7.Th Adventure

Lesson-7

The Adventure

By Jayant Narlikar

The Adventure Introduction

The chapter 'The Adventure' tells the story of Professor Gangadharpant Gaitonde, who finds himself in a strange world. He knows it's Pune, but the facts contradict what he believes. He decided to take the 'Jijamata Express' train to Bombay. Things had changed by the time he arrived in Bombay. When he decides to look into the history, he finds some surprising facts. The East India Company was still in power, and the Marathas had won the Battle of Panipat. It was unlike anything he had ever known or studied. The East India Company was taken aback by the events of 1857 and the Mughal victory at the Battle of Panipat.

The Adventure Summary

Professor Gaitonde was taking the Jijamata Express from Pune to Bombay, which was faster than the Deccan Queen. As he passed through towns and villages, he met a man named 'Khan Sahib,' who talked about his business and other topics. They arrived at the Victoria Terminus station, which was neat and clean. It was surrounded by British officers, Parsees, and Anglo-Indian staff. He was confused as to how the East India Company was ruling the country, as they had fled after the events of 1857, according to his facts.

When he arrived at Hornby Road, he noticed that the shops were different. He entered the Forbes building and inquired about Mr. Vinay Gaitonde, but the receptionist informed him that no such man had ever worked there. He went to the Town Hall and sat in the library. He took five history books and decided to go through them one by one to see how the facts had changed. He began his investigation during the reign of Asoka and continued until the third battle of Panipat. According to the fifth volume of 'Bhausahebanchi Bakhar,' he found that the Marathas had won the Battle of Panipat and had since spread their influence throughout India. He was confused because it was unlike anything he had learned previously. Following the victory, India acted on the path of democracy. There were no longer any kings in power, and democratic parties had emerged. As he read more about India, the professor grew to like it. It was not the one he thought he had seen. This country knew how to stand on its own feet, and it was no longer a slave to the white man.

The librarian told him to finish the book as he was reading it because the library was closing. It was eight o'clock in the morning. He asked about carrying the books with him as he planned to return the following morning and slipped the Bakhar book into his left pocket. He checked into a hotel and ate his dinner. He made the decision to walk towards Azad Maidan. He noticed a large crowd gathering in front of a pandal. He was listening to a lecture when he noticed something unusual. The president's seat was empty. The speaker was speaking, and the audience was constantly moving inside and outside. He couldn't help himself and moved towards the stage, where he sat on a chair. The audience was taken aback and began to ask him to stand up and leave. He tried to talk with them, but they began throwing various objects at him, such as tomatoes, eggs, and so on. Soon, the crowd moved towards him, pushing him away, and he was no longer appear.

He then awoke in a hospital bed, with Rajendra in front of him. He narrated the entire sequence of events, and Rajendra sat in awe as he listened. The professor was unsure where he was and whether he had been in a coma for the previous two days. Was the experience he just had real or fictitious? Rajendra explained that it occurred as a result of two theories: Catastrophe theory and the lack of determinism in Quantum theory. According to catastrophe theory, a small change in any situation can result in a change in behaviour. In reality, the Marathas were defeated because they lost their leaders, Bhausaheb and Vishwarao. But Professor noticed that the bullet had missed Vishwarao and that he was still alive. Professor then showed him a torn page from the Bakhar book he was carrying in his pocket. Rajendra carefully read it and told him that people's realities differed. What he thought had happened was a catastrophic experience.

Rajendra explained that in the case of electrons, it is impossible to predict which path the electron will take at any given time. He explained to him that it was due to the lack of determinism in quantum theory. The electron may be found here in one world and elsewhere in another, but only in the third world. It could be in several locations. Once the observer understands the correct placement of electrons in each world, it is possible that an alternate world exists at the same time. As a result, the professor was in two different worlds at the same time. He had real-life experience in an alternate reality and returned from there. Both worlds had distinct histories and chronologies of events. The professor was curious as to why he was the one who made the transition. Rajendra told him that the professor was thinking about the catastrophe theory and its role in the war at the time of the collision with the truck. He was also thinking about the Battle of Panipat at the time, so the neurons in his brain triggered the transition. The professor had spent the previous two days in that alternative world.

The Adventure Lesson Explanation

THE Jijamata Express sped along the Pune-Bombay* route considerably faster than the Deccan Queen. There were no industrial townships outside Pune. The first stop, Lonavala, came in 40 minutes.

