Chapter 2: The Girl from the Future

Aarav entered the portal, wondering what to anticipate. He'd never seen anything like the world he'd stepped into before. The sky was a deep purple, and the buildings were made of gleaming glass. These were transporting technologies he had never seen before.

"Hello," the girl said, smiling warmly at Aarav. "My name is Lena. Welcome to our world."

Aarav looked at Lena skeptically. "Our world? What do you mean?"

Lena watched Aarav with amusement and concern. "You must be from another timeline. This world is not like yours. It is the year 2327, hundreds of years in the future from your time."

Aarav scoffed. "Time travel? That's impossible."

Lena laughed. "Not impossible, just improbable. But it's real, and you're living proof of it. Come, let me show you around.'

Lena grabbed Aarav's arm and guided him into the city. Aarav began to take in the views and noises around him as they walked. Everyone were dressed strangely, and the structures were higher than anything he'd ever seen. The streets were crowded with strange cars that moved silently.

Lena took him to the city's parks, schools, and marketplaces. She demonstrated the incredible technology they possessed, such as the advanced medical equipment that could detect and cure diseases before they even had a chance to manifest. Aarav was amazed, yet he couldn't help but feel superior to these people. He was still convinced that his intelligence placed him above everyone else in the world.

They walked for a while through the busy streets until they came upon a crowded bazaar. Lena took Aarav to a food vendor and ordered them a couple things to sample.

"I don't understand why your portal opened in my bedroom."

'When you choose a year, date, and time, the portal will open but in a random place,' said Lena.

"hmm, so that was completely random"

"What caused you to open the portal"

"That was for my research on the early 2000s it was the time of extraordinary technological advancement.'

"Enough about the portal," Lena continued, "tell me about your planet." Aarav hesitated at first, but then relaxed slightly.

"It's not worth discussing. My world is full with idiots and morons who are happy to live in ignorance. I'm the only one who actually understands how things function in the world."

Lena raised an eyebrow. "And how do you see the world working?"

Aarav leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Power. That's what it's all about. Those who have it, control the world. Those who don't, are at the mercy of those who do. And I have more power than anyone else."

For a little while, She focussed her attention on Aarav. "That's a very...cynical perspective outlook on life. But I don't believe it to be entirely accurate. Life is much more than power and control."

Aarav scoffed. "You don't understand. You're too naive to see the truth."

Lena leaned forward, her eyes intense. "No, Aarav. You're the one who doesn't understand. There's more to life than just being the most powerful. It's about making a positive impact on the world, about helping others, about finding meaning and purpose in your own life. That's what really matters."

Aarav sighed and rolled his eyes. "You're such an idealist. But you're mistaken. The world is unconcerned about making a positive difference or assisting others. Only the strong survive in this dog-eat-dog society."

Lena let out a sigh. "It is not anything I believe. I believe there is still hope for the world and for people like you. But you must be ready to go beyond your own limited perspective."Aarav remained silent. He ate his supper quietly, buried in his own thoughts. Lena stood up after watching him for a bit.

"I'm going to continue exploring the city. Do you want to accompany me?"

"Aarav gave a nod"

Aarav noticed a crowd gathered around a holographic display as they walked through a bazaar. He pushed his way through the crowd to see what they were staring at. It was a news story on a recently achieved scientific discovery.

Aarav scoffed at the news. "This isn't a breakthrough. I figured out that formula when I was ten."

Lena's expression was a mix of annoyance and sadness as she looked at Aarav. "Why do you have to be so arrogant all the time? You act superior to everyone else, but you're simply insecure."

Aarav bristled at her words. "Insecure? Me? I am the smartest person in any room I enter. I don't have anything to be insecure about."

Lena shook her head. "That's where you're wrong, Aarav. Your arrogance is a cover for your insecurities. You're so afraid of being seen as anything less than perfect that you push people away."

Aarav was uninterested in any of it. He was angry now, angry at Lena for accusing him of being insecure, angry at the world for failing to recognise his talent. He turned to walk away but Lena grabbed his arm.

"Wait a minute, Aarav. I apologise if I offended you, but you need to hear this. You cannot continue to live your life in this manner. If you don't let others in, you'll be lonely and unhappy."

Aarav pulled his arm away from Lena's grip. "I don't need anyone. I'm perfectly happy on my own."

Lena sighed. "That's not true, Aarav. You may think you're happy, but you're not. You're just afraid to face your fears and open yourself up to the world."

Aarav didn't want to hear any more of it. He turned and walked away from Lena, determined to prove her wrong. But as he walked through the strange, futuristic city, he couldn't shake the feeling that Lena might be right.

Aarav spent the rest of the day exploring the city on his own. He was fascinated by the technology and the architecture, but he couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in his stomach after his argument with Lena.

As the sun began to set, Aarav realized he had no idea how to get back to the portal. He had been so preoccupied with his own thoughts that he hadn't been paying attention to where he was going. He looked around, feeling lost and alone.

Suddenly, he heard a voice behind him. "Are you lost baby boy?"

Aarav turned to see Lena standing there, a concerned look on her face. He hesitated for a moment before reluctantly admitting, "Yeah, I don't know how to get back to the portal."

Lena smiled kindly. "Don't worry, I'll help you find it. But first, I want to talk to you about something."

Aarav braced himself for another lecture, but Lena surprised him. "I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you earlier. I shouldn't have called you insecure, that was insensitive. But I do think you need to work on your humility."

Aarav raised an eyebrow. "Humility? What does that have to do with anything?"

Lena sighed. "Humility is important, especially in a world like ours. It's easy to get lost in your own accomplishments and forget that you're just one person among many. You need to learn to appreciate the value of others and be willing to learn from them."

Aarav rolled his eyes. "I know all of this. I'm not a child."

Lena gave him a stern look. "Then start acting like it. You can't keep pushing people away with your arrogance and expect to live a fulfilling life."

Aarav reacted angrily to her remarks, but he knew she was correct. He'd spent his whole life focusing on his own accomplishments, never pausing to appreciate those around him. He refused to accept it, but he felt lonely.

Lena told Aarav about her own struggles with self-doubt and how she overcame them as they walked across the city. Aarav listened, reluctantly at first, but with increasing respect. Lena was more than just a gorgeous face to him; she was also clever and smart.

By the time they arrived at the portal, Aarav had grown to admire Lena. He had no idea what the future held for him, but he knew he wanted to learn more from her. He knew he'd never forget the things he'd learned in the future as he passed through the portal and returned to his own time.