The Mask-Gen Chronicles

By Jayaraj V Thoppil

An uncanny juncture where humans are turning the earth into a graveyard! No one knows whether it is a misstep or a measured attempt...

When everyone terms it as an unforeseen onset of a pandemic, a young man, Brahm, dreams of it as an expected arrival of an avatar called ‘Coronavirus’, here to clean up the world of its present mess of unethical practices.

Brahm reaches his hometown to drop off his parents who were visiting him and his newly wedded wife, Mary. Stuck in the small town, unable to return to his wife in NCR, Brahm persuades his close friend, Ratna, an aspiring author, to write an epic on the deadly incarnation he envisions; mainly to alleviate his boredom of the unprecedented time ahead. Mary, a virologist, decides to help.

However, as the epic progresses, it takes Ratna to a concealed crime file, which seems to point its finger right back at Brahm!

As an entire generation is stuck in a situation masked with time, and is turning into the so called ‘Mask-Gen’, is there more to all this than meets the eye?

• Language: English
• Publisher: One Point Six Technologies Pvt Ltd
• Release date: Aug 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9789356107625

Jayaraj V Thoppil

Jayaraj.V. Thoppil hails from God's own country and presently lives in Millenium city of India.His debut work 'Alcohol', published by Frog Books, uncovers the unknown dimensions of every alcoholic, Later while launching its second edition, it was renamed 'One Pint of Cheers' by Tate Publishers, USA. Notion Books launched its third edition in India.His recent offer to the literary world 'Bluebook of Transitory Souls', a mystery fiction, was published by Leadstart Publishing in 2020 and continues mesmerizing readers across the globe.Currently, he serves in the foremost automobile company in the country as a quality control professional. His unquenched passion for creative writing and fine art finally led him to the literary world. He indulges in reading, sketching, music, and playing badminton during most of his leisure hours.He is married to Sumini Jayaraj, a proactive health professional in Ayurveda and an aspiring singer.Keep in touch with Jayaraj via the web:Website: https://www.jayaraj v thoppil.comFacebooke: http://www.facebook.com/jayaraj v thoppilTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/jayarajvthoppilInstagram: httphs://www.instgram.com/jayarajvthoppilTumblr: https://jayaraj-v-thoppil.tumblr.com/

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1

The Mysterious Fingerprints

Someone kept showering cotton buds into the sky and continued it relentlessly. Some of them vanished quickly, some copulated with the next and eventually dissolved, and some others teamed up with the rest to continue making vast beddings of clouds, staying still momentarily. One could hear the unpleasant booming noise that interfered with a frequent knocking sound. The booming noise created an ultimate vacuum in life.

Enormous silver streaks in the eternal sky appear like hope but were waned when viewed at a tilted angle. The mind often became an active part of the thrill of being at a height, but swiftly diverted back to the fear perceived of heights at the same velocity.

Looking through an unoccupied window steadily, from such great height, gently getting dissolved and lost into bundles of roving clouds over the vast bedding, Brahm enjoyed the celestial surroundings… outside. He did not regret the fact that he could not get a window seat.

It had been quite a tear-jerking first sent-off after the hangover of marriage. The ground reality was that Brahm had to leave Mary alone at home.

He wouldn’t have started the journey at Rahu-Kaal if he had the choice. It seemed, other than Ammaji, no one in the family had bothered to point out that starting the journey at Rahu-Kaal was not considered favourable when they were stuck in the elevator while leaving their apartment at ‘Satyalok’.

Co-relating all subsequent happenings one by one, there was something in it.

The aircraft took off very abruptly, and about a minute into the flight, the plane shook violently. The girl who was occupying the adjacent seat did not seem very friendly. She looked beautiful but irritating.

The ongoing turbulence was a cause of anxiety. However, Brahm got into his regular activities once he settles down in his cushion-less economy seat. Sitting idle, Brahm loved to rove in the sky ceaselessly. Various frames of memories flitted across his mind, often moving fast, but sometimes moving in slow motion; some of these frames stayed still and continued to haunt him.

Brahm connected himself to the outside sky through the cabin window glass. The scratch pane of the cabin window was dirtied with unknown fingerprints. It was cumbersome looking at the serenity of the sky through those unique fingerprints. The fingerprints disgraced the clarity and beauty of the sky.

Fingerprints were scary and deceptive when you related them to people, with whom you could connect to the past. At times, fingerprints were mystical...

Hence, he restricted his mind to gaze within the present time. Often it jumped out of the flight, infiltrating into the past superfluously and turning into a causality of repressed memory. Though he tried hard to cage it, he found it difficult to stop his mind from flittering back and forth between his seat in the aircraft and Satyalok.

