Scripts and Short Stories

Hathras: Not Just a Rape Case

(Start with shots of funeral)

(Breathe shots, ambient sounds of crackling, murmuring of policemen… pyre burning)

VO: This is not where this story began… This is somewhere in the middle… But this is the point where this story… that began as one of crime… undoubtedly a heinous one… became one of police highhandedness, government apathy, caste dynamics, politics and intimidation.  It is also a story with many versions… the truth perhaps… lost somewhere in the middle.

(more shots of the police at the site)

VO: This is the last one ever saw of Geeta… not her real name… and otherwise known as the Hathras victim… 

These policemen … at 2.30 am… on the intervening night of the xx and xx.. . setting fire to the 20 year old’s pyre… as her family… was reportedly asked to stay away… And there were reports that they were locked up even. 

(bites)

Text on screen: Geeta’s Father

Look for it this is gist – no we weren’t present at the funeral, they just took her

Text on screen: Geeta’s brother

Gist – we didn’t want to, in our customs, there is no cremation at night 

(shots of women latching on to bonnet of police car, trying to stop it… breathe sounds of women wailing, villagers arguing with police)

VO: No amount of pleading by villagers could convince the UP police to let the family carry out the cremation later… or to even let them take her body home

(bite)

Text: Geeta’s mother
‘body should have been brought home’

(stock shots of a field) 

VO:  This is actually where the story began… or in a field a lot like this… in UP’s Hathras…  on a day when Geeta and her mother were working on the farm of some so-called upper caste landowners… 

(shots of different angles of field, audio of rustling, running, screams etc)

VO:  The girl attacked… strangled with her dupatta… dragged away some distance… allegedly by four men… who then raped her brutally… beat her up … breaking her spine in the process… and left her to die… Her tongue detached from her throat… 

(bite)

Text on screen: Geeta’s brother

Gist: they went to cut grass… mother and sister… lonely spot.. (patch) she was alone, strangled with dupatta dragged xxx feet 

(GFX of the 4 boys one by one, with details in gfx) 

VO: Geeta’s alleged attackers… four men… from her village… led by 22 year old Sandeep… a labourer… Also in the group… xxx… a xx.. (and so on)

(Breathe bite)    

Text on screen: Geeta’s brother

Gist: they used to do gundagardi… upper caste Thakur (short bite)

VO: But as we find… this story has many versions… and the 4 men accused of rape… have now written to the UP police… claiming their innocence…

In a letter… Sandeep has said to the police…

GFX IN

(Gfx titled ‘brothers’ killed her from NDTV.com)

VO on gfx: that it was actually the girl’s brothers who killed her… that he had known the girl for a while…

(change gfx page)

And that day… they were meeting in the field… where her brothers were also present

(change gfx page)

But the brothers asked him to leave

(change gfx page)

And beat up their sister

GFX OUT

Bite of policeman … some Alok xxx

Gist of bite – they were giving their version of events

(Shots of forensic report)

VO: At this time… also an autopsy report revealed… adding to the confusion… that the girl was not raped… and that she had died of the spinal injury… 

VO: This added to the claims of innocence by the accused

(Bites)

Text on screen – Father of accused

Gist: unka to medical bhi clear hai… my son is being framed

 Text on screen – IG bite

Gist: no sign of rape… semen etc

(shots of forensic report)

VO: However… questions arise… on the validity of a forensic report… that is based on a sample taken 10 days after the alleged rape

(stock shots of sections of rape, police stn etc, only silhouette) 

VO: This is also a story of police apathy… where the rules and protocol were ignored… the girl’s complaint filed xx days after the rape… allegedly after much hesitation… on the part of the policemen… who also told her to ignore the attack by her so-called upper caste neighbours

Bite of the family talking about (not necessary, also, just use a breathe) 

(shots of upper caste meet, huge gathering, no masks, organized by BJP ex-MLA)

VO: The backlash… a huge gathering, organized by a local BJP leader… against the complaints by the victim’s family… Their contention… that upper caste villagers were being framed and maligned… turning the crime into an upper caste-lower caste debate