The ghat section that followed was no different from what he knew. The train stopped at Karjat only briefly and went on at an even greater speed. It roared through Kalyan.
Meanwhile, the racing mind of Professor Gaitonde had arrived at a plan of action in Bombay. Indeed, as a historian, he felt he should have thought of it sooner. He would go to a big library and browse through history books. That was the surest way of finding out how the present state of affairs was reached. He also planned eventually to return to Pune and have a long talk with Rajendra Deshpande, who would surely help him understand what had happened.

That is, assuming that in this world there existed someone called Rajendra Deshpande!

The train stopped beyond the long tunnel. It was a small station called Sarhad. An Anglo-Indian in uniform went through the train checking permits.

• Townships – Towns or villages
• Roared – to move at a high speed while making a loud noise
• Permits – authorize to do something

Professor Gaitonde was travelling by the Jijamata Express train, which was faster than the Deccan Queen and ran along the Pune-Bombay route. The train's first stop was Lonavala, which arrived in 40 minutes. Outside of Pune, the professor noticed that there were no industrial towns. The next stop was the ghat section, which was familiar to the professor. The train continued on to the next city, Karjat, and began to accelerate faster than before. When the train arrived in Kalyan, it was moving quickly.

The professor created a strategy to be implemented once he arrived in Bombay. He was a historian who felt he should have made a plan to go to the big library and look through the history books there sooner. He wanted to learn about India's current situation by studying various events. He also intended to return to Pune after his work was completed and meet with Rajendra Deshpande to discuss current events.

He pondered it and wondered if a person named Rajendra Deshpande existed in this world. He was deep in thought when the train came to a halt beyond a long tunnel in a place called 'Sarhad.' He noticed an Anglo-Indian in uniform walking through the train, checking the permit.

“This is where the British Raj begins. You are going for the first time, I presume?” Khan Sahib asked.

“Yes.” The reply was factually correct. Gangadharpant had not been to this Bombay before. He ventured a question: “And, Khan Sahib, how will you go to Peshawar?”

“This train goes to the Victoria Terminus*. I will take the Frontier Mail tonight out of Central.”

“How far does it go? By what route?”

“Bombay to Delhi, then to Lahore and then Peshawar. A long journey. I will reach Peshawar the day after tomorrow.”

Thereafter, Khan Sahib spoke a lot about his business and Gangadharpant was a willing listener. For, in that way, he was able to get some flavour of life in this India that was so different. The train now passed through the suburban rail traffic. The blue carriages carried the letters, GBMR, on the side.

• Ventured – to say something that might be considered as an apology
• Suburban – residential area

During the incident, a man named 'Khan Sahib' asked Gaitonde if he was going to Bombay for the first time, to which he replied in the yes. He asked Khan Sahib as to how he would get to Peshawar. He told him the entire route – the train would first go to Victoria Terminus, and then he would change trains to the 'Frontier Mail' from the central station. The train will then travel to Delhi, Lahore, and finally Peshawar. It was going to be a two-day journey.

Khan Sahib continued to discuss his business with Gangadharpant Gaitonde (Professor), who was attentively listening to him. He got to sample a different flavour of the country than what he had seen and known. The train then passed through residential rail traffic, and he noticed a blue carriage with the letters GBMR on the side.

“Greater Bombay Metropolitan Railway,” explained Khan Sahib. “See the tiny Union Jack painted on each carriage? A gentle reminder that we are in British territory.”

The train began to slow down beyond Dadar and stopped only at its destination, Victoria Terminus. The station looked remarkably neat and clean. The staff was mostly made up of Anglo-Indians and Parsees along with a handful of British officers.

As he emerged from the station, Gangadharpant found himself facing an imposing building. The letters on it proclaimed its identity to those who did not know this Bombay landmark:

EAST INDIA HOUSE HEADQUARTERS OF

THE EAST INDIA COMPANY

Prepared as he was for many shocks, Professor Gaitonde had not expected this. The East India Company had been wound up shortly after the events of 1857 — at least, that is what history books said. Yet, here it was, not only alive but flourishing. So, history had taken a different turn, perhaps before 1857. How and when had happened? He had to find out.

