As soon as Professor Tabsum entered the room of a luxurious five-star hotel in New York, she only glanced briefly at the room, ignoring its beauty. She paid the young man who was bringing the luggage and closed the door. The professor had visited New York many times before; her first visit there was related to receiving an award. Due to severe fatigue, she sat on the sofa, then, lost in thought, took out her phone and started browsing social media. Among the news she scrolled through, her attention was caught by an image of a fierce wolf with the caption: 'Third death in Bahraich, UP state, from wolf attack.'
This news evoked a sudden emotional response in Professor Tabsum, as if something had been recalled, and tears began to stream down her cheeks through her thick glasses. Professor Tabsum, who taught physics at Chandrasekhar University, was a prominent researcher in the country, whose opinion was sought in various governmental and non-governmental projects. Previously, she worked as a consultant in PMO. Her physics books were used not only in the country but also in the curricula of international universities. For many years, she conducted research in the field of time travel, being convinced of its complete feasibility. In an interview with a German magazine, she stated that in the future she would be able to prove the possibility of moving through time forward or backward, although many distinguished scientists in Science World Journal ridiculed her claims.
Despite significant professional achievements, Professor Tabsum felt lonely in her personal life as she had no brothers or sisters. Her husband passed away ten years ago. She had a young son, Murtaza, who died in an accident three years ago. Once, when terror raged in the forest behind Professor Tabsum's house due to predatory wolves, these same wolves attacked Murtaza. The attack was so severe that Murtaza's body was never found.
Professor Tabsum had already experienced the loss of her husband, and the death of her son further weakened her internally, yet she demonstrated her strength to the world. It was the news about the wolves in the newspaper that reminded her of all this. At that moment, as she recalled the past, there was a knock on the hotel room door. She got up and opened the door, where an unfamiliar young woman was standing. The girl asked permission to enter, saying, 'I, I, I, please, may I come in... It is very urgent.' She was dressed in strange loose black trousers and a baggy shirt, had large blue eyes, and long, loose hair.
Professor Tabsum noticed the anxiety on the girl's face and looked at her as if she had seen this girl somewhere before. She said, 'Come in, come in.' The girl entered and sat in an armchair opposite the sofa. Professor Tabsum also sat down. Professor Tabsum took a deep breath and started the conversation: 'For the last two and a half weeks, I have noticed that you are following me everywhere I go. I saw you on the day of Mr. ADG's son's reception in Delhi, near the exit. After that, I saw you in the Pacific Mall parking lot. One night I even saw you near my home. And now here, in New York. Who are you? What do you want?'
The girl replied, 'Madam, please don't worry. I, I, I am just your fan. I don't want to harm you.' The professor continued, 'I only needed to see your face to understand who you are, so I invited you inside. Tell me... what do you want?' The girl insisted, 'Ma'am... I am a big fan of yours and I came for a very important matter, and I came from far away.' The professor asked, 'From far away, you mean? Did you come from another country?' The girl answered, 'No, ma'am, I...' She approached the professor and declared, 'I am from the world 300 years in the future. I am a time traveler.'
Professor Tabsum's face suddenly changed, and she laughed loudly. 'Alright, I understand, you are a time traveler.' The blue-eyed girl nodded seriously. The professor joked, 'Of course, some mischievous kids from my class sent you. Aren't you ashamed to prank a teacher?' The girl countered, 'Ma'am, please, you are misunderstanding. No one sent me. I came myself to meet you. My meeting with you is very important. I know it will be hard for you to believe. But it is true for everyone.'
Professor Tabsum, enjoying the game, said, 'What do you mean 'for everyone'? Oh, you have met other people too... I see.' She continued, 'Fine, let's assume you are a time traveler, but how did you get here? Ah, let me guess... You just wanted to go back 300 years one morning. You got up, put on makeup, put on strange clothes, and got into a time machine to travel, right?'
The girl explained, 'Madam, where I come from, a time machine is not some special thing. Yes, it is a bit expensive, but most major media outlets have them. In fact, I am a journalist.' Then she reached out her hand and introduced herself, 'My name is Naina.' Professor Tabsum also began to enjoy the conversation. They shook hands, after which she stood up, poured herself water from a pitcher, and said, 'So, Miss Naina, you are a journalist from the year 2326... Right? Nice to meet you. A journalist from the future.'