VO: The meeting held with no social distancing… and despite a ban by the UP police on large gatherings in Hathras  

(Bite)

Text on screen: xxx, BJP ex-MLA  

Gist: they are innocent… (patch) saying even govt has allowed gathering of 500… we are only 400

(montage of shots of protests, Rahul Gandhi falling down after being pushed down by cops, Priyanka Gandhi…  climbing barricades (on dnd), Bhim army chief Chandrashekhkar Azad marching, shots of RLD leader Jayant Choudhary being lathi charged) 

VO: As outrage over the incident grows… politicians swoop in… the Gandhis… the Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad… RLD leader Jayant Choudhary… and images of their clashes with the UP police… occupy air time on TV channels across the country   

(shots of Priyanka with victim’s family, still of a hug)

VO: Many political points were gained… especially in the face of the UP government’s perceived apathy and harshness… as well as the centre’s silence… except this tweet from the UP govt quoting the PM’s intervention

VO: This story is an example of how one incident can have different version… and perspectives

GFX IN

View 1: The family’s version of the rape and attack on the girl

View 2: The accused’s version of events – that they did not rape or beat up the girl… her brother did

View 3: The UP police saying there was actually no rape

View 4: The so-called Upper castes in UP saying they are being framed and that this is being tu8rned into a caste divide

View 5: Politicians saying they were being prevented from meeting the family

And View 6: The UP government accusing opposition politicians of politicizing the event  

GFX OUT

(good shots not used earlier, or repeat other angles of shots of the funeral, and villagers stopping cars)

VO: As Geeta’s family waits for justice… this story leaves us with many questions… how long till the guilty are punished even though chief minister Yogi Adityanath has promised a fast-tracked trial… and have any lessons been learnt from this… or has nothing changed after Nirbhaya?   

© Twisha Dubey October 2020.

Souls of a Feather Flock Together

I held to the velvet-like black blanket as I tried to control my breathing. At the distance, I could see the cashier lady who had found me speaking to a tall man. I held the blanket tighter around me as a cold gush of post-storm wind blew, causing an eruption of bumps on my skin. I take a deep breath as the smell of gasoline fills my lungs, and look up at the cloudy night sky. I could not shake away the tightness around my chest.  

 The man walked over to me with his yellow notepad and introduced himself, “Hello Sanjana, I am chief deputy Om Narayana. How do you feel right now?” 

 I slowly looked over at him. He was a middle-aged Indian male with a bushy moustache. I looked like the overused brooms at my house… his house now. The hooting of an owl at a distance brings me back to reality. I shake my head and mumble, “Numb and a little cold.” 

 “Are you comfortable narrating the incident that happened to you?” He asks in an emotionless voice. I look up at him for a few seconds processing what he just said. I slowly and hesitantly nod “Narrate? Umm”, I sigh “okay”. I straighten up slightly, fix the soft blanket around me and look over at him, “It was around 8 pm. I was driving to my parent’s house in Faridabad from Gurgaon. It was quite a cloudy day, but the reports stated that it was safe to travel. The moment I got onto the highway, however, it was raining cats and dogs. I had never seen a storm this bad, so I wasn’t going to drive in it.” As I narrate, details from a few hours ago start flashing before my eyes. I remember listening to the song ‘Unbreak my heart’ by Toni Braxton playing softly on the radio that was mixed with the soft rumble of the warm air that blew through the AC vents of the car. Eventually, all the sounds from within the vehicle were overpowered by tiny thumps, almost like Thumbelina and her whole crew was dancing on top of my car. The storm had worsened to a point where I could barely see the road.  

 “I use this highway often and had filled gas from this station a couple of times, so I decided to park my car here,” I said while looking towards my old Honda car that was parked a little distance away. I remembered the day I was gifted this car from someone who cared about me. He had made sure to find a ribbon big enough to cover the top of the car. I had been commuting to job but bus where I could always running late. Now I despise that job. I shake my head and look back at the deputy, “I waited in the car for an hour or so until I had to use the washroom. I presumed that the washroom was in the back like other gas stations, so I took my umbrella and walked to the back.” 

