A daydream just like that  :  

Today i was free for a few hours in the afternoon . After lunch i started to daydream . It was not a passive daydream but rather an active daydream .  I mean i dreamed of Russia actively  though the computer was not near me to type the words . Can i call it a dream or daydream?. You decide  . 

I always had a fascination about russia or the soviet union which was what it was when i was a child . Those fairy tales from russia which were available in india due to cultural exchange policy . That influenced me  .  Tales of Masha and ivan with the villainess babayaga , of loving fathers and mothers , beautiful nature , small adventures what else a child needs .  

Coming back to the dream . I am in Russia  . I am in Volgagrad the place with the huge statue of mother russia with her sword raised to the sky . One of the biggest statues in the world commemorating the great patriotic war and the millions of lives lost defending their country  from nazi germany during 1940s  . I am a tourist visiting there . The year is 2024  .  I am lying prostrate in front of the statue out of respect and  a deep fascination . For me russia is an emotion and have been learning the language and history for more than an year  .  I stood up and saw a man recording me on video what i had done . He found it curious a non russian bowing in front of mother of russia statue .  He asked me about myself and why i did it .  When i knew that he was from russia i started speaking in russian  and words started flowing along with it snippets of russian history as i understood it  . The mobile video was recording . He told he was an amateur youtuber and asked if he can post it in his russian group  . I agreed .  

That night i slept in my hotel and next day there was a knock on the door . Two russian policemen were at the door .  The minister wants to see you , they told  .  I tried to wake up from my dream but could not .  Which minister ? kak ? Chto ? I mumbled in my russian .  Did you have your breakfast , Sir  ?  They asked . I thought my last breakfast before the gulags of Siberia .  Yes . I mean No .  They smiled .  Sir in russia we say either Yes or No . Not both . Sir seems like you dont know what happened . You became viral yesterday .  Your video of bowing to motherland statue and the interview in russian got a million views . The minister of culture wants to see you . Oh my God . Nadia , the famous protestor and punk rock artist had become the famous culture minister of democratic russia by this time . Did i say democratic  ? Yes  .  Russia had become a democracy in 2023  and in the new ministry with former chess champion Kasparov as head Nadia had become the minister for culture and overseas relations . The funniest was she was the only minister in the world who held rock concert still once every month inspite of official duties .  

My heart got excited . After all i am not going to the gulag  . The limousine stopped in front of a beautiful building . All moscow buildings are beautiful just like the women .  pazhalyuista  . They told me  . I was dreaming in the car  still shocked at this surreal experience . Wow . Nadia looking as gorgeous as ever i had seen her only in music videos .  Dobrey din  .  Dobrey din i replied automatically  .  And then i went mute  .  Are you the one who did a speech in russian about our culture . But you are mute now  . She laughed .  Ya magu smeyetsya ?  Can i laugh  ?  I dont know what possessed me but i blurted out . Kaneshna , patriot  ,she told .  

The temperature outside was -20 degrees . Its a cold winters day  .  Rather than an official meeting it felt like a meeting of friends .  She sang a song  for me  and i sang viktor tsois songs grabbing the electric guitar kept there . The dinner that day was fabulous .   As was customary i had already given her a big bouquet of flowers ( odd number  )  and a small gift from kerala which i had kept in my bag . We have a gift for you  .She told  . A padarak  .  Where is your passport . I got panicky  . There was no passport with me  . Then i remembered . The police had took it when they visited me in the hotel  . Those two were nowhere in sight .  I started mumbling . There you go mute again . why indians are like this ? she giggled  .  Then it happened .  I saw a tall policeman handing over a passport to her .  Is this your passport ? I  got it through sweaty hands and confirmed it was indeed mine .  Eta tebye padarak  . what sort of russian joke this is ?   Handing over my own passport as gift  ?  She was smiling  .  Look at the last page  .  It was an order rather than a request  .  I obeyed .  I saw the familiar russian tricolor and a stamp .  Eta nashe droog . This is our friend  .  He is given a permanent visa to visit anytime in russia  .  Tears rolled down my cheeks  . "Russian men dont cry "  . She said and  was laughing again  . "Eta ne russkie sloz . These are not russian tears they are indian .   " I told her  .  

 It was time to leave . A hug and then it happened . A kiss on my cheek  .  There was a news announcement that it was the coldest day of the season ,. Temperature outside was -40 degrees . It was my dream  come true  .  Odin tselovat devushku v russie kagda temperatura -40 degrees .  Wake me up  ..  pashalyuista  .  

PS :  Lets be honest with no humility . None of this is totally impossible  except the kiss perhaps . Thats ok  :)   Wishing for a great future for my lyubimaya silny strana , russia moyo lyubov  .  Hope it becomes democratic and let Nadia become minister of culture  .  Maybe that is what the real russian motherland  wants who is crying at present  .