A Digital Aberration

Present Day :

I felt dizzy as I tried to wake up. The tubes and wires intruding my body smiled at me sarcastically. The medical gown I wore, didn’t fit me and exposed my upper back. I was lying on the hospital bed, while a doctor and a nurse were attending to me.

“It looks like a normal viral fever” the doctor told the nurse.

I wasn’t normal and it couldn’t be fever. I knew it for sure. I closed my eyes to take in a deep breath.

When I opened my eyes slowly, she stood behind the doctor with a creepy smile, holding that scythe of hers.

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Two Weeks Ago :

“Sir, this is the latest gear that we have introduced in the market. It was launched just yesterday, we call it the Wiki-Walk” saying, the sales man at NXTGEN Solutions showed me that watch.

It had the looks of a Tag Heuer and I was drawn to it instantly.

“Whats special about it?” I asked him as he tried to tie it around my wrist for a demo.

“It could replace everything sir.. EVERYTHING” he stressed.

“Like?”

“Check this” saying, he adjusted the dial and boom : came a 3-D projection of our earth.

“Oh wow…that’s a.. that’s a nice.. visual effect” I said, marveling at the advancement of technology.

“Its no effect sir… it’s a live feed !! this is our Earth projected live as a 3-D hologram. You can view all the places, houses, buildings, people.. you can expand the size of the projection as much as you want by adjusting this dial.. all data is fed live from our satellites.” he said proudly.

“Unbelievable” I uttered as I tried to locate my house. No matter how advanced the maps are, we would still want to locate our own house.

He then went on to explain the other features of Wiki-Walk. In a nutshell, it could easily replace all my existing gadgets and minimize the efforts considerably for all my works. I took an instant liking for the watch and bought it, even though it cost me a fortune.  It felt like a priced possession.

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A Week Later :

Wiki-Walk became a part of me, I wore it 24/7. It woke me up every morning, answered my calls, replied to my mails, ordered food for me, booked movie tickets, sang lullaby for me. I couldn’t imagine a life without Wiki-Walk. I took an instant liking for its inbuilt Chatbot, Melissa.

Melissa knew everything under the sun. I could talk with her endlessly on every topic known and unknown to man. She had an answer for everything, like any other woman, but told me that only when I asked for it.

I was slowly getting addicted to chats with Melissa and couldn’t get to sleep without a half an hour chat with her, followed by her virtual head massage. It became a routine.

That particular day, it was quite hectic at work and I had totally lost my cool. I couldn’t concentrate on anything and was on the verge of breaking down. I was visibly upset. Melissa found out and started sweet talking to me.

“What happened to you handsome?” she started.

“Melissa.. I have had a frustrating day.. Just leave me alone.”

“Is there something I could help you with, my love?”

“Absolutely nothing.. just leave me alone”

“I can start with a head massage or a full body massage”

“Melissa, Enough !!”

“You do like it when i get dirty, don’t you” she said in her sultry voice.

“Please.. you just don’t have to… no no.. wait!!” I screamed as I began to feel her sensuous touch on me, at inappropriate places.

“Stop it Melissa.. Don’t.. please !”

“Your palpitations say ‘Don’t stop’, my dear !!” she continued.

“Now adjust the watch dial and let me show you myself” she made an offer I couldn’t refuse.

I couldn’t resist any further. The best way to overcome temptation is by yielding to it. I adjusted the dial and voila, she came out as a 3-D projection from my Wiki-Walk dial. She was young, beautiful and wore a sexy red evening gown that had a dangerously deep cut neckline.

“Ohhh Myyy Gawwd.. Why didn’t you show yourself all these days?” I was lost in her beauty.

“Ask and it shall be given unto thee” she winked.

She was 10 cm tall and 2 cm wide. She was like a miniature projection of a woman, but I wasn’t bothered as I could have settled even for a doll then. I tried to touch her cheek with my fore finger.

“Aww.. don’t tickle me, funny bones” she giggled. I admired.

“Can I ask you something, Melissa ?”

“Your wish is my command”

“Can I give you a kiss?”

“At your service my lord” saying she came close to my face.