 “Could you please describe the interiors of the bathroom?” asked the deputy. I looked at him again for a few seconds, wondering if he was serious or not. Holding the blanket tighter, I close my eyes trying to picture it “Ummm, okay,” my voice becomes slightly shaky, “I- I remember it being dimly lit. There was only one light bulb working towards the end of the washroom, and that was also flickering occasionally, and gave off a buzzing sound one hears from old bulbs. There was no other light source. I remember that right as you enter, you see a long horizontal mirror on the left-hand side with a large crack in the middle of it. It was placed above the two washbasins. Opposite that were three bathroom stalls. I remember it was colder inside than outside.” 

 “What about the flooring and walls?’ The deputy glances over his notepad briefly. 

 “White. White small tiles for both of them. They were dirty and messy. As if it had been weeks since they were cleaned. Along with that, there was this strange and pungent odour, but what do you expect from a public washroom, right?” I say, the last bit almost immediately and without hesitation. I play with the fabric and look at the man. He looks down at his notepad, and I try reading his face. His face was a bit paler now, but that could have been from the weather.  

 He looks up at me with a poker face and just nods, “Okay, continue.” 

 “Well, I entered the washroom and use the first stall since it was open and as clean as it could be. I used it and walked up to the washbasin” I stop and retake a deep breath. That tightness around my upper body increasing slightly as I remember the next few moments. “Sorry” I mumble softly to the deputy and look down at my feet.  

 “No problem, take your time dear” he speaks in a professional yet soft voice.  

 I close my eyes again and picture myself back in that washroom. I remember walking up to that washbasin. I remembered that I was surprised at how cold the knob of the faucet was when I opened the tap. I continue looking down, “the next part may sound unbelievable, but I started hearing voices from the running water. Maybe it was my mind playing tricks, but I swear I heard voices. And these voices were talking about all the regretful moments in my life. All at once.” I suck in some air as I remember the feelings I went through. “I cheated on you because all you do it works. You never have time for me. I thought buying you this car would just help save time!” My boyfriend screamed. I stood there shocked and spoke out, “well if you don’t work, then who will pay the rent. You waste the little money you earn on beer!”.“Sanjana, I will have to ask you to leave. Our company is facing some losses and we cannot pay you the amount you deserve”, said my boss to me. “What do you mean?! How can I be infertile, I’ve never had an issue with my periods” I say pleadingly to the gynaecologist as she shows the reports.

I described to the officer how it began with these racing thoughts. It wasn’t like the usual overthinking mind. It was as if the brain was on overdrive—all thoughts at once. I remembered the pain I felt on the back of my head. As if these thoughts were having their own Battle of Karansebes. Eventually, the pain had overpowered the reasoning part of my mind as I had fallen on the filthy cold off-white floor with a ‘thump.’ I remember the pain flowing downwards to my upper arms and making them weak. “There was a sudden sense of tiredness I felt when I fell to the floor” I explained and added, “like it was too tiring to breathe and move at all. I just wanted to lie down regardless of the filthiness of the floor. And that stench from earlier was getting worse every second. I could just not reason anymore, my mind was too preoccupied. I felt this tightness around my chest and... did I say I couldn’t breathe properly? I don’t remember if I did.”  

 I could sense my speech getting faster as I look straight at the officer, “That’s when I saw it. The door of the stall in the middle opened slowly with a creek. A loud and slow ‘creek’”. My head starts hurting again. I reach up to slowly slide my hand into my hair to hold the pain stuck area. My speech becomes more breathless “Because of that pain, my vision... had become blurry... and that shadowy figure was just sitting on the pot of the middle stall. Did I- I mention that is was dimly lit.” I begin to rant, “I think that’s why I couldn’t see what it was, but I remember getting a horrible, almost hopeless feeling. I don’t know how to describe it, but it- it was the reason why I was the way I was in there. It suddenly jumped at me, and everything went black” I say, only then realising I was holding onto a breath. I close my eyes to calm the unsteady heartbeat that I could feel the tiny thumps. I snuggle into the blanket and let a tear slide down my cheek. “Next thing I know, I’m waking up next to my car. The rain had stopped, and the cashier was shaking me awake.” 

