An Alternate Reality

Portals to other dimensions are described in fiction as tears in the fabric of reality. They shimmer with unearthly colours and loom with tension.

The one that opened before me while I was walking Sheru was not like them. Instead, it just faded into existence on Mrs Chandra's compound wall as Sheru did his business on her gulmohar tree. A large grey circle where there had been a poster for Bipin Sir's Chemistry Tuitions. 

I waited because something was bound to happen. Maybe aliens would come through. Or a supersoldier from humanity's future. Or felbeasts from a dark planet.

Hmm.

I called Sheru to heel. He was only a puppy but he barked loudly and that might help. 

For a few minutes nothing changed. I could hear car horns from the main road. A vegetable vendor pushed his cart past me, oblivious to the grey disc in the brick wall. A pair of myna birds landed nearby and started pecking the ground. Two for joy. Sheru chased them off. Everything seemed normal. 

Then, another me walked through the portal holding another Sheru's leash. 

"Oh," said OtherPriya, noticing me. OtherSheru sniffed the gulmohar tree and relieved himself. 

"Hi," I replied. She was wearing the same clothes as me.

"This portal opened while I was walking Sheru. I waited to see if anything would come through, but nothing did. So I entered it." OtherPriya looked smug that she'd been the one to take the first step. 

"Are you from the future? Do you have information that will help me save mankind?" I had watched Terminator many times. I knew to ask the key questions. 

OtherPriya wrinkled her nose. "I don't think I'm from the future. Is Vera Miss giving you a test on Reflection and Refraction of Light tomorrow?" 

"Ya, she is. Has your side finished the test already?" I hoped they had. I was not very good at drawing ray diagrams and any tips would help. 

"No, yaar. Tomorrow also."

We stood in silence for a few seconds, watching Sheru lick OtherSheru's butt. This all seemed very anticlimactic. 

OtherPriya continued, "Don't mind me asking. Did Arun give you anything on Rose Day?" 

"He gave Ritika only. Your side?" I swear if OtherArun had given her something, I would be pissed. 

"Same," OtherPriya replied. She seemed as relieved as me. Then, glancing back at the portal, she said, "I better go. If this closes I'll be stuck here, and the test is 10% of the overall. Sheru, chal. Best of luck for the test." She waved and went back through the portal. 

It faded after her and Mrs Chandra's wall went back to normal. Well, almost normal. The paan stains and Bipin Sir’s poster were gone. 

That night, while practising convex lens diagrams, I thought of OtherArun giving a rose only to OtherRitika. Good. Alternate realities that improved on current realities could suck it.