Ira looked down at the set of books that she bought , the water series. If only she could get them wrapped as others had and close this concept of secret santa for the year. Her attention was grabbed by Jan whose eyes had turned blue. She had noticed it a few times before that in the darkness of the instrument room his eyes often seemed different. They burned. Yet he did not even glance at her proposal. 

He was also talking of worm holes. "Ira you know better than most that the existence of worm holes is still not proven in earth. Your project idea may be brilliant but the basis of it is searching for a hypothetical structure.  Even if mathematicians predict it a million times through their calculations, you would not get any budget to search for it or travel through it."

Ira tried to hide the disappointment which came flooding her senses, threatening to overpower her in a mass of tears. But it suddenly escaped, stopping Jan's speech. 

"Ira .. what is this? Why are you crying." He moved forward and held out his hands, "Please listen. Your idea has merit but no definitive direction. Your belief that it is not two black holes which will connect to form a wormhole, but two suitable points of space that has an unique frequency, possibly near a black hole or even consume the black hole, is just an idea. Here is where your proposal is ..flawed.  "

Ira tried to get a grip on herself yet harsh for her to accept that her proposal was actually like a fiction.  Jan continued, " No where on this earth there is a science so advanced that will send even an unmanned expedition near any blackhole that will return unharmed, even if existing science could cover the lightyears distance. Yet is that not a suicide mission, for immediate disintegration, the moment it reaches near the black hole. Even if a worm hole stayed there or was connected to it, how would this unmanned space ship locate when it is on itself being consumed by gravitational forces unimaginable.."

Ira knew Jan was correct. She wiped her tears and agreed, "Yes that is true. Don't worry about my tears.. it was just bottled up."  She extended her hands and touched Jan's . A strange colour filled her mind and in it danced a reassurance to be okay. A voice reveberated .." We understand what you seek. We shall make it happen." 

Ira let go of Jan's hands and pasted a smile on her face, " You leave Jan. I know you are travelling ? Have a good travel.. " Jan's face hardened slightly and suddenly it appeared that he would lash out at her as his eyes turned silver. But then he was smiling , his usual charming self and took out a slim long box from his pockets. 

"Indeed I have a travel to a secret exotic location. Anyways, before I left, jumping into my own time space wrapped connectors, I wanted to Thank you Ira for the amazing help you did this year. Without you , the project to moon's dark side would have not succeeded and you were too humble to claim the credits that you should get. I wanted to get you the award of the best scientist but well you know the Head gave it to the team. Here is my thank you to you. " Jan whistled a little at her embarrassment. They always had a slight weird energy. They had almost gotten together last year as they celebrated the success to the dark side of the moon. Infact some memories still told Ira , they did in an intense manner. But when Ira woke up, Jon had been in the other room preparing coffee and whistling. He had winked at her in his usual easy manner, "You were hot yesterday Ira. I could not resist to try my luck and convince you to come over. Alas you just needed a comfortable pillow to sleep and man .. how you slept when we reached my home." 

Ira would have been deeply embarassed, but Jan had normalised, indicating her ability to sleep was more remarkable that anything he had seen. 

And he had teased, " We should do something about this long hidden itch someday right ? " Ira had been tongue tied at the sheer gorgeousness of the man, but then she had long worked under him and managed to smile and run. She still remembered his gentle pat on her head as she jumped on a uber, almost hiding her face. "Someday " a voice had whispered in her head and she had seen images of tall , deep green trees that covered the sky and she with Jan, naked and making love. Jan's hair had been long, curly and golden though in her dream, one that had coiled round her, holding her still.. 

Ira shook her head and found herself holding the packet. Jan was happy chasing the skirts that accommodated him and not an unwilling one. Or so she thought as she looked at him sitting down on a tall chair with the agility of a panther.

The pack had a bracelet that read, <<Hope never dies>> in English and then some elegant strokes that may be some other exotic language. Knowing Jan through last few years, she wondered what it meant. He never gave gifts to anyone. Someone spoke in her mind. "But you are an exception Ira. The only adjustment he will ever make. "

Last month, Jan had received a call from her aunt. She had listed him as his alternative contact in a moment of lunacy . Jan never disclosed what her aunt had said but she did overhear a soft but stern, "Please give her the ability to respect you by giving back her space and not taking away her mother's last living legacy." The house had been her mother's family's domain, one that her aunt wanted for herself. 

