His head jerked up and he tried to get an idea of his surroundings. He seemed to be in a room. Everything was pink, too pink. He looked around some more to find out exactly where he had landed. He had no idea how the time machine actually worked or where it’ll take him. There were some pictures on the shelf, in one of them was a girl his own age, playing with a balloon, who looked way too familiar. With a jolt he realized, he was in his mother’s bedroom, when she was a little girl because they had the very same picture in their house right now, where his mother was probably making him pancakes. The very thought made his stomach grumble.
He suddenly heard someone outside the door. As he ran and hid under the bed , the door flung open and in came the same girl who was in the picture, his mother, wearing a frilly dress, huffing and puffing. Muttering to herself, "So what if daddy won’t take me to buy that pretty doll, I can get it myself. I'm almost 8 years old now." She sounded quite proud of the last part. Then she picked up her pink piggy bank and careful not to make any noise, broke it and stuffed all the money in her tiny pink sling bag and sneaked out the door. Seeing an opportunity, the boy slipped out too.
Ahead him, the girl was tip-toeing out an seemingly empty drawing room. He followed her out of the main door and onto the pavement, where the girl, his mother, was walking confidently towards the main road. Then she took a turn and then again a turn and she was standing outside a big toy shop.She stopped in front of it and was looking at the display window in horror, where there was an empty space. The girl has probably decided to go back home as she started going back from where she had just come. The boy again started following her. The girl went as far as the intersection and then stopped, looking super confused and that's when she started crying in earnest.
The boy, now panicked, ran upto comfort her. He said, ''Hey Naina, Are you okay? What happened?'' The girl looked at him scared and asked him, in between tears, ''Who are you and how do you know my name?" He didn't know what to say but knew that he couldn't possibly tell the truth. So, instead, he said, “I'm Vivaan. I'm your new neighbor. We just moved here. I've seen you around, but we have not met yet.” She didn't look so convinced but before she could ask anymore questions about him, he asked her, "What are you doing here?" And that bought some fresh tears in her eyes. She said,"I came to buy a doll for myself,all on my own, but now the doll is gone. It is already sold." "How do you know that?" asked the boy. "There is an empty space on the shelf where the doll used to be. And now I don't even know the way back" said Naina sadly. But then her eyes shone and she said, “But you're my neighbor, so you must know the way, right?" Vivaan panicked but then recovered quickly and reminded her of being new in the city and offered her a day of adventure in the city as they were both lost anyway. Naina readily agreed and off they went.
Their first mission was to find the highest point in the city to get a bird's-eye view of the city. They climbed the steep staircase of an old clock tower, their laughter echoing as they reached the top. From there, they marveled at the breathtaking view of the city spread out before them.
Next, they ventured to the city's bustling market. With just a few pennies saved up, they scoured the stalls for the tastiest treats they could afford. They savored mouthfuls of sweet cotton candy and shared a bag of buttery popcorn, giggling all the while.
Their adventure continued as they explored hidden alleys filled with colorful street art, played hopscotch with chalk-drawn squares on the sidewalk, and even made new friends at the local park. They traded stories and secrets as they navigated the city's streets, their bond growing stronger with each passing hour.
Throughout the day, they met a street magician who performed mind-boggling tricks, a friendly stray cat who became their temporary companion, and a wise old gardener who taught them about the beauty of nature. Each encounter enriched their adventure and deepened their friendship.
As the sun began to dip below the horizon, Vivaan and Naina sat on a park bench, tired but content, watching the stars emerge in the darkening sky.
Vivaan turned to Naina, a warm smile on his face. "Naina, today was the best day ever. Thank you for being my friend." Naina beamed back at him. "Thank you, Vivaan. I'm so glad I met you. Our adventure today was amazing, and it's just the beginning of many more to come."
But it was time for Vivaan to go back as one day was all he got to travel in the time machine and he was happy that he got to spend this day with his mom, in her childhood. That’s when he knew instinctively that that’s why his mother named him Vivaan after that special friend whom she met when she got lost in the city.