The colour and pattern of the sky kept changing along with Brahm’s mood. His mind began to create many abstract wall paintings out of a mishmash of colours and moods and hung them on the doorways of his present memory. He was not sure whether leaving Satylok at this time was the right decision or not. Brahm tried his best to calm his mind and concentrated on the divine sky and its emerging ecstasy.

Something was rocking to and fro inside the overhead cabin, along with turbulence. Brahm focussed his mind on the rocking sound coming from the cabin luggage. The turbulence of the aircraft in motion reminded him once again of the kind of life he was living.

He held his hands firmly on the hand rests and swung his view through the big earrings of the girl who is sitting aside. One has to pray sincerely and look upon things hopefully; or else, one ought to prepare for the worst.

2

Libra, Craving for a Balance

My relationship had been on the rocks ever since I had left Mary alone and travelled to my hometown along with my parents; the disgusted Brahm cursed himself for his immature and hasty decision. Contrary to this, he would have been so grateful to God for getting this unforeseen opportunity to reunite with his parents after a prolonged and eventful interval. Perhaps this was his first visit to the village after settling down in the new job role at NCR. Brahm used to pay frequent visits to his hometown during his bachelor days, but now it was rare and he regretted the long gap. Brahm was going to reach his hometown along with his parents without any well-thought plan.

After a long interval, he would be getting the opportunity to relish the fresh air of his village Chatra. Fresh air would assuredly give him immense pleasure, Brahm guessed. It would revitalize his nostrils that automatically tuned upwards to inhale smoke and unburned hydrocarbon molecules of the dirty city environment. He was sure that his village would still have retained its garden freshness and virginity in the evolving digital era to welcome the son of the soil warmly with both its hands open.

His parents’ visit to his plush apartment at Satyalok in the NCR, one month ago, was unexpected. However, subsequently, it became helpful and promised him an emotional and spiritual rebirth. He was embarrassed when his secret marriage to Mary, an Anglo-Indian girl, was exposed when his parents arrived at the apartment without any prior intimation. He didn’t get enough response time to hide or create an escape route then. However, in due course of time, Brahm thanked God genuinely for helping him decide that his parents should stay back with him; that helped to resolve all misunderstandings and benefited him in getting all the recent wounds healed. Being a Brahmin, it was a painful decision to marry his Anglo-Indian girlfriend hailing from Goa secretly. He had no other choice but to get married to her hurriedly at the time. He was sure that the repercussion in his homeland, was still embryonic. Also, he was pretty sure that his father would pardon him one day. His father was a headmaster in Chatra primary school and a man of dharma. Now the sky of misunderstanding was becoming clearer. After a pleasant, month-long stay together, he was taking his parents back to his hometown safely.

The sky above remained very clear and tranquil other than the rare appearance of stray clouds that flitted across. Brahm could not resist the emerging nostalgia that dragged him now and then to his hometown Chatra in Jharkhand.

Everything happened dramatically. Brahm took a slight backward glance at the recent happenings. The parent’s unexpected visit, subsequent conflicts, the timely intervention of Ratna, and settling them down amicably all went smoothly in his favour.

Brahm didn’t bother to recognize what was happening outside. Perhaps, nature was contriving in a big way to prepare for the imminent eventuality. Everyone felt that a catastrophe was approaching which would change their whole life, except Brahm. The air hostesses on the flight didn’t look happy as they used to. The flight seemed to be facing strange turbulence. Brahm had already come across many bad omens about the things to come. However, Brahm needed to attain some more wisdom to feel the mood of the time to sense its gravity. The Seatbelt sign kept chiming and did not permit anyone to move inside the flight. Brahm took out the sticky remains of chewed bubble gum from his mouth, looking here and there, and ensuring no one was looking, stuck it underneath the seat quickly.

He always found it laborious to keep himself engaged in the confined cabin of the aircraft. He had nothing to do. He could not possibly stare at or observe the weird expressions of his co-passengers. A little later, he picked up the in-flight magazine from the seat pocket and began to read it. Nothing in it was interesting other than photos of snacks and combo-meal. After going through the mouth-watering menus including, desserts of his choice he turned to the final page. Quickly he read the zodiac sign Libra in the horoscope column.

There is likewise an opportunity to go to a distant place with guardians.

A relatively tough year for you, and you may even feel that nothing is going right in your love life. The positioning of Saturn suggests being exceptionally cautious in day-to-day affairs.

The period between March 13 and August 25 appears to be complicated, and you may see disputes arising in your relationships. Some significant changes in the immediate future are also contemplated. One should not take it lightly. But along with changes come newer challenges as well. Challenges could be in terms of work front conflicts, or from some past misdeeds.’

