, before Sango took the hint and introduced herself.

“Hi Sango, I’m Three. I’m on the way to the end of the world, care to join me?” What more could she ask for, except another question: “Oh, hi Three! How do you know you are on the right path?”

“I have drawn myself a map standing at the top of the Blue Mountains. Have you ever been there?”

“No. How long will the journey take?”

“I have no idea. But I would rather spend my life reaching there than sleeping through. Won’t you too?”

“Where is your mother?”

“She left, like all moms. Didn’t yours leave!?”

And thus cross-questioning each other, they started walking off from the crowded city-streets together. Sango had found a friend. Three didn’t just answer her questions, but he asked her even greater ones!

Her life finally had a purpose.

Endless days they walked and walked as per the map Three had. They discussed their lives, their dreams and their questions.

“You know how does the light suddenly go out and night falls? It happens in a definite pattern. After every 3 cycles of day-night there are 2 nights. Ever noticed? ” “No Three! Never!!! How did you?” “I know something is going on, Sango. I just need to reach the Forbidden Sea to get a clear view of what’s beyond.” 


Someone overhearing would have branded them heretics, but they had out-casted themselves from society before anyone else could.

“Three..” “Ya?” “You’re so amazing! I never thought I’ll find someone to love, ever”, Sango said one day. “Have you gone mad! You know love is nothing, it’s a lie!! We’re both independent, self-sufficient beings… we’re together just because our goals are the same!” That was the only time Three had shouted at her. Sango never broached the topic again. 


Her mom had told her about Love... it was rare, but it wasn’t a lie.

They covered harsh ground covered thinly with grass, hurting their feet even as they walked. They barely had enough water to keep their throats from drying out, forget water. And then they came across an entire colony of Gremlins! Three held Sango very, very close to himself... even their breaths were synchronized, Sango could barely look towards him. 


She found herself thinking of Love once again.

As they crossed the colony safely, Sango saw an expanse of deep blue water. She ran towards it and suddenly found herself falling freely down towards it; dragging Three along! Those few moments till they crashed into the waters of the Forbidden Seas seemed so long… their entire life flashed before them… And just as they were about to hit the water, it happened:

Three turned to her & they kissed!

When they emerged from the water, Sango looked ecstatic. They decided to stay by the Sea itself as it was night again. Food was no problem and there were no Gremlins in sight. Three smiled at Sango as they slept off dreamily looking at each other.

With daylight came the discovery. There was nothing beyond Forbidden Sea.

Only a few paces from where Sango & Three had rested was The End. A solid which seemed stretching into nothingness. Three started climbing it up when he realized it was like a cover over their heads… it allowed the light to pass through but was just, endless.

“So this is it I guess,” Sango said.

“Yes, we’ve reached the end of the world. I bet we’re the only ones!” Three almost yelled as he jumped up & down.. Sango said, “But what next?”

“Nothing, this is a great place, food, water, safety. We stay here.. and love each other. Not that we are going to die, ever,” Three stated what Sango was waiting to hear forever.

Thus ends the story of the two inquisitive, love-lorn, Single-celled organisms being studied in the Microbiology lab at some University. They probably held the key to some drug-discovery which would save millions of lives, or earn the big-wigs billions of dollars. But such was the 60-sec peek into their lives… maybe they will go on to reproduce the un-conventional way… love makes the impossible happen each day!

And yes, they do live on forever, unless the student in-charge of the petri dish accidently heats it to a 121.

Posted in: Fiction,Priyanka,Science,Week 1