• Emerged – developed; begin
• Imposing – Impressive
• Proclaimed – to announce something officially
• Flourishing – to grow successfully

Khan Sahib explained the full name of the GBMR, which stands for Greater Bombay Metropolitan Railway. He also showed him the tiny Union Jack painted on the carriages, which served as a reminder that they were on British soil. As the train passed through Dadar, it came to a stop at the destination – Victoria Terminus. The station was neat and clean, and the staff was mostly Anglo-Indians and Parsees, with a few British officers.

As the professor exited the station, he noticed a large sign that read 'East India House Headquarters of the East India Company,' which piqued his interest because he didn't expect to see this in Bombay. According to his knowledge of history, the East India Company was shut down following the events of 1857. However, the company was still standing and prospering. He was confused by how history had changed. He needed to know what had happened.

As he walked along Hornby Road, as it was called, he found a different set of shops and office buildings. There was no Handloom House building. Instead, there were Boots and Woolworth departmental stores, imposing offices of Lloyds, Barclays and other British banks, as in a typical high street of a town in England.

He turned right along Home Street and entered Forbes building.

“I wish to meet Mr Vinay Gaitonde, please,” he said to the English receptionist.

She searched through the telephone list, the staff list and then through the directory of employees of all the branches of the firm. She shook her head and said, “I am afraid I can’t find anyone of that name either here or in any of our branches. Are you sure he works here?”

This was a blow, not totally unexpected. If he himself were dead in this world, what guarantee had he that his son would be alive? Indeed, he may not even have been born!

He thanked the girl politely and came out. It was characteristic of him not to worry about where he would stay. His main concern was to make his way to the library of the Asiatic Society to solve the riddle of history. Grabbing a quick lunch at a restaurant, he made his way to the Town Hall.

• Riddle – mystery or puzzle

As the professor walked down Hornby Road in Bombay, he noticed a different set of shops. Handloom House Building had been replaced by Boots and Woolworth department stores, as well as offices of Lloyds, Barclays, and other British-based banks. It looked exactly like a high street in England.

He walked into the Forbes building on Home Street. He inquired about Mr. Vinay Gaitonde with the receptionist. She looked through the phone book and the staff directory for quite some time but couldn't find anything. She told him that there is no such person working in any of the company's branches. He was taken aback and had not expected this. He was considering what would happen if he were no longer alive in this world. He left the building and went to a restaurant for lunch. He then went to 'Town Hall.'

Yes, to his relief, the Town Hall was there, and it did house the library. He entered the reading room and asked for a list of history books including his own.

His five volumes duly arrived on his table. He started from the beginning. Volume one took the history up to the period of Ashoka, volume two up to Samudragupta, volume three up to Mohammad Ghori and volume four up to the death of Aurangzeb. Up to this period history was as he knew it. The change evidently had occurred in the last volume.

Reading volume five from both ends inwards, Gangadharpant finally converged on the precise moment where history had taken a different turn.

• Converged – met
• Precise – exact; accurate

He arrived at the Town Hall, which housed a library. He entered the reading room and went straight for the history books. He grabbed five volumes and began reading from the beginning. Volume one covered the period of Ashoka, Volume two covered Samudragupta, Volume three covered Mohammad Ghori, and Volume four covered Aurangzeb's death. He noticed some changes in the previous volume. After reading volume five, he was able to pinpoint the precise point in history when things began to change.

That page in the book described the Battle of Panipat, and it mentioned that the Marathas won it handsomely. Abdali was routed and he was chased back to Kabul by the triumphant Maratha army led by Sadashivrao Bhau and his nephew, the young Vishwasrao.

The book did not go into a blow-by-blow account of the battle itself. Rather, it elaborated in detail its consequences for the power struggle in India. Gangadharpant read through the account avidly. The style of writing was unmistakably his, yet he was reading the account for the first time!

Their victory in the battle was not only a great morale booster to the Marathas but it also established their supremacy in northern India. The East India Company, which had been watching these developments from the sidelines, got the message and temporarily shelved its expansionist programme.

