The water and the salt mixed together to produce a blue colored Copper Sulphate solution. Ava’s face immediately brightened up as she finished her chemistry experiment.
2H2O + CuSO4 => CuSO4.2H2O
She wrote down in her lab notebook.
With the heat turned up all she had to do was to wait now for the bright blue crystals to form and cluster around the string she had thrown into the flask earlier. Her bespectacled brother Anni nodded in excitement. There was more than just the science behind the chemistry that was exciting. Anni was a budding astrologer and had recommended Ava to wear blue colored crystals to improve her mental abilities. It was an astro-scientifical test. Ava wanted to be a scientist when she grew up- an astronomical physicist precisely. These crystal enhancements were a good-to-have, she thought. Anni wanted to be a crystals astrologer and was doing his own independent research on what good crystals could do to people. His logic behind CuS04 was that it was blue, and blue stood for calm. It also represented the zodiac sign of Pisces represented by Jupiter which aspects Virgo- logic. So, it must work.
The siblings were 17 and 12 years old and studying in 11th and 8th classes respectively. On some levels their frequencies really matched. They both thought about the universe in a benevolent way and were in awe of what could happen when the forces of science- astronomy and astrology were put together. Their parents, Sheila and Mahesh were liberal and optimistic about this.
What would Copper Sulphate earrings look like? Ava thought. She would call them Blu-studs. She sat down to check her astrological chart again and looked at some stones that were recommended to her last time by Anni. Blue was her color. But she also liked Ruby and thought that would work quite well on her too. Ruby was red and perhaps stood for Mars – that would help her engineering skills she thought. She even asked her mum to get her a real ruby pendant, but her mom said it was too expensive and she was not in favor of them using astrology for academic achievements. They should use their minds, not the stones -she said firmly.
About 15 mins later, blue crystal clusters were formed inside the solution looking like an odd-shaped necklace. Anni hurried into the kitchen and came back carrying steel tongs used to make chapattis. They lifted the necklace out of the solution and put it on a napkin to dry. After another 5 mins wait the necklace had dried. Ava rushed with this half-baked beauty to her mother and asked her to use her sewing skills to create something beautiful for her to wear. Her mom stared at both the fellas and frowningly went to her room taking the necklace along. Half an hour later, lo and behold- the glittering blue crystals necklace was ready! It was more beautiful than Ava had ever imagined. She glanced at Anni- he looked prouder than ever. They hugged each other!