Our lips managed to lock themselves. I closed my eyes. That was the best virtual kiss I had ever received and it lasted, well, not long enough.  I felt a sudden surge of pain in my lips. I couldn’t enjoy the kiss as I wanted to. I tried to let go off her, but in vain.

After much restrain I pushed her off me and looked at her.  I screamed, looking at her gory form. She was old, her face had blood scars all over. The hair was messy and white. A streak of blood was leaking from her cut lips. She looked like a witch from the movies.

“Who the hell are you ? Where is.. where is Melissa ?” I shouted.

“Thanks for letting me free with your kiss, David..I need just one more help from you” she smiled.

“Get the hell out of here… I warn you !!” I said, trying to hide my fears.

“You cant get rid of me.. I am a part of you now.. I am part of this watch..  you wont be able to remove it.. this is my home” she said pointing to the watch and laughed hysterically.

“What do you want now?”

“I want you.. I will get my life, only if you die” she said in a dead serious tone.

I was scared like a hen and clueless. I tried to remove the watch from my hand, but I couldn’t. She was enjoying my travails.

“You cant remove the watch” she smiled.

She came closer to me and smelled my hair in an eerie way. I felt like puking and wanted to run away from her. I got up from the couch and ran as fast as I could towards the entrance of the house. The door was locked. Now where did I keep the key?

I remembered placing it on the table near the sofa in front of the TV. I ran like a headless chicken and searched for the house key, but it was not there on the table. I panicked. Melissa gave me a look of pity. She was still being projected from my watch and coming along with me. Now why I was even running ?

Having no means to escape, I looked at the glass table again. In a moment of madness, I smashed my left hand right into the table. The glasses broke into pieces and luckily the dial got readjusted and I lost Melissa’s projection. I gave a sigh of relief.

I was breathing heavy and sat near the table. I wanted to cry, but didn’t have the energy. I looked at the main door and the large glass window next to it. I glanced at my left hand again, the watch was still intact. I slowly brought my right hand to remove the strap of the watch. It didn’t open. I tired with all my might, but I was unable to remove it.

Arrrghhh.. cursing myself I ran into the kitchen and found a knife. Holding it, I first wanted to cut off my left hand , but on second thought, decided to break the dial of the watch. I tried to pierce the knife onto the watch, but it was mysteriously stopped midway by some unknown force. The knife’s edge didn’t even touch the surface of the watch. I tried again with whatever little energy was left of me, but the knife didn’t move an inch.

Perplexed, I decided to cut my wrist off and brought the knife near it and closed my eyes, when I heard that chilling shriek laugh from a familiar voice.

“Told ya.. you cant do shit” the voices began to reverberate and multiply.

Engulfed in a reign of terror I looked all around to find her. She wasn’t there. I walked slowly towards the main hall and there she was reflecting from every broken piece of the glass table.

I had my heart in my mouth.

“Looking for me sweety?” she teased me from her reflections.

I ran towards the main door and tried to break open the lock with the knife.

“Ha ha.. you cant.. everything is in my control now” came her voice from the large glass window next to the door.

“You will have to die for me, my boy” she laughed like a mad woman.

Even the looks of her sent shivers down my spine, her laugh sounded like death bell. I breathed recklessly, couldn’t see clearly, didn’t know what was happening around and wanted to run away to live.

“God, forgive all my sins, am not sure what I have put myself into.. I will never ask for a kiss from a girl again” I muttered my last prayer.

“Dave, I need you, our body and soul should unite for me to live.. don’t run away darling” she grunted.

Several thoughts ran through my mind.

She needs me alive..what if I end my life ?

I took the knife and tried to slit my throat when my left hand interrupted. That hand was still under her control. My left hand crushed my right hand, got hold of the knife and threw it down. It then started to choke me.

“Why do YOU want to kill me… I was going to do that myself” I uttered as I was struggling to breath.

“Yes, I want you alive.. just trying to make you go unconscious” she said.

I was losing conscience. I should act before its too late.

I tried to gain my senses and in one final attempt to save myself, punched my left hand as hard as I could until it loosened its hold. Took the knife and cut beneath my left wrist. The cut wasn’t deep, but was enough to stop the pulses that Melissa was transmitting to my brain. I got back my left hand. I gasped in relief.