• Triumphant – Successful
• Blow – by – blow account – a detailed account
• Avidly – with great interest
• Morale booster – anything which boosts self- confidence
• Supremacy – the condition of being superior to others
• Expansionist – a follower of the policy of territorial or economic expansion

He came to know that the Marathas had won the Battle of Panipat. The successful Maratha army led by Sadashivrao Bhau and his nephew pursued Abdali to Kabul. The book did not go into detail about the war, but it did go into detail about the power struggles in India. The account piqued the professor's interest. Although he recognised the writing style as his, he had no recollection of writing it. Following the war, the Marathas established superiority in the northern Indian region, which boosted their confidence greatly. The East India Company was sidelined and its expansionist programme was abandoned.

For the Peshwas the immediate result was an increase in the influence of Bhausaheb and Vishwasrao who eventually succeeded his father in 1780 A.D. The trouble-maker, Dadasaheb, was relegated to the background and he eventually retired from state politics.

To its dismay, the East India Company met its match in the new Maratha ruler, Vishwasrao. He and his brother, Madhavrao, combined political acumen with valour and systematically expanded their influence all over India. The Company was reduced to pockets of influence near Bombay, Calcutta* and Madras@, just like its European rivals, the Portuguese and the French.

For political reasons, the Peshwas kept the puppet Mughal regime alive in Delhi. In the nineteenth century, these de facto rulers from Pune were astute enough to recognize the importance of the technological age dawning in Europe. They set up their own centers for science and technology. Here, the East India Company saw another opportunity to extend its influence. It offered aid and experts.

They were accepted only to make the local centers self-sufficient.

• Relegated to – assigned to a lower rank
• Dismay – shock
• Political acumen – political smartness
• Valour – great courage in battle
• De facto – existing in fact with or without any lawful authority
• Astute – smartness; quick-witted

The influence of Bhausaheb and Vishwarao grew for the Maratha ruler. In 1780 AD, Vishwarao succeeded his father. Dadasaheb was demoted and forced to resign from state politics. Vishwarao was the East India Company's match. With their political skills and battlefield courage, Vishwarao and his brother, Madhavrao, expanded their influence throughout India. Like Europeans, Portuguese, and French, the company was left with influence in only a few cities in India, including Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras.

For political reasons, the Marathas kept the Mughal government alive. In the nineteenth century, rulers were smart enough to recognise the growing importance of technology in Europe. The East India Company, on the other hand, expanded its influence by providing aid and experts in a region where they were only accepted as local centres.

The twentieth century brought about further changes inspired by the West. India moved towards a democracy. By then, the Peshwas had lost their enterprise and they were gradually replaced by democratically elected bodies. The Sultanate at Delhi survived even this transition, largely because it wielded no real influence. The Shahenshah of Delhi was no more than a figurehead to rubber-stamp the ‘recommendations’ made by the central parliament.

As he read on, Gangadharpant began to appreciate the India he had seen. It was a country that had not been subjected to slavery for the white man; it had learnt to stand on its feet and knew what self-respect was. From a position of strength and for purely commercial reasons, it had allowed the British to retain Bombay as the sole outpost on the subcontinent. That lease was to expire in the year 2001, according to a treaty of 1908. Gangadharpant could not help comparing the country he knew what he was witnessing around him.

But, at the same time, he felt that his investigations were incomplete. How did the Marathas win the battle? To find the answer he must look for accounts of the battle itself.

• Figurehead – a carving; image
• Outpost – a small military camp used as a guard

During the twentieth century, India was a democratic country inspired by the West. Marathas' Peshwas lost their empire, and democratic bodies took their place. Because they had no influence, the Mughal Sultanate in Delhi survived the transitions. Mughal rulers were no longer carved on rubber stamps. As he read more about India, the professor grew to like it. It was not the one he thought he had seen. This country knew how to stand on its own feet and was no longer a slave to the white man. The British established Bombay as an outpost on the subcontinent. According to a treaty signed in 1908, it would expire in 2001. The professor was comparing the country he was currently visiting. However, he felt that his investigation was incomplete and that he needed more information about the Maratha battle.

He went through the books and journals before him. At last, among the books he found one that gave him the clue. It was Bhausahebanchi Bakhar.

Although he seldom relied on the Bakhars for historical evidence, he found them entertaining to read. Sometimes, buried in the graphic but doctored accounts, he could spot the germ of truth. He found one now in a three-line account of how close Vishwasrao had come to being killed:

And then Vishwasrao guided his horse to the melee where the elite troops were fighting and he attacked them. And God was merciful. A shot brushed past his ear. Even the difference of a til (sesame) would have led to his death.

