The sun peeked through the curtains of Divya’s bedroom. She was already awake. Today was the big day—the launch to Mars. She had to leave soon for her final medical check-up.
After getting ready, she stepped into the living room. Her mother was already there, sitting quietly with a piece of paper in her hands. Divya knew she hadn’t slept all night.
With a soft smile, Divya walked over.
“What’s that?” she asked, pointing at the paper.
Her mother handed it to her. It was a crayon painting of a little girl in an astronaut suit standing on Mars. Divya had made it when she was five, in her art class.
She looked at the drawing for a long moment. Then she looked up at her mother. Both of them smiled, trying to hide the tears in their eyes.
“It’s time,” Divya said gently.
“Won’t you have breakfast?” her mother asked, trying to keep her voice calm.
“I’ll eat something after the medical check-up, before the launch,” Divya replied.
“I made your favorite… Aloo paratha,” her mother said softly.
Divya smiled and hugged her.
“I’ll be back in a week. We’ll have parathas together then.”
She picked up her bag and left for the space center in a waiting cab.
Meanwhile, far above Earth…
The stars twinkled, and the two neighboring planets were closer than usual. This rare event—called Conjunction—happened once every 26 months.
And when it did, Earth and Mars could talk.
“Hey, long time, buddy! Haven’t humans destroyed you yet?” Mars joked with a loud laugh.
Earth sighed. “I told you, I don’t like that joke.”
“But I love it,” Mars chuckled.
“Well, at least I’m not as lonely as you.”
“Oh! That was low,” said Mars, pretending to be hurt.
“Sorry, you started it,” Earth replied.
“Still… there’s some truth in it. Just look at what they’re doing to you,” Mars said seriously.
“Yeah, sometimes they mess up. But they also try to fix things. They’re planting more trees, using less plastic, and even switching to electric cars. Just yesterday, I heard a kid say he loves me!”
Mars’s eyes lit up. “Loves you?”
“Yeah!”
Mars paused, his voice turning thoughtful. “I still don’t get it. Why hurt you and then try to fix you? That’s just dumb. I’m better off alone.”
“Not for long,” Earth said with a smile. “They’re coming to you too.”
Mars blinked. “What? No! I’ll never let them stay here.”
“Time to go… be kind to them. See you soon.”
“Coming to me, huh…” Mars mumbled to himself. “I’ll teach them a lesson.”
Three Days Later – On Mars
Divya and her team had been on Mars for three days. They had found signs of water—an old stream or lake, maybe. Divya and her teammate Anand were checking the coordinates, preparing to visit the site.
Divya sipped apple juice from a pouch. You couldn’t use cups on Mars—gravity was too weak.
“You know I got that juice for myself,” Anand teased.
“I know,” Divya said, smiling without looking at him.
Anand walked over to grab her coffee. “Alright, then I’m drinking your coffee.”
“Don’t you dare!” she said, giving him a sharp look.
They both laughed and got back to work. Divya checked the screen.
The computer beeped.
“Alright! We’ve got the coordinates. It’s not too far. Let’s go.”
They suited up and left the spaceship. The new suits were special—with repulsor tech that let them fly, protect themselves, and more. The rest of the crew stayed behind.
“All I see are rocks,” Anand said, looking around.
“The spot should be just behind those rocks,” Divya said, scanning the terrain.
“I’ll try pushing them aside so we can get through,” Anand offered.
“Okay. I’ll help you,” she said.
Together, they began pushing. Suddenly, the ground under Anand gave way. He slipped and started sliding down with the rocks.
Divya grabbed his hand just in time.
In the distance, Mars watched with a dark grin.
“It’s a landslide! You have to go! Leave, Divya. GO!” Anand shouted.
“NO!” she cried, gripping tighter.
But the ground beneath Divya began to crumble too. Acting fast, Anand activated his suit and fired a repulsor blast at her. It knocked her back toward the ship.
“NO!” Divya screamed.
She tried to fly back, but the crew had deactivated her suit for safety. They held her tightly as she struggled, crying out Anand’s name.
Anand tried to escape, but the rocks buried him. He was gone.
Mars watched silently, unable to understand what just happened. Why would Anand give up his life for someone else? Why did Divya cry for him like that?
Something stirred inside Mars. It remembered what Earth had said.
And for the first time, Mars felt… something. It was Divya’s pain. It was real.
The Next Day
As the team prepared to leave, Mars did something unexpected. It revealed the water body and hidden resources they had been searching for.
It was now clear: life was possible here.
The crew stayed three more days to gather data. Mars made it easier for them—no more landslides, no strange surprises. Just peace.
When they finally left, they carried hope with them.
Mars smiled gently, thinking to itself:
“The kids… they’re going to love it here.”