Infinities
By Vandana Singh, first published in The Woman Who Thought She Was a Planet and Other Stories Collection
A genius mathematician in India struggles to define infinity and maintain friendships despite the dangers posed by rising tensions between Muslims and Hindus.
Author
Year
Words
Genres
Availability
Plot Summary
Abdul Karim's mathematical dreams have become confined to teaching in a small town in India, despite his aptitude for complex equations, by family and fortune. However, he hasn't given up his true dream - finding infinity in all its forms, the beautiful impossibility of numbers. As tensions rise between Muslims, like him, and Hindus, like his best friend, Abdul's quest takes on a sense of urgency. After all, with his wife dead, children gone, best friend sheltering from attacks, and mother on her deathbed, Abdul has little else to occupy his time. Throughout his life, he has always seen ghosts from the corners of his eyes that he believed to be angels. When he told his mother as a young boy, the fearful punishments that followed convinced him nobody could know of his visions. Now, Abdul realizes they may be offering him infinity. One day, he turns his head and catches one opening a doorway for him. Abdul accepts this gift and steps into it. He finds himself transported throughout multiple universes, utterly in awe of all he sees. When Abdul returns, the violence has escalated, and the market is on fire. A young woman dies in his arms, and his mother passes away only moments after. Horrified, Abdul barely survives the carnage and death to follow. When the dust settles, he wonders if he will ever see his best friend again. Suddenly infinity no longer seems so important. One day he receives a mysterious visitor. When the man enters and lowers his hood, Abdul realizes it is his best friend - they both survived the horrors. Abdul realizes there is a perfect infinity in the happiness of their reunion.
Tags