At eight o’clock the librarian politely reminded the professor that the library was closing for the day. Gangadharpant emerged from his thoughts. Looking around he noticed that he was the only reader left in that magnificent hall.

“I beg your pardon, sir! May I request you to keep these books here for my use tomorrow morning? By the way, when do you open?”

“At eight o’clock, sir.” The librarian smiled. Here was a user and researcher right after his heart.

As the professor left the table he shoved some notes into his right pocket. Absent-mindedly, he also shoved the Bakhar into his left pocket.

• Seldom – not often
• Doctored accounts – manipulated accounts related to history
• Melee – a confused fight
• Shoved – to push someone roughly

As he flipped through the books in front of him, he found the clues in one of them, Bhausahebanchi Bakhar. He never relied on Bakhar for historical evidence, but he always found them amusing. He found the three-line account about Vishwarao and how he was killed among the manipulated accounts. Vishwarao was shot, and the bullet brushed past his ear as he ran on his horse in a furious fight. According to the book, even a sesame seed could have been the cause of his death.

The librarian asked him to finish because the library was about to close at 8:00 p.m. He became aware that he was the only person left in the reading room. He asked the librarian if he could keep the books with him and about the library's opening times. The professor left the table after the librarian told him that it opens at eight o'clock in the morning. He placed the notes in his right pocket and the Bakhar book in his left.

He found a guest house to stay in and had a frugal meal. He then set out for a stroll towards the Azad Maidan.

In the maidan he found a throng moving towards a pandal. So, a lecture was to take place. Force of habit took Professor Gaitonde towards the pandal. The lecture was in progress, although people kept coming and going. But Professor Gaitonde was not looking at the audience. He was staring at the platform as if mesmerised. There was a table and a chair but the latter was unoccupied. The presidential chair unoccupied!

The sight stirred him to the depths. Like a piece of iron attracted to a magnet, he swiftly moved towards the chair.

The speaker stopped in mid-sentence, too shocked to continue. But the audience soon found voice.

“Vacate the chair!”

“This lecture series has no chairperson…”

“Away from the platform, mister!”

“The chair is symbolic, don’t you know?”

What nonsense! Whoever heard of a public lecture without a presiding dignitary? Professor Gaitonde went to the mike and gave vent to his views. “Ladies and gentlemen, an unchaired lecture is like Shakespeare’s Hamlet without the Prince of Denmark. Let me tell you…”

• Frugal – less costly and simple
• Stroll – to wander
• Throng – a large pack of crowd
• Gave vent to – to express one’s feelings

He found a guest house where he could stay and eat cheap meat for dinner. He decided to walk towards Azad Maidan, where he found a large crowd moving towards the pandal. The professor approached the pandal. There was a lecture going on, and people were going and coming from it. His gaze was fixed on the stage. There was a chair and a table that were both empty. The presidential chair was also empty. He was motivated and walked over to the chair. The speaker came to a halt when he noticed the professor sitting in that empty chair. The speaker yelled at him to get out of chair. He replied that there is no chairperson for the lecture, but the speaker asked him to move away and said that the chair was iconic. The Professor ignored his instructions and went to the microphone to express himself. He began by comparing the vacant chair lecture to Shakespeare's Hamlet, without the Prince of Denmark.

But the audience was in no mood to listen. “Tell us nothing. We are sick of remarks from the chair, of vote of thanks, of long introductions.”

“We only want to listen to the speaker…”

“We abolished the old customs long ago…”

“Keep the platform empty, please…”

But Gangadharpant had the experience of speaking at 999 meetings and had faced the Pune audience at its most hostile. He kept on talking.

He soon became a target for a shower of tomatoes, eggs and other objects. But he kept on trying valiantly to correct this sacrilege. Finally, the audience swarmed to the stage to eject him bodily.
And, in the crowd Gangadharpant was nowhere to be seen.

• Hostile – unfriendly
• Valiantly – bravely
• Sacrilege – disrespect
• Swarmed – move somewhere in a large number

The audience was not in the mood to listen anything. Clearly, old customs had changed. They no longer trusted the chaired individual and his empty promises. They asked him to step aside so they could hear the speaker. However, the professor continued to speak because he believed he could control the hostile audience. They soon began throwing tomatoes, eggs, and other objects at him. He continued to try bravely, but the audience began to move towards him, attempting to physically remove him from the platform. The professor was nowhere to be found in the crowd.