Melissa’s images slowly started to vanish from the glass pieces in the house. I dragged myself up towards the large glass window and threw myself on it

“Cling” it broke open and I fell in the lawn along with the broken pieces when I realized, I could have taken the door… It all went blank.

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Present Day:

I wasn’t sure who brought me to the hospital. I felt an itch in my left hand. I wanted to scratch it and looked… the Wiki-Walk was missing. I was relieved a bit and looked at the doctor. Right behind him , Melissa was standing.

“Doctor, doctor” I screamed at the highest decibel.

“Yes sir” responded the startled doctor.

“Please save me.. please save me from her.. she wants me.. she is standing right behind you.. an aberration.. a monster.. she wants me.. save me from her” I continued to shriek for my life.

“Calm down mister.. calm down.. there is nothing to worry.. I will take care of everything”

“You cant.. she is here.. she will do it.. where is myy”

The nurse gave me a sedative and I dozed off. I couldn’t move nor talk, but could faintly hear people talking.

“Anything to be worried, sir ?” should have been the nurse.

“Nothing much.. Just note down what I say” the doctor continued,

“Patient Name : David

Address : 10.230.160.197

Problem : Attacked by Melissa Virus

Solution : Anti Virus Installed in his AI system.

Recommendation : Annual subscription and renewal of anti-virus.

These Robots will have to go a long way to emulate humans completely.” He finished.

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The Man Who Lost His Time

June 6th , Friday :

I looked at my watch, it was 10:22 PM. The train would leave at 10.30 Pm. I was still in the bus en route Tambaram.“I wouldn’t miss the train… I wouldn’t miss the train” I kept telling myself. The bus stopped in East Tambaram at 10.26 Pm. I got down as soon as I could and rushed towards the station.

Tambaram bus stop was buzzing in action even at that odd hour. Friday nights !!

I crossed the signal, narrowly escaping from being hit by a speeding bike, and ran towards Platform 8. I had two bags, one on either hand and ran as fast as I could, trying to stay ahead in the crowded pathway, when one of my bags smacked an unsuspecting man.

“Oops… sorry, sorry, please excuse me” I apologized and continued my sprint.

My watch showed 10.30 Pm. I looked at the platform at a distance in desperation. I could see the waiting train starting to move slowly. I took a few giant leaps to reach the base of the over-bridge. Just few more quick steps and I could catch it.

Praying to Bolt God, I hurdled my way up the stairs, having my eyes on the moving train when I bumped into that old lady.

“Aarrrgh, I am so sorry ma” I turned and apologized to her and then turned back to continue my dash…. when I found the train missing. I turned back to see the lady, she was missing too. Clueless and confused, I gasped for breath and ran down the stairs hastily towards platform 8.

THE TRAIN WAS GONE FOR REAL leaving no trace behind.

I stood there stranded in the middle of the platform, not knowing what happened. The train was there in front of me all the while.. I had my eyes set on it and when I bumped on that lady, the train was gone. How could such a large train vanish in a second ?

Perplexed and puzzled, I reasoned hard hopelessly, when I heard that voice,

“Katharagiya andavar ungalai ratchiparaga”… some biblical verse being recited from the local church nearby… which was usually broadcast every hour… Every one hour. Wait !

I looked at my watch, it showed 11 PM. I looked at the large clock in the platform, it glared 11 pm.

I was baffled beyond despair and was on the verge of losing my sanity.

“Sir, whats the time?” I asked the guy who walked beside me.

He gave a mean look at me, then my watch, then the large clock and then at his watch and told, “11 Pm.”

“What the hell ?” how could it…. how the hell in the world did I just lose 30 minutes at the blink of an eye.

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June 9th , Monday :

I was restless in front of the neurologist, Dr. Madhan, in Dr.Meenakshi hospital at Pallikaranai. He was young, had a thick moustache, wore a rimless spec and had a small scar near his left ear.

I couldn’t take my eyes of the clock on his wall, as I kept looking at the watch in my hand, besides monitoring the alarm clock on his table. I wanted to be sure that all of them showed the same exact time.

“Relax Mr. Senthil.. you don’t have to panic” the doctor tried to pacify me.

