The Time-Travel Passenger

The Time-Travel Passenger

By

Arman Rashid

 Chapter 1: The Scientist of the Present:

In a small rooftop room in Asian City, Dhaka, a young man sat staring intently at his laptop screen. His eyes were tired, but his gaze burned with obsession. His name was Arafat twenty-two years old, a final-year student of Computer Science at Northern University Bangladesh. His interest wasn't in ordinary software. He was building a prototype model of time travel. The “Time Shift Project” — that was his dream. No one knew what he was doing. His friends thought he was eccentric, and his mother believed he spent too much time with machines. His room was cluttered with electronic parts — capacitors, flash modules, a strange helmet-like device, and an old book in front of him titled “The Fabric of Time.”

Arafat always believed time wasn’t just a flow, it was a doorway. And no matter how invisible, doors could be opened. That day, he was writing a specific code — one that would initiate a Temporal Jump. But, it failed again and again. Suddenly, a fatal error occurred. His screen flashed red with the message:

Error: Temporal Displacement Exceeded – Calibration Failed.

Suddenly, the room began to shake gently. The air grew heavy. A hazy mist clouded his vision and then everything went dark. Arafat’s body felt light — as if gravity had released him.

In a moment, all the lights vanished...

Chapter 2: A Strange Morning:

The first sound he heard upon opening his eyes was birdsong — unusually close, right outside the window. Arafat slowly sat up. His head was spinning, his chest pounding. As he looked around, he couldn’t believe his eyes — This wasn’t his modern rooftop room. No electronic devices, no laptop. He was in a mud house — the roof made of straw, an old calendar hanging on the wall. 

His eyes drifted to the calendar —

Date: March 20, 1971 

Next to it: "Bengal is my pride."

Arafat sat still. Reality took time to sink in. He was wearing a white panjabi and pyjama — his modern clothes were gone. He watched, phone — all missing.

Suddenly, the door opened. A young man entered — around 25 years old, fierce eyes. He was surprised to see Arafat awake and exclaimed, 'You're awake!' Lucky we found you. You were lying unconscious on the road last night, hurt on the head. Do you remember anything?”

Arafat remained silent. With his head lowered, he realised — he was in 1971...

This is real.

“I’m... Arafat.” 

“I’m Nasim, bhai. We’re part of a resistance group here. According to the newspapers, things in Dhaka are getting worse. The country’s in turmoil.”

Arafat gathered courage and asked, — “Do you know anyone nearby... a freedom fighter named Abdul Matin?”

Nasim looked surprised. -“Abdul Matin? He’s one of our main organisers. But how do you know him?”

Arafat looked away. He knew — this man was none other than his grandfather.....

Chapter 3: In the Shadow of Truth:

The days rolled by. Arafat roamed the village pretending to be a lost boy. Nasim and the others thought he had lost his way during the chaos in Dhaka. 

But Arafat knew — he wasn’t lost in place, he was lost in time. He kept hearing one name again and again — “Matin Bhai.” Eyes held respect, voices carried pride. But in Arafat’s heart, there was growing fear.

One day, Nasim took him to a secret meeting. There he saw a strong man for the first time — firm eyes, bold voice:- “We want freedom. And we’ll take it. We can’t afford to be afraid. The nation comes first, our lives come later.”

Arafat stared. This was his grandfather — Abdul Matin. But something didn’t sit right. It was like a shadow hiding behind his determined face.

That night, Arafat found an old notebook in Matin’s room. It was a private diary. He read silently, eyes wide. “I don’t know what I’m doing anymore. The Pakistan army pressures me on one side, and my people depend on me on the other. What if my truth destroys the resistance?”

Arafat trembled. 

Was his grandfather about to betray the country — out of fear?

Another page said:- “I went to the Razakar camp last night. What I heard was horrifying. If I speak out, they’ll kill my mother. What should I do?”

Now Arafat knew — he hadn’t just travelled through time. He had stepped into a turning point 

of history. And only he could stop what was coming.

Chapter 4: Through the Conflict:

Late at night. The birds had stopped singing. The wind stood still. But Arafat’s inner storm raged on.

He sat on the ground, a lamp glowing beside him, the diary open in front of him, and each word shook him deeply.

“I’m not a traitor. "I’m simply a man standing for his family. But what is the cost?”

The next morning, he went to see Matin Bhai. 

Without waiting for permission, he entered the room. His eyes burned with 

courage. "Have you ever done something that troubled your conscience?" -  he asked.

Abdul Matin looked up. After a pause, he said,

“Conscience doesn’t always show the right path. Sometimes right and wrong blur into fear and love.”

That was all the confirmation Arafat needed.

Then he spoke: - “You are a leader. One day, someone will tell your story. Please don’t do anything that would shame your future family. If you truly want to save lives, do it without betrayal.”

Abdul Matin said nothing. He normally looked deep into Arafat’s eyes.

That night, Arafat made a decision —  He wouldn’t alter history with force. He would correct it with courage.

Chapter 5: The Plan Begins:

Evening fell, bringing more whispers of fear....

The army was drawing nearer. Suspicion among the villagers grew. 

Arafat understood — time was running out. He still had one chance to return. His time-jump device would activate only once more — using the sun’s precise light on a specific loop. If he missed it, he’d be stuck in 1971 forever. But before he could leave, he had one mission left — to guide his grandfather back to the truth. That night, he walked to Matin Bhai’s house.

“You’re planning something dangerous,” he said. — “If you stay silent, the major will capture everyone. If you speak, your family may be harmed.”

Abdul Matin asked, “Who are you? And how do you know this?”

Arafat replied, “I’m from the future, your grandson. You will live as a hero if you stand for truth tonight. If you fail, your grandson will live with shame. I am that grandson.”

Silence….

Then, Abdul Matin stood up slowly. “If what you say is true... then history changes tonight.”

A secret message went out. The enemy’s trap was broken. 

And by morning, Matin Bhai stood tall among the resistance and said:- “The nation before family. Truth before fear.”

Chapter 6: Preparing to Return:

Everything had changed.....

The air in the village carried new strength. Matin Bhai was no longer a man in doubt — he was a beacon of resistance. And Arafat? 

He knew his time was nearly up. His temporal device had only one jump left — and the window was closing fast. But this time, he had no regrets. He had done what he came for. Before leaving, he wanted to see his grandfather one last time.

Matin Bhai said:- “In your eyes, I saw a glimpse of the future. You said you were my grandson. I believe it, because I saw my courage in you. Return with pride.”

They embraced — two generations, joined beyond time.

Chapter 7: The Door of Time:

At dawn, Arafat returned to the open field where he had first arrived. The device was ready. He placed the helmet on his head. The code was set. The sunlight hit the core at just the right angle.

A burst of light. Vision blurred. 

Then — silence….

He opened his eyes. He was back in his room — rooftop lab, laptop humming, lights steady.

Time: one minute before he had left. Everything felt normal. Except...

He noticed a photograph on the table — A heroic freedom fighter stood proudly. 

Below it read:- “Freedom Fighter Abdul Matin — A Symbol of Liberation”

And under that: — “This man’s courage will guide generations to come.”

Arafat smiled. 

He had travelled through time. But he returned knowingly — changing people, not history, is the true triumph.

The End