To her however he had said, "Come on Ira, there is life beyond stars and galaxies, beyond the grief of losing a house. Both will wait for you. They may not even be as good . Shall we do a few drinks Ira and let's see where it goes. Neither of us has a commitment to anyone else in this earth, may be some to the galaxies."

Never too much, always polished, yet Ira just could not manage such interactions. In her heart she knew that if anything could chase her galaxy obsession that was the secret crush she had towards Jan since the day he joined two years back and smiled at her, "Ah Ira I see. Can n't tell you, how much I have heard of you. Infact may be I even joined the agency for you. "

Suddenly she found herself alone. Between her thoughts he had walked off, without saying a bye for this season. She knew he would join atleast a month later and that hurt her. If only she could be sucked her into a worm hole into another galaxy where intelligent beings lived. Earth, was tiring her with the same games, same hurts, same greeds, same rejections. Reluctant to log off and return home, she chose to sit in the inner instruments room with the telescopes, her calculations, her waves and thoughts. Turning her telescopes towards her favorite star Sirius she wondered of a time when Sirius would not be visible from the earth. How would she live then..

Jan's voice whispered, "Not in this lifetime." Startled at the proximity she turned to see, but Jan had left . The book on water was there beside her, may be she should rush to give them. Yet she did not. "Live with us. " A voice whispered. "On the planet between Sirius and its twin, we are cherished and protected. Come."

She continued with turning the knobs. As the constellation of Canis Major came into focus, she wondered why had she not received a read receipt when Jan had read her proposal thoroughly. If only that worm hole proposal of hers had built in the calculations and a focus at a search of planets around Sirius. 

An earlier scientist had written a paper that claimed Sirius B the twin was the mirage, it existed to confuse the travellers by casting long shadows in space that hid the actual planets and misled the searches. The paper predicted, with an unique influence of twin stars, the intelligent life form in the planets there would have two parallel lifes, two minds , two souls, forever divided in actions and intensions. It had closed the paper with a poem, <<Wind blows from east , wind blows from north, the mind changes and souls develop paths, but the Sirius stands with its twin, creating evil and good with each swing. >>

The author used an acronym RJ and it was a part  of the classified files, dated ten years . Ira almost ten years with the agency, had never met a RJ. This year August she would be thirty. She remembered receiving an award for being one of the youngest to complete university at eighteen, followed by two years of research on intelligent life and then the agency with dreams in her eyes.  

As the telescope swung to her restless whims today, she became a star gazer of her childhood. It never ceased to fascinate her, how different ancient civilizations had similar description for the stars and galaxies. Sagittarius formed the Archer on a horse with a Bow and arrow while Virgo formed the Virgin woman with grains. She smiled at the symbol, just like earth, if it was not so abused. The twin stars formed part of the ancient myths of the hunter and his dog. 

Had the ancient people looked at the morning clouds and imagined the same images ? Usually she, her brother with her parents would play this game of naming a cloud after images they saw. She always saw horses with wings, babies with horns, apples with legs. Her father would laugh, "This girl would discover alien lands. "

Brushing off thoughts of her father, she moved to leave. May be those ancient civilizations had visitors from galaxies to tell them the actual stories. If only she could just find that warm hole to travel between time and space now and return of the Monday morning to tell the tales. She looked at the calendar. Monday was Christmas. So no one expected them back at work for a week.

Somewhere a light beeped and a strange sound came through. She looked around slightly spooked but she was alone. On the screen, Sirius shone bright assuring her , everything was okay.

Today she was a scientist in a leading international agency, but she had wanted to be a dedicated astronomer, a designation they have not yet given, may never give. Her phone rang and she picked it up amidst her thoughts, "Ira.. where are you ? Your brother is already here with his family ! Come back soon." Her aunt's high pitched, cheerful voice ended. 

Her banker brother Air had a big name of Airavat on a divine elephant in Sanskrit mythologies and his wife Clara, were childhood sweethearts. Theirs were a story of love and adjustment. Clara wanted to get along with everyone. 

"Come to me.." the voice whispered on cue. 

The telescope sporadically moved as if by its own accord. She was sure the telescope room was haunted, this was not the first time that it happened. She stood back to let the telescope settle. When she was alone the telescope often showed her beautiful stars that she would not have noticed. Today's "let the telescope lead the way" was starting, she settled down, as she took out the bracelet and put it on. The darkness glowed once, as someone moved in the shadows, invisible to Ira, he had been waiting for the bracelet to be worn. It was now safely on her wrist. Then the door gently closed. She was finally alone.