It’s all bullshit. Better Stop reading it, he thought. Before putting back the inflight magazine into the seat pocket, a disappointed Brahm once again returned to the same page of meals and desserts, expectantly. The scoop of vanilla ice cream looked immensely mouth-watering. The mint leaf tip stuck on the spike of the ice cream scoop looked like it was about to fall.

3

The Mind is an Unguided Destructive Missile

Brahm’s attention now turned to the overhanging newspaper in the hands of a passenger sitting in front of him. He could read it through the gap between seats with a bit of difficulty. The newspaper was in the Hindi language. The passenger who was reading it was perhaps a wealthy villager, Brahm guessed. The newspaper kept repeating the same story of the spreading of Coronavirus. It didn’t take much time to infect Brahm. The new virus entered Brahm’s thoughts mercilessly.

He had been watching repeated news feeds about a new disease called COVID-19 on TV and social media for quite a long time; well before he left the Capital city with his parents. When the first news appeared, he thought it must be fake, and he was not very concerned with it. Here, everything came as fake news first, followed by hearsays. Citizens received the fact at the very end. Hence the public made decisions or conclusions based on fake news. Many a time people would not receive the truth at all. Keeping that perception in mind, he did not pay any attention to this news from December 2019 to the end of January 2020.

However, the news became stronger in January, claiming it was an outbreak. The headlines turned sensational, on the day when WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Eventually, some Protocols and SOPs got prepared here and there. Also, they had now announced clarification on its symptoms in the interest of public safety. But nobody bothered to follow it… the thought processes worked like this… I am not going to get affected by it anyway, it is meant either for my irritating neighbours or my enemies. In the meantime, the three-point protocols of WHO are established and several wise people started following them. It proclaimed that one must maintain a minimum of two meters distance from another, clean hands with soap or sanitiser whenever in touch with something, and wear a mask all the time. three-points protocols would help in the future to avoid receiving and shaking the dirty hands of others, inhaling the disgusting smell of sweat from a person close to you, and relief from the putrid smell emanating from the open mouth of a person in front of you, Brahm sighed candidly.

The news became a burning issue in January, claiming it was an outbreak of a new disease. Afterwards, all the channels began to air some enlightening press releases about the novel disease.

The news on the effects of this viral infection helped Channels to improve their TRP and profit subsequently. Along with the COVID infection panic, the television transmitted gloominess into every house.

Acute memory shortage of the phone did not bother Brahm enough for him to delete boring social media sites from his smartphone; hence his phone also got some severity of infection. Eventually, Brahm also got an unexpected contagion of suspicion. He started suspecting everything and everyone around him.

This new disease had no medicines or vaccines. Pro-active preventative measures were the only way to save a life. Being transparent was the salient trait one could possess now to save a life. It would be difficult to convince one of the kinds of precautions one should follow to avoid TOUCH and PROXIMITY.

To ease these difficulties, some effective measures have come with time. Avoid touch; if you happened to touch someone, then wash with soap, or apply a hand sanitiser. Do not go close; if you want to go close, then wear a mask, better one should maintain at least two meters of distance. If someone embraces so affectionately and enjoys the warmth of each other, then beware of rapid infection. If you want to enjoy deep kisses openly or privately, prepare for imminent death.

Every human is likely to carry viruses.

Every kiss transferred viruses.

Brahm preferred Namaste to greet others from his childhood days. Also, he believed that embracing or kissing in public gave the wrong indication; in any case, it has remained a taboo in many parts of the country.

The speculations spread like wildfire. COVID-19 was being caused by a virus called Corona. It transmitted from bats, and its origin was said to be from the land of dragons. Every person felt that he or she would not get infected anyway. This belief proved fairly true with cases spurting sporadically everywhere. Everyone was gripped with fear eventually with the spread of this virus.

Now everyone started inquiring about the apparent symptoms and signs of this deadly virus.

Fever and uneasiness in breathing were found to be the main symptoms. And other symptoms were added every day, based on the experience of people from the world over.

In the meantime, the WHO nodal agency of health which was now in neck-deep controversies compiled the details of the novel disease, and that was being communicated to the public from time to time irrespective of race or countries who would listen or accept their recommendations.

Ironically, ordinary people prefer to follow fake information floated by the unlettered wicked on social media than the scientific information published by WHO.

Brahm felt sick with the frequent Corona news though he was going through all sorts of monotonous feeds meticulously to know what the symptoms were. His wife Mary, being a Virologist, would definitely be able to explain the symptoms better. Her list of understanding of its symptoms was long, starting from headache, fever, dry cough, anosmia, ageusia, diarrhoea, breathlessness, pneumonia, and whatnot. She also cautioned that more symptoms would be added in the coming days based on the new experiences received and compiled from all over the world.