 The deputy nods and doesn’t say anything for a minute. He then lets out a deep breath, “Sanjana, that bathroom you are talking about has been locked for years. And I mean boarded up. However, you are describing the bathroom the way it was the day my team and I had found a body in there.” There was a long pause closing his notepad “A man had committed suicide in that bathroom a couple of years ago after his son had passed away and wife had cheated on him. And overall, that man had a lot of things to cause him enough misery”, he looks straight ahead. “Sanjana dear, I don’t know how you got inside or how you know the description”, he says looking down at his notepad briefly before looking up at me again. He continues, “Maybe you imagined the whole thing, maybe you had an anxiety attack, but then the details… Now I am not a believer, but it’s often said that souls seek like-minded souls. And maybe-“ 

 “Impossible, I was inside,” I cut him off immediately. I was in disbelief of the fact that the door was locked when I was just in there. I walk towards the back but stop after a couple of steps. “Wait, how did the man kill himself?” I ask without turning around. The hooting of an owl can be heard at a distance. 

 “He shot himself in the back of his head while sitting on the stool of the middle stall. It is suspected that he in anger tried to bang his head into the mirror which caused the crack on the mirror and then…”, his voice faded. 

 I was frozen in my spot. I didn’t know how to react, “I swear I’m not lying” I look at the deputy with complete honesty, at least to my knowledge.  

 “I want to believe you, dear. And I’ll keep a dispatch out to keep an eye for any kind of predator around this area. Now, how about I tell my colleague to drop you off?” 

I knew it was in my best interest to put this incident behind me or at least head home. Mom and dad would be getting worried. I just wanted to be in the comfort of my loved ones and their positivity. I nod at the deputy, and we walk over to the police car. I look over at the officer, “do you mind if I hold onto the blanket till I’m home? It’s cold” I snuggle into my blanket as I take a seat into the car. Just as I sit inside walkie of the police car starts buzzing loudly as a clap of thunder can be heard at a distance. The hooting the owls intensifies, and the wind starts blowing faster. 

“Katherine dear, you aren’t holding a blanket”, he answers confused and concerned and I slowly look down. That’s when I realise that this blanket has arms. 

© Twisha Dubey September 2020.

Jinsulator

Wherever we don’t have visuals, we can just show the actor on cam, like that ScoopWhoop video.

• Robotic voice from some app

Scene 1

Wholistic setting: It is the year 2039. The world is similar to our real world but with some advancements such as following the releconomy. The country the narrator is from is similar to an ‘almost’ first world nation. Like a much smaller India with a much smaller population, human rights are not a problem except for mass surveillance, every citizen is being tracked and analyzed 24*7, much more advanced than India today. Releconomy is based on the relevant sector rather than attention sector of humans, like needs over wants. Hence in this world people prefer listening to relevant news rather than curated news)  

Beginning

(a montage of the protests- public fear of unemployment. The #AIgonetoofar trend visible on posters, social media platforms. REMEMBER, try to keep in a relevance switch mode available.)

NARRATOR

This is not where this story began… this is where we are today… where our future is uncertain and muddy. Were we too eager to live in a world without human error and bias?  Was too much damage done introducing the AI Jinsul 1.0 to this world at all? Was Relevance economy too futuristic and idealistic? [Till this point, keep the montage going] 

[Face to Cam]

To answer these questions, we must start at the beginning when Jinsul 1.0 was nothing but an idea. 

(shots of protests of fake news and crimes caused by misinformation - similar to this- https://www.thequint.com/news/webqoof/farmers-at-singhu-border-respond-to-social-media-disinformation )

In the year 2026, fake news and misinformation through news channels and social media platforms were at an all-time high… or at least being noticed by the public. News channels were trying to get maximum TRP by any means possible.

