Apples and Apples....

"BREAKING NEWS..... The valley of Sufarachand experienced heavy showers but not of water but that of APPLES! It was strange that........" on hearing this Rahul switched off the t.v. and wondered what made him watch the 'Parso Tak' news channel? "It's their daily noon news. What can one expect? This Is 2112 people. No one will believe that!" he said while lifting his body off the couch. Sufarachand was a small town in a valley near Aamrudpur, where Rahul lived He went to his study table. Switching on the reading lamp he stared at the photo that was pinned to his bulletin board. It was a snap of his group clicked during the college trek to Sufarachand. He noticed two tiny red spots in the snap. Initially they weren't there. He tried to rub off them but they persisted. On viewing through a magnifying glass he realised that those weren't just pen marks but were miniature apples! He rubbed his eyes and took another glance. But those were apples. Thinking that he needs a break he set off outside to enjoy a bicycle ride. The moment he mounted on the seat something hit his head. He got off and bent down to check what was that object something hit his arched back. But this time the intensity was more. "Aargh...!!!" he exclaimed in pain and by that time he was hit in the head again. He shook his neck side to side with a perplexed expression on his face. He could see nothing. "That's strange" he said and mounted his bicycle again. The moment he started pedalling he tripped over something which seemed like a rock. "I won't spare those kids" he said to himself and looked around to see if someone was hiding in the hedges. But all he could see was a deserted street and round, juicy apples!

He didn't notice the apples before. It seemed like someone had strewn them on the road. He thought that the neighbourhood kids are playing a prank on him so he ignored everything and set off to refresh his mind.

But as he rode he felt something strange. Everything was quiet and calm. It smelled fruity. And yes apples strewn on the road. He heard soft bubbling sound. As he went ahead the sound before louder and clearer. It smelled like apples to him. When he looked around he saw river of gold silently flowing. It was crystal clear but was not of water. Rahul then summoned courage to dip his little finger and taste the liquid. "It's sweet, familiar taste.... Hmmmm..... " he thought. "It tastes like Apple Juice!" he exclaimed. Wondering wether it's reality or just a dream Rahul pinched himself to confirm. He didn't wake up. It was reality. He curled his palms so as to form a cup shape and dipped it in the golden river. It was the best experience for him. Unlimited apples juice and that too free! This really made him ecstatic. He decided to explore this mystic region and thus he rode ahead.

As he entered the town he noticed something different. The houses had no sloping roofs but instead had huge terraces. The people there were very fair and seemed cheerful. Rahul then went to a restaurant to get some water. He looked at the menu card and realised that a glass off water costed more than any other beverages. In fact the apple juice was free and all the apple dishes like apple pie, apple milkshake, poached apple etc were easy to cheap than he ever thought. He ordered a big slice of apple pie and a glass of free apple juice. He then asked an old waiter,"Why are there apples all around here? And how is it that the there is apple juice river?" The waiter just said, "Sir, it rains apples here."

Rahul was amazed and didn't know how to react. He asked the waiter, "How is this possible? What are other things happening around?" The waiter then said, "As it rains apples people carry baskets on their instead of umbrella. All the houses harvest the rain by collecting apples. Water is a priced commodity while apple juice is free." "All the kids here are very brilliant as on each one's head an apple had fallen. All are a stiff competition to Newton." he added jokingly. "But how is that there is a river of apple juice?" asked Rahul. The waiter said, "That is actually a case of pollution. Here in Sufarachand there is a huge factory named Dupple Inc. which extracts malic acid from the apples and then releases all the effluents in the river. The effluent is apple juice."

Rahul's apple pie and juice arrived. As the waiter served the pie Rahul noticed a small burn on that waiter's hand. "Why don't you consult a doctor for your burn?" asked Rahul. The waiter then replied, "Son there are hardly any doctors here. Those who are in business charge way too much than I can really afford. After it started raining apples everyone got apples for free. And as they say 'An apple a day keeps doctor away' is a very true statement. Don't worry it'll heal on it's own. The apple juice works wonders. As the city had apples all around the municipal corporation decided to supply apple juice. So people bathe, wash clothes, swim in apple juice. Occasionally during celebrations a bottle of water is opened." "Oh! That's why people here have got so fair and transparent skin as bathing is like a going to spa everyday. And maybe that's why everything smells so fruity!" thought Rahul. As he ate the last piece of the pie Rahul asked, "Since when is this all happening?" "I don't remember the year son but somewhere around early 21st century. That's what I remember my father telling me." said the waiter. "Bill please" Rahul requested. "Good day sir. Hope your hand heals soon." said Rahul to the waiter as he waved goodbye.

Rahul decided to follow the path which led him there. "Early 21st century? Hmmm.... that's the time when Steve Jobs died. I guess God is trying to compensate the loss by making it rain apples." thought Rahul as he pedaled back the same path.