TEMPORAL TEMPTATION

Aspiring Politician

"Mr. What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Oh, nothing," I quickly responded, trying to cover up my slip. "Just mumbling to myself."

"Sure, whatever," he shrugged it off. "So, which village did you come from? We should start our search there."

"Well, actually, I come from a city. Villages are quite rare in my time due to widespread development. However, my hometown is called 'Siddhaganga,' located in the state of Karnataka. My mom and I don't live in the city itself; we reside on the outskirts, near a very old forest."

"Seems like you're quite connected to nature," he remarked.

"Yeah, I guess so," I replied absentmindedly.

"Anyway, here's some good news for you. The town adjacent to ours is also called Siddhaganga. So, you're lucky that you've ended up in a village right next to your own. The telephone booth didn't transport you very far in terms of distance, just back in time and almost in the same location it took you from. It's interesting, but it also suggests that our village is nonexistent in the future, replaced by a forest," he said, a hint of sadness in his tone.

"I see," I responded, taking in the implications of what he said.

"Is that all?" he queried, lifting an eyebrow.

I shrugged, "There's not much else I can add. Pretending to empathize with things I'm not genuinely invested in, well, that's more my mother's specialty than mine."

"Your mother pretends to empathize?" he probed.

"When the situation demands it," I replied casually. "She's a politician, you know."

"That doesn't excuse her from the responsibility of sending the wrong message as a political leader. As a leader, she should be guiding the youth in the right direction and crafting national budgets that benefit the people. I'm not sure what kind of leaders you have in the future, but it doesn't sound promising. Our country appears to be in significant jeopardy," he remarked thoughtfully.

"Absolutely, but," I paused, selecting my words carefully, "India has had some remarkably sincere and principled leaders from time to time. Also, while my mother may not be a saint, she's not inherently malicious either. It's more about adapting to the demands of the situation." I sighed, "In my time, people aren't as genuine or altruistic. They're often self-centered, consumed by their own concerns, and quick to criticize others. So, being a bit tough with them isn't entirely unwarranted, you know?"

"It's disheartening to hear of the decline in human empathy," he said with a concerned expression. "If I ever find myself in a position of political leadership, I'd strive to reverse that trend," he added, a glint of determination in his brown eyes.

I whispered quietly, out of his earshot, "I'm sure you did your best, sir," feeling a pang of genuine sorrow as I looked at him, knowing that he was now deceased in my present time.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "What was that?"

"Oh, nothing. Must have been the wind," I replied, trying to play it off casually.

"You're still quite suspicious, I'll give you that," he remarked with a hint of amusement in his voice.

I shrugged, grinning. "Well, I am 35 years from the future, after all. Suspicion is part of my charm."

"Ah, a fellow 23-year-old then," he mused, a smile tugging at his lips.

"You're 23?" I remarked.

"Yes," he confirmed, "although I must be considered an old man in your time. Perhaps I'm tucked away in some forgotten corner of a town, with no significant occupation to boast of," he chuckled.