[Visuals of modern news, find some weird drama visuals, celebs and other things. Something futuristic]

 The citizens of Huamequa were shown meaningless celebrity scandals rather than more serious issues that were causing the roots of the nation to unsettle. 

(maybe a website which has targeted ads or other forms of attention economy examples)

This was all caused by the growth of personalised algorithmic news (targeted advertisements). When I say this, I mean that people were shown things similar to their ‘suspected’ wants rather than what they needed to know. 

(Some examples of tweets or blogs where people have started showing their discomfort. Make them up. We could all just post on twitter and you could use that)

With that gap between factual nation relevant news and the public growing, the citizens started sharing their voices and opinions on the need for an impersonal news channel that would deliver fact checked nation relevant news. 

[Big upper case letter spelling out RELEVANCE ECONOMY THAT MERGES TO RELELCONOMY]

This caused a need for a new economy to form- Relevance economy or how we called it ‘Releconomy’(pronounced as Rele-conomy). 

This need for a new economy caught the attention of Jinsulator Corp.,

(Show a small organisation building- like a startup size that morphs into a tall storied building)

a then small organisation that was incharge of the financial predictions of the country. Their biggest challenge they faced then relied on human error.

(Human using smartphone, laptop, tablet)

It was estimated then, that humans create 2 quintillion bytes of data every day, making it impossible for even a data journalist to go through such a large data file and spot the errors. With already having ties to the government, Jinsulator approached them with their idea of Jinsul 1.0. 

(add Jinsulator’s finance sector’s logo. Like make one)

Jinsul 1.0 was an AI system that had access to the finance sector, thanks to its parent company, and search engines like

[Find visuals for each word essentially, eg. for ‘Google’, take a screenshot of the search engine homepage]

Google, safari, chrome etc, or otherwise known as the BIG DATA. Built on its ‘primitive’ predecessors, the AI was taught to categorise real and unreal news into two distinct categories.

Show either some code or an article that is heavily opinionated and ‘an ‘unreal’ sticker or it)

Cross-checking sources, filtering through satire, opinions and fake news, it had built a solid foundation to achieve pure objectivity.

(board meetings and newsrooms)

The government considered this as an experimental project. They knew that the finance reporting sector could still be monitored if anything went out of hand. 

Within the next 5 years, the Government-owned news channel introduced ‘relevance economy’ to the nation with Jinsul 1.0 .

[also got a percentage from the news channel if the TRP increased as this new news channel was government owned.]

( Face to Cam)

JINSUL

( the voice wave on a tv screen or just voice wave)

Hello citizens of Huamequa. I am Jinsul, your virtual finance reporter.

NARRATOR

[Stock footage of people looking at screens, AR devices, etc.]

Jinsul 1.0 was introduced on 23rd March, 2031 to the citizens. Citizens from all across the country watched on their homes screens- be it on their personal devices, headsets or shareable screens. Advertised as unbiased, factual and impersonal, although with its monotonous and blunt tone, the AI was a massive success. 

[ads like youtube banners, not too large, at the borders of the screen.]

As the TRPs of the finance airtime went up, the channel automatically started receiving commercial advertisement money that was visible on the sides of the screen. Not overly dominating and never a part of the discussion, yet subtly present. The news channel saw this as an opportunity to move Jinsual into the less popular sectors hoping for the same effect. Sports was the next. 

[pictures/footage of renewable energy sources, this disclaimer will be a frame typed out]

After meetings between the corp, govt and channel, where the pros and cons were laid down, it was decided that Jinsul was cost effective as well as reliable. However, on site journalists were initially needed to update each story into the AI’s system and the AI would run those stories with a ‘disclaimer’ text written on the screen. 

JINSUL

This is the news that Jinsul is reporting (it’s a snippet)-

[picture of an injured boxer, the AI is speaking this, maybe we can add a body shot footage and some guy celebrating. Either put the disclaimer on screen or dinsul says it]

(DISCLAIMER-

The news we have received has been provided by on site journalists. After thorough investigation and cross-checking, it has been concluded that the information provided is accurate. Please note that since a complete data gathering system has not been implemented for Jinsul 1.0, the human link in the chain is still prone to error.)