“That is all I have to tell, Rajendra. All I know is that I was found in the Azad Maidan in the morning. But I was back in the world I am familiar with. Now, where exactly did I spend those two days when I was absent from here?”

Rajendra was dumbfounded by the narrative. It took him a while to reply.

“Professor, before, just prior to your collision with the truck, what were you doing?” Rajendra asked.

“I was thinking of the catastrophe theory and its implications for history.”

“Right! I thought so!” Rajendra smiled.

“Don’t smile smugly. In case you think that it was just my mind playing tricks and my imagination running amok, look at this.”

And, triumphantly, Professor Gaitonde produced his vital piece of evidence: a page torn out of a book.

Rajendra read the text on the printed page and his face underwent a change. Gone was the smile and in its place came a grave expression. He was visibly moved.

• Dumbfounded – amazed
• Catastrophe theory – it is a branch of mathematics concerned with systems displaying discontinuous changes
• Smugly – to show excess satisfaction
• Amok – to behave uncontrollably
• Triumphantly – to win a battle

The professor was talking with Rajendra. He told him everything he saw and experienced during those few days. He stated that the next morning he was found in the Azad Maidan and that he is now back in the real world with which he is familiar. He was curious as to where he had spent the two days he had been unconscious.

Rajendra was taken aback by the story and responded after a while. He inquired of the professor as to what he was thinking just prior to his collision with the truck. Professor responded that he was considering Catastrophe theory. He went on to tell Rajendra not to smile too broadly. It's not as if my mind was playing tricks on me. To win the argument, the professor took out the printed page, which surprised Rajendra.

Gangadharpant pressed home his advantage. “I had inadvertently slipped the Bakhar in my pocket as I left the library. I discovered my error when I was paying for my meal. I had intended to return it the next morning. But it seems that in the melee of Azad Maidan, the book was lost; only this torn-off page remained. And, luckily for me, the page contains vital evidence.” Rajendra again read the page. It described how Vishwasrao narrowly missed the bullet; and how that event, taken as an omen by the Maratha army, turned the tide in their favour.

“Now look at this.” Gangadharpant produced his own copy of Bhausahebanchi Bakhar, opened at the relevant page. The account ran thus:

… And then Vishwasrao guided his horse to the melee where the elite troops were fighting, and he attacked them. And God expressed His displeasure. He was hit by the bullet.
“Professor Gaitonde, you have given me food for thought. Until I saw this material evidence, I had simply put your experience down to fantasy. But facts can be stranger than fantasies, as I am beginning to realise.”

“Facts? What are the facts? I am dying to know!” Professor Gaitonde said.

• Inadvertently – unintentionally

Professor told Rajendra that he had unintentionally placed the Bakhar in his left pocket and intended to return it the following morning. However, the book was torn and lost in the Azad Maidan's large crowd. This page from the book proves that I stole it. Rajendra read the page again, and this time it described how Vishwarao missed the bullet. He then showed him his own copy of Bakhar, which had different texts. According to the document, Vishwarao was hit by the bullet.

Rajendra told the professor that after reading the evidence, he realised it wasn't a fantasy. He wanted the professor to be aware of certain facts.

Rajendra motioned him to silence and started pacing the room, obviously under great mental strain. Finally, he turned around and said, “Professor Gaitonde, I will try to rationalize your experience on the basis of two scientific theories as known today. Whether I succeed or not in convincing you of the facts, only you can judge — for you have indeed passed through a fantastic experience: or, more correctly, a catastrophic experience!”

“Please continue, Rajendra! I am all ears,” Professor Gaitonde replied. Rajendra continued pacing as he talked.

“You have heard a lot about the catastrophe theory at that seminar. Let us apply it to the Battle of Panipat. Wars fought face to face on open grounds offer excellent examples of this theory. The Maratha army was facing Abdali’s troops on the field of Panipat. There was no great disparity between the latter’s troops and the opposing forces. Their armour was comparable. So, a lot depended on the leadership and the morale of the troops. The juncture at which Vishwasrao, the son of and heir to the Peshwa, was killed proved to be the turning point. As history has it, his uncle, Bhausaheb, rushed into the melee and was never seen again. Whether he was killed in battle or survived is not known. But for the troops at that particular moment, that blow of losing their leaders was crucial. They lost their morale and fighting spirit. There followed an utter rout.

