Mermaid in the Bay of Bengal

Little Pyoti played for some time with the fish.

She was too little to go out and play with girls in the neighborhood. Her mother thought so. When she tried to sneak out, mother sent out frequency to come home.

After dinner, it was time for bed. Pyoti usually had lots of questions.

What was up above?

Are there children like us?

Are there fishes?

And so on…

Once she started, one could never stop her. Mother felt unable to find answers for her volley of questions. As a matter of fact, she herself had not ventured high up in the waters.

“Up above, there is land mass”, mother replied.

Pyoti could not comprehend.

She remarked, “But this is also land.”

Mother said, “Yes, of course. But the land above is covered by air.”

Pyoti was curious. “What is air?”

“Just as we are covered by water, the land above is covered by air. But, one can’t see air, one can only feel it.”

“Can we go there? Can we live there? Does anyone live there?” Pyoti went on.

“Yes and no. It is forbidden for us to go there as it is an offence and the border patrol will catch us. Even if we get the permit to visit, one is not allowed everywhere, but few places where the air is not harmful”.

“What does that mean?”

“Bad radiation from the star in the space and some substances in the air attack our skin, lungs, damage our bodies and cause us to a painful death.”

“Do our people live there?”

“Yes. Your grandma has told me that in some parts of the earth, at the top and bottom, some of us live in protected conditions. I have not seen anybody in my life.”

“Has grandma seen one?” There was hope in Pyoti’s eyes.

I don’t think so.

Sleep was slowly catching Pyoti. Mother felt tired after a long day of work.

She whispered in her ears.

“Keep it a secret. My mother told me once. Some of our own ancestors were part of a group that escaped and went beyond the earth, up above the air, to far away worlds, where there is neither water nor air…”

Pyoti was almost asleep.

What would be her dream that night?

Into what lands would the angel guide Little Pyoti that night?