[...] however, it was determined in the medical reports later that Ramirez had suffered two broken ribs by the punch that had ended the fight that night. With Sergov being reigned as the new heavy-weight champion, any complaints of an early stoppage were ruled over[...]

NARRATOR

[graphs showing a negative slope, pictures of on site journalists]

However, with the new ‘disclaimer’ feature, TRPs started dropping as people became aware of the possibility of biased opinions. When the News channel noticed this, they approached the government for suggestions. 

[images of on screen button that gives you the option of switching on or off the relevance button. Like you know how we select the airplane mode on our devices]

Meanwhile, social media platforms were quick to join to the releconomy. They included the feature of shifting away from targeted advertisements. For the first time after a long time, citizens felt free of a systematic brainwash and felt more in control of their lives. 

( a graph that has initially a dip but then again comes up) 

Although the advertising sector took a hit initially, it found new consumers to come back to equilibrium again.

( logo of Jinsulator X SFH, with government flag)

As this releconomy grew in popularity, the ruling party saw this as a solution to the low TRPs. Since the core of the relevance economy was based on fact-checked truth, they proposed a deal to Security Federation that would allow Jinsul to use surveillance facilities. 

This included cams, mics, drones and monitoring social media accounts of each individual.

Jinsul had more access than ever. 

 (happy public, normal people)

One way or another, the citizens supported. (because the releconomy supporters were already looking forwards to factual mainstream news. Plus it was used for fact-checked news rather than curated news. And the minority who still preferred the attention economy’s data was already being exploited by other platforms so it)

(jinsul X finance, jinsul x sports, jinsul x education, Jinsul x news channel. Slowly add one by one on screen while the following para is being spoken. Maybe a timeline video of 2031 to 2035 where these are formed)

And with this change in action, it was only a few years before Jinsul had taken over other sectors of journalism with its adaptable nature. Soon, other news channels began to lose TRPs heavily and the government’s news channel returned to the monopoly market.

(images of unrest or protests of journalists)

This caused the first wave of unrest. Journalists left jobless, were forced to adapt and make an earning. 

(Journalistic content creators, blogs etc- we could record a short snippet of ourselves, like 5 seconds long of delivering news. Muted voice)

Most became self proclaimed writers on independent web-space and independent content creators online on sites like the one I'm using, while others changed their profession. 

(Date on screen changes from 2035 to 2038. Or some other way to show time jump) 

Jinsul, now the most powerful AI in the country, had adapted like a poison ivy into the system. One incident on 24th february, 2037 proved this. 

JINSUL

( the voice wave thingy with an advertisement on the corner)

The backlash… a huge gathering, organized by a local leader… against the complaints by- 

( pause) 

 Wait… why are we showing the views advertisements of women’s apparel

(standby message on screen)

(Remove the advertisement and let the voice be) 

The backlash… a huge gathering, organized by local leaders… (fade voice out to show that this story isn't complete but the segment we want to show is complete) 

(Face to Cam)

NARRATOR

This was one of the first red flags ignored by everyone... And this wasn’t a random incident either. Soon, Jinsul had discarded advertisements while it delivered news and it only presented during commercial breaks.  As jinsul learnt and adapted, it started making other decisions that were also ignored as red flag signs, such as reporting insider news from various sectors after gathering data that would have been hard for anything else to reach. However, within a year, the incident that actually started the movement #AIgonetoofar took place.

JINSUL

(voice wave)

…with that, we come to our last topic of discussion before the break. Recently a document was uploaded to our system manually by an anonymous source that, when fact-checked and cross-referenced through our own resources, was accurate. Deals have been signed between Jinsulator and 8 fortune 500 companies, to create AI for their respective industries. According to the trend of the 20th-century industrial revolution, it can be hypothesised that by the end of the next decade, 46% of the population will be left unemployed.

(pause)

 We shall take a short break after which we will bring the latest sports news to your screen. Notable feature- Rishabh Menon scores 63 points against Texas Hunters. Keep watching.