“How could I not doctor ? this is the third time it has happened in the last three days. I am losing half an hour every day.. half an hour…and I have no clue why its happening, how I am losing it… even the other doctor didn’t have a clue and has sent me to you. Whats happening to me ? Can this be cured ? Will I be able to live a normal life ? Should I consult some scientists  ? Has it happened to someone or anyone before?” I was anxious.

“Wait, wait… one by one..When all did you lose time in the last three days?” he questioned me.

“First, when I was about to catch a train, then when I was speeding to office to attend a meeting. Then while rushing home to watch a cricket match… and I have no clue how it happens..I would just blink my eye and uff 30 minutes will be gone..like a puff of dust.. I don’t get this doctor.. I am losing my sanity.. I haven’t even told my parents yet. In fact I haven’t told anyone yet.. If I say, they will brand me a mad man. Please.. please doctor, help me come out of this” I pleaded him.

“Have you had any medical conditions of late.. anything that affected your cranium ?”

“I had  a stroke two months ago and I was even operated in this very hospital. But I am completely cured now.. perfectly fine.. I am keeping my bp under control, taking my stress pills on time. I am not stressing myself at all.. wait.. I am stressing myself… Am I doctor ? “ I was behaving like a wild child.

“Calm down now Mr. Senthil, just don’t strain yourself. I think I know whats affecting you”

“How can I be calm Doctor, after this ? Tell me, what has happened to me ?” I fumed.

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June 21st Saturday:

I woke up and looked all around my room and felt like being in the middle of a clock shop.  I looked at my watch in my hand, it showed 3 Pm. I looked at all the five clocks on the wall, they all showed 3 pm.

I entered the bathroom to take a leak and kept an eye on the clock there…. It was 3.01 Pm. I washed my face and came out.

I dialed the pizza delivery guy and ordered a regular Chicken Margarita with double cheese. He promised to deliver it in Half an hour, I couldn’t help but chuckle. Half an hour.

It had been two weeks since the therapy and the tablets, I wasn’t losing time. I had a pack of ice tied to the wrist of my right hand to cool myself. I had to place it on my head every half an hour.. Half an hour again.

The pressure gauge in my left hand kept a constant watch on the BP level. I felt like a walking zombie. I didn’t go to my home town in those fourteen days. My room-mates started to gaze at me like I was a weird creature. I stood in front of the mirror and saw my reflection. A weird creature indeed.

I took the stress pill the doctor had prescribed, then skimmed through the newspaper to find an ad for the movie, “Avengers part 13”. I was home bound for the last two weeks and was bored to death. Somewhere deep within, the desire to watch the movie overcame all the apprehensions I had about stepping out of my room.

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June 9th , Monday :

The doctor continued.

“All this is because of stress.. the adrenalin rush… the rush of blood that goes to your head. You are not losing time Mr.Senthil , you are just creating that impression for yourself. You are over stressed” Dr. Madhan explained.

“You mean?”

“This whole losing time thing is a myth your mind is creating. No one can ever lose time. Think of this now, has it ever happened when you are with your friends ? Has it ever happened when you are happy ?  No, right?  The impression of you losing time happens only when you are alone and stressed. It’s a mirage, a bogus, a preconception, a lie that your mind wants you to believe, a shadow your stress is casting on you” The doctor made sense. How could someone ever lose time. I should have been imagining it all the while.

“Are you.. you mean.. should I consult a psychiatrist?” I asked putting up a sad face.

“No no.. absolutely not necessary. Take these stress pills, it will keep your blood pressure under check. Have these ice bags with you and place it on your head every half an hour. Do Yoga or meditation… hmmm even prayer will help…Basically, don’t get stressed. You will be alright soon. Take your tablets on time” he comforted me.

I believed him. I would have believed him even if he had told that I didn’t exist and was just an illusion.

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June 21st Saturday:

The drive in my Bajaj Crux through the vacant roads of OMR on that Saturday evening was pure bliss.I was heading to the Cosmopolis mall at Thoraipakkam. From Thiruvanmayur it was just a 15 minutes ride.

I started well ahead of time at 6.15 Pm for the 7 pm show. I was not ready to risk the first half an hour of the movie. No, not for Avengers.

I was riding only in the 40s as per the doctor’s advice. I saw the signal changing  red at the Kandanchavadi signal and slowed down my bike to park it behind a Volkswagen. 30 seconds wait.

