Romit soared high above a ridge, his boots barely skimming the powdery surface. The stars blinked like diamonds, and the silence of space made every giggle between him and Ronak sound magical.
"Look, Ronak! We’re astronauts for real! Let’s see who can jump the highest!"
"I bet I can leap all the way to that big rock!"
Their laughter mingled with the faint hum of their oxygen tanks, while in the distance, a flag with their family’s name fluttered gently.
Romit knelt down, scooping up sparkling dust into a small container. He imagined bringing it home to show Murad and Shakila.
"Do you think Mom and Dad will believe we found real moon crystals?"
"Maybe they’ll put them on the fridge next to our drawings!"
Just then, a shooting star streaked across the sky, painting a trail of blue light behind the boys. They both stared in awe, feeling as if the universe itself was putting on a show just for them.
Ronak ran ahead, waving his arms at the rover.
"Hello, little robot! Want to play with us?"
The rover’s lights blinked in response, and it began to draw a smiley face in the dust. Romit grinned, feeling a warm rush of friendship across the cold lunar surface.
"Let’s race it to the moon buggy! Last one there is a space slug!"
They dashed off, kicking up shimmering trails behind them.
Shakila stood by the bed, her hand on Romit’s shoulder.
"Romit, it’s time to wake up. You’ll be late for school!"
Romit blinked, confusion giving way to a sleepy smile as he realized he was home.
"But Mom, I was just about to win a race on the moon!"
Romit recounted every detail, from the sparkling dust to the friendly rover, waving his arms for emphasis.
"And then the robot drew a smiley face and we raced to the moon buggy. You should have seen it, Dad!"
"Sounds like you had quite an adventure, astronaut Romit,"
"Maybe you’ll go to the real moon one day,"
"Next time, take me too!"
Their laughter filled the kitchen, the dream lingering sweetly between bites of breakfast.
Romit grinned, happiness bubbling inside him. Even though he was back on Earth, the magic of his moon adventure stayed with him, making the start of a new school day feel just a little more extraordinary.