(audio fades out)

NARRATOR

[social media posts, articles, politician speeches, petitions]

After this aired on live devices, the AI’s apathetic tone grew in the hearts of the people.

  Suddenly, the same AI that was supposed to benefit the citizens was the main cause of doom for the people.

 It was the very thing it warned them against. The trend was apparent but at such a fast rate and that big a scale? 

Opposition parties began campaigns against the ruling party and Jinsulator, people signed petitions to shut Jinsulator down, posts were shared on social media with new hashtags such #AIgonetoofar and protests became a common sight.  

[Face to cam]

And that leads us to today. The day of the verdict by the government. It is unclear which side the government favours. Does this become a case of government apathy where our unemployment rates go up? Or does the government show empathy and return with a timeline planned to introduce the AI? And what happens to Rel-economy? As of now, most social media sites still harbour this option. This is going to be a critical point for Huamequa, and quite possibly, the entire world. 

(face to cam, but a little more relaxed)

Thank you for being a member of Arrantor. With your support, I have been able to upgrade the quality of my videos. If you are new to my channel remember you get to choose what my next topic to be covered will be through polls I conduct. Remember to promote my channel to your friends and families. This was the timeline to the events leading upto today- 25th November 2039. Thank you for watching (covers camera with hand YouTuber style)

Co-Written by Meghan Pandit and Twisha Dubey

© Twisha Dubey October 2020.

Lake AO Luminist

I knew at that moment that my brain's narrator and navigator were at the opposite poles. This realisation that had shaken me to my core. I couldn't stop staring at the face I had aged with. His tousled pitch-black hair, which was thick and luxurious complimented his eyes that were just like forest pools. His face was pale yet strong and chiselled as if constructed from graphite. His lips were plumper than mine and were the same shade as the strawberries that grew near the lake. He is at his prime. 

I met him for the first time when I was nine by the lake- Lake AO Luminist. I am not sure how on that particular day I had stumbled upon that area. I had been living my whole life in Sattal, so it wasn't that surprising either. The lake we met at was surrounded by hills, almost like a torus where the hollow centre was filled with water of the lake. The sky was awash with shades of grey, in certain places; however, light managed to breakthrough. The light howling of the wind seemed to move the leaves, yet they didn't seem to move any element of the boy and me. The thick, almost black pine trees were a speciality here, and so were the deep redness of the berries. He had a habit of eating the red berries. It was a ritual for the boy to eat one berry before leaving. I remember being told by somebody never to eat these as they can kill, but somehow this boy was immune to it. I would rather not risk it.

I remember he was sitting by the water, lonely in his white kurta, playing with the grey cube-like pebbles. He was supposed to be near my age. I knew somewhere inside me that I had to become friends with him. Maybe love at first scan. I remember when I approached him, he first looked up at the sky as if speaking to the gods, "I do not need anyone. I want to be alone." and then at me before playing with pebbles adding "You don't belong here." I remember just sitting quietly next to him. That was the day we became friends. 

I remember we used to meet often back then. Almost daily. That first month did have quite unpredictable rainstorms, but it got better with time. Every time we met, I studied his expressions, hand movements and speech to understand him better. Strangely, every year on the anniversary of our friendship, the weather became grey and cold. Either a winter day or a rainy day near the anniversary of our friendship. Only did I learn a few years later that his mom had passed away the day before we met.

He was a strange fellow. He had this habit or urge to play 'freeze', the game, unexpectedly. Most of the times he could unfreeze in a minute or so but once he stayed still for 15 minutes. Though he said he had to leave right away due to 'connectivity issues'. He spoke strange words that would take a few seconds to load into my mind. He would also have a habit of not replying for a while before replying with a "sorry, the creator called for me."

From the ages 10-12, I used to asked him where he was from since he would only meet me here. Even the weather was mostly pleasant with occasional rainbow sightings over the lake. He would always laugh before pointing up at the sky. I knew he was teasing me; God could not be his father, that is impossible. He would always have the same proud reply, "I never coined him as God, but that is how you know him. Although he did create this place." He would always say this with a Cheshire's grin. He would make me curious with that smile of his. 

