Long ago, in ancient India, during the days of the Indus Valley civilization, there was a village called Amri. This village was ruled by a leader named Agni-Mitra and his queen, Rukmini. They were strict and made sure everyone followed the rules, especially their own sons, Rajam and Iqwar. Growing up as princes, the brothers had to follow a strict routine, with hours spent practicing sword fighting, riding horses, and other royal duties. But Rajam and Iqwar were tired of all the rules and wanted a taste of freedom.
One day, they secretly made a plan to run away. They decided to buy a horse from a village merchant named Kundhaja, giving him some gold coins to keep quiet about their escape. At dawn, they quietly packed some food and clothes in a leather bag, mounted their new horse, and slipped away.
As they reached the village boundary, they were stopped by a group of guards patrolling the area. "Where are you going, Lord Rajam and Lord Iqwar?" one of the warriors asked. Quick on their feet, the brothers lied, saying their parents had sent them on an errand to deliver an important message to a neighboring village. The guards believed them but warned, “Avoid the forest and stick to the main road.”
As soon as the guards were out of sight, the brothers headed straight into the forest, ignoring the warning. They felt a rush of excitement as they entered the dense trees and left their village behind. After hours of riding, their horse grew tired, so they stopped under a large peepal tree. They ate some food, rested, and fed the horse. Then, feeling bold, they decided to go hunting in the forest to prove their
bravery.
They tied the horse to the tree and wandered deeper into the woods, hoping to find some wild animals. But after a while, they realized they hadn’t seen a single creature, only thick trees and shadows. They decided to head back to the peepal tree, but soon noticed they were lost. Iqwar had been bitten by several blood-sucking insects, making him uncomfortable and anxious. As they tried to find their way back, the trees seemed to twist around them, and the sky darkened. They felt trapped and helpless as the sun set, and finally, exhausted, they collapsed on the forest floor and fell asleep.
When they woke up, they found themselves in a completely unfamiliar place. They lay in soft, strange beds, in a room with smooth walls and a steel box on the wall that was blowing cool air. As they got up, a man walked in, speaking a language they didn’t understand, and dressed in strange clothes. Rajam and Iqwar felt a wave of fear. Where were they? How had they ended up in such a strange world?
The man soon left, only to return with two others dressed in blue shirts, black caps, and trousers—people they later learned were called "police." The police officers asked them questions, but the brothers couldn’t understand anything they were saying. Frustrated, the officers finally gave up and let the boys go, giving them some food before sending them outside.
As they stepped out, Rajam and Iqwar were shocked by the world around them. Smooth, dark roads stretched out, tall glass buildings towered in the distance, and strange lights blinked everywhere. People wore odd clothes and talked into small, glowing rectangles. Feeling lost and confused, the brothers wandered through this unfamiliar place, amazed and overwhelmed.
Eventually, they found themselves outside the city, along a quiet country road. To their surprise, they spotted a large peepal tree, one that looked just like the one they had tied their horse to in the forest. They saw the deep groove in its bark, where they had fastened the rope. Could it be that they had somehow traveled through time?
As the sun began to set, they sat under the tree, feeling homesick. Just as darkness fell, they stumbled down a small slope, losing consciousness again as everything faded around them.
When they woke up, they found themselves back at their family fort. They saw their mother, Queen Rukmini, rushing toward them with tears in her eyes. "Where have you both been? We thought you were lost forever!" she cried.
"But Mother, we were only gone for two days,” Rajam replied, confused.
Queen Rukmini looked shocked. “Two days? It’s been ten years! You disappeared ten years ago.”
Rajam and Iqwar stared at each other, stunned. They realized they had experienced something beyond their understanding, a journey through time and place that no one else could explain. Though they were home, they would always carry with them the memory of their strange adventure in a world far different from their own.