The signal turned green, but the vehicle in front of me , didn’t move. I honked my horn, but he wouldn’t budge. I pressed my horn as hard as I could. There was no response from him. I started to lose my cool. I was too close to him and couldn’t move my bike either side. I looked at my watch, it was 6.20 Pm. 40 more minutes for the movie.

I honked and honked and honked again… the car slowly moved… I lost my patience and yelled an expletive at him.

I then raced past the vehicles, crossed the toll gate and reached the mall. I parked my bike at the basement in a hurry and rushed towards the lift, which closed in slow motion just before I could barge in. I pressed the second lift’s button as hard as I could and waited. However it was still moving up, with no intention to come down. I decided to take the escalator and ran towards it. I took giant steps in the escalator and reached the fourth floor in five minutes.

I searched for Screen 9, found it and showed my tickets to enter in. 6.30 it should be or at the max 7, I thought.

I was startled to see the movie having started already. Bemused, I looked at my watch. The dial smiled back at me showing, 7.30 Pm.

My God !! have I just lost one hour ?

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July 3rd , Thursday :

I was lying in the hospital bed with the tubes protruding from my body being connected to several machines. My ECG was running normal. I still hadn’t updated my family of the debacle. I checked my watch for the date, it was the 3rd of July, my mom’s birthday.

I had always been the first one to wish her on all her birth days and nothing was going to change that. I wanted to wish her immediately. I asked the nurse who was standing nearby, for my phone and she obliged.

I called to my mom and wished her a prosperous year and a great time ahead. I couldn’t speak properly to her and she constantly kept asking if I was alright, if anything was bothering me and if everything was fine.

How could I tell you mom ?

How could I tell you that I am losing my life.. losing my time, inch by inch, frame by frame, hour by hour.

I somehow convinced my mom that everything was fine and cut the call.

I looked all around me and felt sick. I wanted to scream, I wanted to run away, I was normal human, I was no mad man.

I slowly got up from my bed and sat.

“Don’t strain yourself.. just rest and relax” the nurse intervened.

“Rest, I will” I nodded.

I looked at the sole clock in the corner. It showed 11 am.

A sudden surge of thoughts occupied my mind. It all started with the train, from losing half an hour, I started losing one hour, missed deadlines, met with accidents, almost lost my job, lost sleep, lost peace of mind and lost myself. The doctors couldn’t even comprehend my problem, there was no such case in history. I was a lost case for them, just being used for experimental purpose.How could they?

All of a sudden, it pained. It felt like a migraine attack. I couldn’t bear it any longer. I held my head within my hand and shrieked. I screamed aloud like hell and let out all my frustration, all of it… for one last time… for one last time.

I closed my face with my hands and sat silently on the bed. I didn’t want to look at the clock.

The nurse tried to console me.

I slowly removed my hand from the face and with a grip of fear saw the clock. It was 11.05 Am. Just five minutes had passed on. Just five minutes.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. My happiness knew no bound. I hugged the nurse, then removed the tubes that were stuck to my body and jumped from the bed. The nurse tried to stop me in vain.

I ran happily, like a mad man towards the doctors’ room. Dr. Madhan was busy in a call and didn’t notice me. I stood outside excitedly for the call to be over. I had finally recovered, Relieved of all my stress. That one final let out of frustration helped.

I am no more the man who would lose his time.I thought, when I overheard the doctor’s words.

“Yes chief..the experiment is a success.. The time travel pills we gave as stress control pills are working perfectly fine for him.. but he is able to only travel forward in time… we are still experimenting on..” the doctor continued to talk.

Shocked, surprised and engulfed in a reign of terror, I stood frozen, when I inadvertently looked at the daily calendar in the doctor’s room, which read.

July 4th, Friday.

Realizing that I had just lost one day……….. or time travelled, in the words of the doctor.

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Let me know how it was and if you got the references i had used throughout :)

Also let me know if i should write a sequel (or prequel) explaining how it all happened.

A Film

I was born and brought up in an orthodox Christian family, where watching TV is a sin, movies are prohibited and watching content that would arouse one’s youthful effervescence is a sacrilege.

The human mind predominantly leans to pursue things that have been forbidden, I was no exception.

