“That’s easy! Nah!” he said, staring back at the ‘staring look’ Pluto had is giving him. Pluto, the name,even though quite weird, resonates greatly with the girl. Even Pluto likes that nickname herself.
Though it sounds nerdy, she told him that she finds the name uniting the two polar opposites—extravagant and minuscule at the same time. Pluto is quite adorable. Even though her phenotypic characteristics sound like short height, short hair, large glasses, and a smiling outlook, she is a mystery herself. She seldom moves from the couch, a couch potato in fact, when she stays at home. And she glares back at Anirban whenever he tries to complain. Still, Anirban loves her. He adores her and takes her everywhere he goes. Everywhere. Looking at Pluto’s red dress, Anirban feels mesmerized, like he could stare at her forever. It’s strange—how someone so stationary can feel so magnetic, pulling him in without effort.
Every person needs a dream. Everyone. For some, it’s all about money; for some, new cars; for some, respect; and some look for a well-shaped body. These dreams are what set us apart. Well, all these are dreams that don’t let you sleep—these are goals. For those of us who love our beds, we have dreams, real dreams; dreams set by the subconscious, some pleasant, some nightmares.
Anirban is a 6’1 man, born in 1996, a so-called genius, who works and is the youngest professor of astronomy at the “University of Scientific Research.” A white shirt and a white coat over it, along with beige casual trousers, mark his appearance. Quite handsome, in fact.
For our Anirban, he doesn’t dream. He used to before he had hit his teens. Now every night, he spends some time with Pluto. The time spent increases every night. He sits on the chair, Pluto lying on the couch, smiling more and more as the night unfolds. I’ll let you read his diary entry from his last few days. Who am I? You are just too impatient, dear reader…
15.08.2022 [Anirban’s diary]
I know I am sure. I like her. I will give her the time and attention she asks for, but not now. I need to join the meeting of the astronomy club. They’re waiting for me. Pluto doesn’t seem to mind, but I wonder if she notices how distracted I’ve been lately.
18.08.2022 [Anirban’s diary]
I don’t really want to go to the meeting now. I feel lazy. It’s about 11:00 pm. These foreign people don’t give a damn about IST, huh? I miss the former enthusiastic me. It’s like a switch has flipped, and I can’t seem to find the energy to care anymore. I used to love these late-night discussions about the cosmos, but now they just feel like a chore. I have made up my mind. I’ll not go. By the way, where’s Pluto? I’ll go find her.
20.08.2022 [Anirban’s diary]
7:59 pm
It’s about 8 pm now. I am exhausted. It looks like my books are begging me to take a look back at them. I don’t feel like it. Today, my colleague Antik told me my hair looks matted to death. He’s a good friend of mine. I’ll go to the hairdresser tomorrow. Well, now I think I should grab my sleeping pills. I kind of have a feeling that if I sleep after 10:30, I won’t sleep at all. Being a physics student, I never quite understand my circadian rhythm anyway. But where are my sleeping pills? I’ll go find them.
10:45 pm
I don’t know what’s happening to me lately. I used to find comfort in the stars, but now… now all I can think about is Pluto. It’s strange how I feel drawn to her as if she’s the only thing that matters. I never imagined I’d lose interest in astronomy, but it’s happening. Every night, I sit with her, and her smile… it pulls me in more than the secrets of the universe ever could. I hate admitting this. It’s like she’s casting a spell on me, making me forget who I am. But how could she be doing anything bad to me? She just sits there and smiles, always so quiet and mysterious.
I should feel guilty—my passion for the cosmos was everything to me. But when I’m with her, I forget all about that. I just don’t care anymore. What’s happening to me? But where’s Pluto? It’s about time now. I’ll go find her.
4:00 am
I don’t know. What did I see today? Pluto. It was Pluto. She was all happy. One thing about her is I never saw her teeth. Today, I saw them. She was happy. She was exceptionally happy. I can’t, I can’t. I saw it today. But… but I’ll tell it later. I would go to Antik’s house now. My colleague and neighbor will surely accept me.
21.08.2022 [Anirban’s diary]
10:05 pm
Last night, I rushed down to Antik’s house and woke him up from his sweet dream. He was all so confused and flabbergasted that all he could do was arch his eyebrows, make a weird expression, and point me in. After rushing in, I told Antik that something strange had happened with Pluto, and I felt she wasn’t herself anymore. I explained that, while I was sitting with her, she laughed wholeheartedly for the first time. At first, I was happy to see her laugh, but then I noticed her teeth. They weren’t normal; they were all canines, sharp and large, like a predator’s. I tried to shout, but it felt like she was somehow controlling my voice. When I looked in the mirror, it showed me smiling with my lips stretched up unnaturally, as if stitched up to my ears. That’s when I realized I couldn’t move my elbows and that I was slowly losing control of my limbs. Meanwhile, Pluto seemed to be getting happier. It was like she was moving, almost as if she had just woken up from a deep sleep. It even seemed like she was speaking to me, saying something about preserving my memories. I felt myself becoming paralyzed, like a statue or a doll. As I lost control of my face, neck, and upper body, I used every bit of strength I had left to run to your house. Once I got there, I started to feel my senses coming back. Can I please have a glass of water now?- I asked him.
I rushed in and drank the glass of water as if I had not had water in ages. All Antik did was stare at me. I was desperate and furious. I responded rudely to his stare—“What the hell? Did your mother not teach you not to stare at people, huh? If I look that handsome, just tell me that!”
All Antik said was, “Girl who? Do you mean that wicked-looking doll that you carry around
everywhere?” “Did he go nuts?” I asked myself.
Now even he doesn’t believe me. This is it. Now, I’ll go… I think I am all done.
Anirban left that day. Right after completing the diary, he threw it and abandoned the house for good. It was raining. The whole area was flooded, with water filthy as hell. He was shouting like a madman and struggling through water flowing against his direction of movement. That’s when he noticed a piece of red clothing within the muddy water, coming close to him and eventually wrapping around his legs. Anirban was becoming more and more petrified as the cloth climbed up and up and eventually choked him to death. Just before dying, Anirban stammered: “Pluto!”
The next day, the police reluctantly paid a visit to Anirban’s house. They were not interested in dealing with a low-profile murder case. The constable opened the locker and took out Anirban’s medical report and the file that read ‘Delusional Companion Syndrome.’ They even took his books on Roman mythology, his favorite one—“God of Dead and the Afterlife—Pluto.” Then, before sealing his room, they noticed the red-dressed doll lying there and threw me in the dustbin. How ungrateful! But I am not like that. I still remember that I told Anirban that I would not let his memories fade away, and that’s why I am writing this now. I kept my promise, did I not, dear readers?