• Disparity – difference
• Armour – shell
• Rout – a defeat

Rajendra explained to him that he had just had a catastrophic experience. Professor told him to keep going. He told the professor to use the Catastrophe theory to analyse the Battle of Panipat. In terms of troops and forces, the Abdali and Maratha armies were equal. Their shell was comparable, but victory was dependent on leadership and troop morale.

The point at which the Marathas were killed proved to be a watershed moment in the battle. Vishwarao's uncle dashed into the crowd and was never seen again. Nobody knows if he lived or died. The troops' morale and fighting spirit were lost, and they were defeated.

“Exactly, Professor! And what you have shown me on that torn page is the course taken by the battle, when the bullet missed Vishwasrao. A crucial event gone the other way. And its effect on the troops was also the opposite. It boosted their morale and provided just that extra impetus that made all the difference,” Rajendra said.

“Maybe so. Similar statements are made about the Battle of Waterloo, which Napoleon could have won. But we live in a unique world which has a unique history. This idea of ‘it might have been’ is okay for the sake of speculation but not for reality,” Gangadharpant said.

“I take issue with you there. In fact, that brings me to my second point which you may find strange; but please hear me out,” Rajendra said.

Gangadharpant listened expectantly as Rajendra continued. “What do we mean by reality? We experience it directly with our senses or indirectly via instruments. But is it limited to what we see? Does it have other manifestations?

• Impetus – the force with which body moves
• Manifestation – the action of showing something; demonstration

Rajendra went on to say that the torn page he read was about how events took a different turn and everything happened differently than they expected. Similar statements are made about the Battle of Waterloo, where several texts discuss 'it might have been.' Rajendra then moved on to his second point, which was about how we perceive reality. It is done through our senses or with the assistance of instruments. Is reality, however, limited to what we see, or is it merely a demonstration?

“That reality may not be unique has been found from experiments on very small systems — of atoms and their constituent particles. When dealing with such systems the physicist discovered something startling. The behaviour of these systems cannot be predicted definitively even if all the physical laws governing those systems are known.

“Take an example. I fire an electron from a source. Where will it go? If I fire a bullet from a gun in a given direction at a given speed, I know where it will be at a later time. But I cannot make such an assertion for the electron. It may be here, there, anywhere. I can at best quote odds for it being found in a specified location at a specified time.”
“The lack of determinism in quantum theory! Even an ignoramus historian like me has heard of it,” Professor Gaitonde said.

• Startling – surprising
• Assertion – a confident statement of a fact
• Determinism – a doctrine that all the events are caused by the external will
• Quantum theory – a theory of matter and energy based on quantum mechanics.
• Ignoramus – an ignorant person

Rajendra explained that reality is not the same as it has been founded through experiments with small atoms and their particles. The physicists investigated such a system and discovered something unexpected. They found that such systems' behaviour cannot be predicted.

He used an electron as an example. If he shot a bullet from a gun. He would know where it would go, but the electron cannot be predicted. We can calculate the probability of where it could be at a given time and position. Professor added 'the lack of determinism,' which means the absence of a doctrine as a result of external will. He also mentioned that he had heard of it.

“So, imagine many world pictures. In one world the electron is found here, in another it is over there. In yet another it is in a still different location. Once the observer finds where it is, we know which world we are talking about. But all those alternative worlds could exist just the same.” Rajendra paused to marshall his thoughts.

“But is there any contact between those many worlds?” Professor Gaitonde asked.

“Yes and no! Imagine two worlds, for example. In both an electron is orbiting the nucleus of an atom…”

“Like planets around the sun…” Gangadharpant interjected. “Not quite. We know the precise trajectory of the planet. The electron could be orbiting in any of a large number of specified states. These states may be used to identify the world. In state no.1 we have the electron in a state of higher energy. In state no.2 it is in a state of lower energy. It can make a jump from high to low energy and send out a pulse of radiation. Or a pulse of radiation can knock it out of state no.2 into state no.1. Such transitions are common in microscopic systems. What if it happened on a macroscopic level?” Rajendra said.