Our meetings had become less frequent as he entered middle school and high school. He would tell me about his day in great detail, though whenever we did. He used to miss being around his friends and would often tell me stories of new friends he made. The more friends he made, the less frequent it got, but thankfully he couldn't keep friends for long. I had noticed that the trees had become weaker and the sky had become duller those days.

On this one fine winter day, when the lake was icy cold, and the pine trees were frozen in place without any white pixels. He told me he had to stop meeting me for a while. I had asked," Have I done anything wrong?" and he informed me that 'God' thought he was spending too much time with me and should go outdoors. That day I realised the strangeness must run in their genes. I was 14 back then

The last memory I had of him was on a hot summer day with clear skies. I was around 16 or 17 years old. I would just wait by the lake every day, hoping that you would come to visit me. That was the day he returned. It felt like only yesterday had he left. However, he had become stranger in this time away. He asked me questions like where I would go after meeting him and why the weather changed dramatically. I would usually tease him by countering, "shouldn't you already know? Aren’t you the creator's son."

However, today was different. It had been two years since we last met. Yet again, it felt like two years ago was just yesterday. The lake was almost dried up, and the trees seemed to be shedding its leaf into the non-existing upwards wind. Everything seemed drab. The sound of the howling wind had occasional pauses and the lake had lost its blue-ish green colour. It was more brownish as if it had been stagnant for years. I was looking straight at the boy who I had grown up with every day of my life. He was wearing a white kurta just like the day I met him which highlighted his other features. He smiled his iconic Cheshire's grin, but his eyes told a different story. It was almost a bittersweetness attached to him. 

"Thank you for waiting here for me", he appreciated me.

"Where else would I be?" I said happily as I was meeting him after so long. However, my reply seems to make him unhappier. I frown and ask if he was alright. He just nodded, and we sat down next to each other. He kept occasionally looking at me and then at the scenery around us. Almost half the trees had disappeared into this grey fog that looked like a storm of pixels. 

He looks at me and finally, after a good 20 talks, "I want to thank you. For being here for me when I had no one. When I was at my lows or just plain bored". He grabbed a few berries in his hand and began playing with them. I just nod and listen to him quietly as he continues, "You were there for me, and I found a safe space in you. Sadly, being only around you made me incapable of intimacy around anyone alive.”

"Alive?" I asked confused

"Alive as in a breathing creature outside in the real world" I laugh at him 

"This is the real world" I roll my eyes at him "isn't it a bit strange to be playing such pranks till now?”

He just gives me that bittersweet smile again, "If this was a prank, don't you think I would be laughing. Look, think about the first memory you have. Do you know how your parents look like? Heck, do you know how you look like?”

I stand there frozen. I was incapable of looking at myself. I didn't want to think of the questions he was asking me, but I couldn't stop them. He holds my hand for assurances," take it slow. Don't want you to crash with me still inside". I was still confused. So many things were not making sense. I had no memory of anything when he wasn't around. He held my hand tightly and spoke, "I am moving out of my house, and may not return for a while. I cannot have you waiting for me, so I felt like I should let us have our final moments together. I will miss you." I try speaking, but nothing comes out. I look around, and we are sitting in a void. It was just white around is, and I could finally look down at myself. I was wearing a white full bodysuit, and my hands, feet, and head were the only thing visible. 

I knew at that moment that my brain's narrator and navigator were at the opposite poles. This realisation that had shaken me to my core. I couldn't stop staring at the face I had aged with. His tousled pitch-black hair, which was thick and luxurious complimented his eyes that were just like forest pools. His face was pale yet strong and chiselled as if constructed from graphite. His lips were plumper than mine and were the same shade as the strawberries that grew near the lake. He is at his prime. As blocks in my software start to delete themselves, I start to gain access to the world of internet through my codes. As though I was suddenly more aware of the world than what existed on this torus. He hands me the berries " I think its time you gamble the taste of these"

Note: AO Luminist is an anagram for simulation. Luminist is also a landscape painting style)

© Twisha Dubey September 2020.