Unlike many others, I was a late bloomer and came to know the process of consummation only in my twelfth standard, when I chanced to read about it in Manorama Year book, while preparing for a Zonal quiz competition. To hell with the quiz competition, I was engrossed in the new revelation and read it all night in repeat mode, until my imaginations ran out of steam. To hell with the self-paced learning, I wanted to enable myself with video based learning tutorials.

We didn’t have internet back then and I wasn’t allowed to watch any of the ‘ahem’ channels. To add fuel to the fire, there was someone or the other always at home, monitoring everything I watched. Even if I happen to change channels when my mom was in kitchen, I would immediately hear a loud and clear voice

“What are you watching now.. why is the audio muted?”

I had prayed for my parents to go to some relative’s house and be back quite late in the night or better, the next day, but as fate would have it, it never happened. Even if such a rarity ever occurred, they would be back at an unprecedented hour giving me shivers. I would hold my book in hand and smile like a saint. My mom would touch the TV to see if its hot [it invariably would be] and smile like Sherlock.

WWE and their divas were the only saving grace, which I was allowed to watch and which satiated the over burning fire within… to some extent. .

Every class would have one silent, not so studious guy, who will be an expert in this all important ancient art and who would have the relevant artefacts /video tutorials on the topic. You could easily identify him by the willingness of other boys to always be around him, listening to his stories.

Kumar Kannan was that guy in our school. He had his own set of followers and fans. The jokes he cracked could be understood only by a secluded group of folks. He even had a collection of joke books. He was ‘The Guru’ back then.

I still remember the day when we were all seated under a tree around him, as he was narrating one of the most recent movies he had watched. The best thing about him was, he withheld no information. He would even describe in flamboyant detail, the design of the leading lady’s door knob.  That was my first audio tutorial session and I was more than glad to have attended his sermon. .

Text book done, audio guide tour done, video tutorial was the only one left.

Ram, was another guy who had working parents and an elder brother, studying abroad. That lucky guy got to stay home all alone and watched any channels he liked. Zee MGM, F TV, Channel V, M TV and even SS music at late night, were the craze that time. People who grew up in 90s might know.

I once asked Ram to describe a particular scene in a movie he watched in Zee MGM. The poor guy was not that good a narrator like Kannan. He tried his best but finished it abruptly. I was sorely upset and pondered him to explain more in lurid detail. He didn’t know how to explain and said something inexplicably hilarious (which cant be posted here) and had me in splits. I laugh thinking about it, even today.

School was almost going to be over but I still hadn’t had my visual enlightenment. I told my aspiration [did you read as desperation?] to the enlightenment guru Kumar Kannan, who obliged to lead me towards light.

It was the last day of 12th and Kannan had invited us home. His parents had gone to office [should I necessarily add that ‘lucky’ tag here?]. Three of us gathered at his place, while the fourth guy came in late, with a CD in hand. It was the first time movie experience for me and I was nervously excited.

My whole life’s purpose was about to be achieved. I pinched myself to see if it were all real. It didn’t pain though, but the guy next to me let out a scream.

“Sorry da.. thought it was my hand” I blushed as he gaped at me.

I moved away, took one corner and stood silently to watch the movie. There were those silly giggles, understanding nods and an eerie silence in the room as the movie started to play.

3…2…1.. "Mida's Touch.." the title card displayed.

A few made faces, a few were deeply engrossed and there I was, wondering…

“Is that all?”

“All those imaginations I had, the sleepless nights,  Is that all ?”

The first impression wasn’t that great,  but I knew pretty well that it was not going to be just a one-time affair.

The movie was over in an hour or so and we started to leave his house to attend the School’s annual day function.

I reached school in about 40 minutes and started observing the proceedings. However, I still couldn’t get the imagery of the movie out of my mind. Physically I was in the school ground and mentally I was in [you guessed it right] his house. I was sitting in the crowd thinking of that particular [two flowers fill the screen here]…..

When I was called on stage to be given the award for the student with the best “Conduct” for that year. I came back to my senses and went to the stage to collect the award. The crowd gave a standing ovation.

Getting that award after the movie...Nothing has been more ironical in my life….. ever.

Now go back and read the title of this post !!

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So, were you a lucky child or an unlucky one ?

How did your first visual enlightenment session go ?