• Marshall – to gather something
• Precise – error-free; correct
• Trajectory – the path followed by a projectile flying

While gathering his thoughts, Rajendra told the professor that in one world, the electron might be found here, and in another, it might be found somewhere else, but in the third world. It could be in several locations. When the observer understands the correct placement of electrons in each world, it is possible that an alternate world exists at the same time. The Professor inquired as to whether there were any connections between these various worlds. Rajendra warned him that it might not happen. He stated that the electron orbits the nucleus of an atom in both worlds.

The Professor added an example of planets and the sun. Rajendra replied, "Not quite, because in the case of the planets, we know about the path that the planets take." However, in the case of electrons, this is not the case. An electron in state 1 has a higher energy level. It is in lower energy in state 2. It is possible that the electron will jump from a higher to a lower position. These transitions occur at the microscopic level, but what if they occurred at the macroscopic level?

“I get you! You are suggesting that I made a transition from one world to another and back again?” Gangadharpant asked.

“Fantastic though it seems, this is the only explanation I can offer. My theory is that catastrophic situations offer radically different alternatives for the world to proceed. It seems that so far as reality is concerned all alternatives are viable but the observer can experience only one of them at a time.

“By making a transition, you were able to experience two worlds although one at a time. The one you live in now and the one where you spent two days. One has the history we know, the other a different history. The separation or bifurcation took place in the Battle of Panipat. You neither travelled to the past nor to the future. You were in the present but experiencing a different world. Of course, by the same token there must be many more different worlds arising out of bifurcations at different points of time.”

As Rajendra concluded, Gangadharpant asked the question that was beginning to bother him most. “But why did I make the transition?”

• Viable – practical
• Bifurcation – division

Professor told him that he had travelled to another world and returned. Rajendra stated that it is the only explanation he has at the moment. According to him, different alternatives can exist in catastrophic situations, and the observer can experience one reality at a time.

Rajendra went on to say that the professor went through a transition and experienced two worlds at the same time, one in which he lives and another in which he spent his last two days. This world has the history they are familiar with, while another has different facts. The Battle of Panipat caused factual divisions in both worlds. He stated that the professor did not travel in the past or future, but was instead in the present and experiencing various worlds. More worlds may arise out of division at different points in time. Professor asked as to why he was the only one who made the transition.

“If I knew the answer I would solve a great problem. Unfortunately, there are many unsolved questions in science and this is one of them. But that does not stop me from guessing.” Rajendra smiled and proceeded, “You need some interaction to cause a transition. Perhaps, at the time of the collision you were thinking about the catastrophe theory and its role in wars. Maybe you were wondering about the Battle of Panipat. Perhaps, the neurons in your brain acted as a trigger.”

“A good guess. I was indeed wondering what course history would have taken if the result of the battle had gone the other way,” Professor Gaitonde said. “That was going to be the topic of my thousandth presidential address.”

“Now you are in the happy position of recounting your real-life experience rather than just speculating,” Rajendra laughed. But Gangadharpant was grave.
“No, Rajendra, my thousandth address was made on the Azad Maidan when I was so rudely interrupted. No. The Professor Gaitonde who disappeared while defending his chair on the platform will now never be seen presiding at another meeting — I have conveyed my regrets to the organizers of the Panipat seminar.”

• Speculating – wondering
• Grave – serious

Rajendra replied that he didn't know why he transitioned, but he could guess. The professor was thinking about catastrophe theory and its role in the war at the time of the collision. Perhaps he was thinking about the Battle of Panipat at the time, and the neurons in his brain triggered the transition.

The Professor admitted that he was considering what would have happened if the battle had ended differently, and that he planned to address this in his thousandth presidential address. Rajendra laughed and stated that he can now happily recount his real-life experience rather than just pondering it. The Professor was serious when he told him that during his thousandth presidential address at Azad Maidan, he was rudely interrupted by the audience and the speaker. Professor Gaitonde, who was defending his chair on stage, had to leave and would never be seen again at another meeting. He also expressed his regrets to the seminar's organisers.

About the Author

Jayant Vishnu Narlikar (born July 19, 1938) is an Indian astronomer and emeritus professor at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA). He co-created the Hoyle–Narlikar theory of conformal gravity with Sir Fred Hoyle. It combines Albert Einstein's theory of relativity with Mach's principle. It proposes that a particle's inertial mass is a function of the masses of all other particles multiplied by a coupling constant that varies with cosmic epoch.