Doomsday revisited ~ but now it is for real !

Somewhere on the beach in a South Indian Metro

6.00 am: December 21, 2014: Exactly 2 years after the Doomsday of 2012 that never happened

A weary Sam, who had moved on from the Metro City back to his hometown, slowly picked up the metal piece from the wet sand. It seemed very familiar and instantly Sam started rubbing it off on his shirt sleeve and held it up against the morning sun. He could not be wrong, the insignia on the belt buckle was distinct, it was the Gott Mit Uns, the German military symbol brought back memories of good friend Matt. He was sure it belonged to Matt, and could not hold on to the emotions any further.

“Where are you man, what are doing in this city and on the beach so early in the morning…? Er… WHAT… Hold on… I am coming there in half hour”, Ronnie hung up the phone, same response from a startled Joe, who too promised to meet in almost the same time.

Over the next 30 minutes, Sam’s mind took him back in time reminiscing the months he had spent in the city, the fun times with Ronnie and Joe two years back, then his own career and life that had taken him through various ups and downs. Regret was not the thought on his mind, but then yes the creative thinker was now short of reasoning and felt a deep thaw in his heart. Time had to be rewound, wish the clock turned back.

Sam’s thoughts now moved back to Christmas 2013, almost exactly a year back, a reunion of the trio at the same roadside tea shop, where in their heydays Sam and Joe endlessly pulled Ronnie’s legs and regaled. But this time around it was different; the meeting with Matt was the highlight.

The Globetrotting young man in his early thirties was introduced as an acquaintance by Ronnie to the other two. Impeccably dressed, sharp features, rich British accent and a fine sense of humour, Matt (his short name) was at ease with the dirt and dust of the surroundings, he was not new to the place. He even understood the local language. For someone who could pass off as an undercover agent, Matt was actually an architecture graduate whose interest in medieval history and civilizations had taken him across Europe. 

He shared as much of his knowledge of the 17^th Century as of the World War II period. Sam remembered asking him about the belt buckle “Are you a Nazi sympathizer?” “No”, replied Matt nonchalantly, “this is one of the rare pieces that I picked up during my recent visit to Bali in Indonesia from a street side hawker”. 

He told the trio that it was an original Nazi piece that must have landed in the South East Asian island through some travellers.
Matt was not very religious but a quite worshipper who explained Gott Mit Uns meant ‘God With Us’.

Matt was affluent and much affable, over the next three days he hit out well with Joe, Sam and Ronnie. They went around the southern town 60 km from the metro city known for its 9^th century monolithic temples. Matt would click pictures endlessly and speak of the architectural marvel that place was. Soon they were discussing evolution from the monolithic days to the scientific era with its technological advancement and the internet revolution. Matt seemed lost in thought and would in bits and pieces keep mumbling “technological advancement is a myth” and rub off the sand on the shore temple carvings and keenly observe the beauty and make notes. “December 26^th 2004 is just an example that humans can’t withstand nature’s fury, technological advancement is a myth and the world will be more clueless soon”, Matt sounded sad talking of the Tsunami, but there was more to come.

Joe asked Matt jokingly “are you predicting something like Nostradamus’ end of the World?” Ronnie turned away, Sam laughed loud, Matt just muttered “an end the World may never decipher” and his last statement was quite cryptic.

On Christmas eve Matt bid good bye to the friends and flew off to Bangkok, the pagodas and the Thai architecture attracted him much. While parting he promised the trio to meet again in the same city a day before Christmas next year.

7.00 am: Sipping tea on the beach Joe and Ronnie join Sam in unravelling the events over the last year, the mysterious disappearance of Matt and the cluelessness of the World in locating him. Ronnie held the Gott Mit Uns in his palm and spoke out loud “it is his, I have no doubt”. Joe, still in his tennis apparel, queried “how sure are you”? Sam had the same question in mind and Ronnie replied “The blunted beak of the Eagle has got the scratch when Matt fell while rock climbing last year, he showed me that”.

Next question all three came up with – Did Matt return here after leaving India last? The answer was No.

Ronnie turned towards the sea and said “last anyone heard from him was me, he called and wished on my birthday - March 6^th, said he was flying to China in couple of days and will be in Netherlands a fortnight later”.

In fact that was the last anyone heard from him, Ronnie tried contacting Matt’s other friends who too knew nothing much.

In the days after Matt’s disappearance endless search for the slightest of clue of his whereabouts seemed to no avail, conspiracy theories floated even as billions of dollars were spent by multiple nations bearing no trace of any evidence of the big bird Matt was flying in.

For someone who seemed like a clairvoyant through his utterings Matt surely knew more than the World would ever know – How else could one explain ‘an end the World will never decipher’ and ‘Gott Mit Uns’?

As 2014 ends there are absolutely no answers to when the mystery will be solved, will this remain as the most mysterious of happenings ever? The disappearance of MH 370 continues to perplex the World and is a challenge the ultra modern technological know-how is puzzled of.

The 'God With Us' is silent.

Rest in Peace!

Related Read: … And thus the World Ended on Doomsday December 21st!

Disclaimer:

This is purely a work of fiction and Matt is just a figment of imagination.

Sam, Joe and Ronnie are fictitious characters inspired from real life friends.