So, one must keep watching or sensing one’s body metabolism if he or she happened to break the 3-points protocol at any point in time, even if he was sitting at home or travelling. If so, then one should get ready to get isolated in a medical ventilator and allow one’s immediate kith and kin to initiate the arrangements for last rites.

Brahm tried to catch up with some sleep like his lousy co-passengers but to no avail. He found it laborious to command the wandering mind in a confined space of uncertainty for a long time. His thoughts cruised erratically here and there like an unguided destructive missile.

4

Departing at Rahu-Kaal

Amonth-long stay together at Satyalok made the family happy. Mary felt some vacuum while her in-laws stepped out of the house. She has already brought some items of luggage close to the elevator. Brahm pulled her towards the bedroom swiftly and clutched her in his muscular arms. Suddenly, she turned into an obedient dove in his naughty hands. The warmth increased his heartbeat a little and even made him feel a little horny. They continued hugging and kissing till Papaji called him aloud. Mary detached herself from his arms and ran away to sit out of the house and then guided Brahm’s parents to the elevator, dragging one of the luggage trolleys. Brahm followed them with a light green luggage trolley. Mary kept the elevator button pressed from outside till he rushed into it. Before she had bid them goodbye, the doors of the elevator closed abruptly. Doors often remain a hindrance in life, yet, at the same time, they give ample privacy and safety. Doors also remained as the last symbol of a departure and its pain.

You have not yet overcome the habit of managing everything in the eleventh-hour rush. Have you? Papaji asked once Brahm entered the elevator. He apologized to Papaji for the delay. Brahm counted the number of luggage and tallied. Suddenly the elevator dragged and stopped with a squealing jerk. There seemed to be some power breakdown but that was not usual. They stayed calm for a while but there was no response from the security or building management.

Is everything okay? Papaji asked.

Not really. Some technical glitch. Let me call up the security, he yelled.

I hope we have left home at the auspicious time? Ammaji asked.

"Damn, who bothers about Rahu Kaal these days?" Papaji replied angrily.

Cool down, I have withdrawn my remark, Ammaji murmured.

Brahm called up the security in charge from the emergency phone inside the elevator and reported the problem. It took another 20 minutes to resolve the problem. He instantly registered an online complaint to the maintenance section through his smartphone for such a grave safety concern.

The driver parked the taxi a little away from the exit gate because of some parking restrictions. A large saffron-coloured Hanumaji sticker over the rear windshield gave a special aura to the old car with scratched paint from a distance. Ammaji folded her hands and closed her eyes in front of it, and prayed for a while unknowingly. A sticker written in Algerian font was cumbersome to read out.

Somehow Papaji read it JAAT, which could be the caste the driver belonged to. The rear combination lamp of the car was partially broken from the top and had some water entrapped inside. The amber-coloured turn-signal bulb inside the water looked like a dead goldfish in an aquarium.

After settling down inside the car, Papaji asked his name, but he was busy playing some game on his smartphone. Once everyone settled down, he raised his head and yelled, "Hanji, main Jitender. Airport?"

"Yes, Bhai. We have sufficient time. So take the car to Ambience Mall first then we will proceed to the airport from there. Why are you not wearing a mask?" Brahm asked.

Why is it required, sir? You are also not wearing masks! he retorted and shut Brahm’s mouth unexpectedly.

Before moving to the airport, he took his parents to the nearest shopping Mall and insisted on buying several expensive clothes for them. Somehow, he wanted to please them again and again.

The taxi fellow ignored the traffic cop who showed his hand to stop the vehicle from running at high speed. Brahm guessed that perhaps, the taxi driver did not have some paper in place. An unusual stinking smell of liquor and beedi inside the cabin suffocated Brahm. The seat cover fabrics smelled of mustard oil and peanuts added with the reek of cheap plastic interiors. Brahm wanted to jump out of the cab but tolerated it somehow till they reached the airport.

He took extra care while boarding the flight. He did not want any of their common follies to get noticed by co-passengers. This was perhaps the third time they were travelling by air. They always preferred to take a train journey despite their sufficient bank balances.

The unexpected malfunction of the elevator had made Brahm more alert and justified his decision of dropping his parents back in their home town safely. By accompanying them back home, it eased his inner pain of ditching them inadvertently and compensated for his long-bearing guilty conscience.

5

Crash-Landing at Home Town

The pleasant scent emanating from the ducts of the aircraft pleased Brahm’s parents. Brahm got a seat in the row just behind his parents. It was a middle seat, and a snooty-looking girl already occupied the end seat. She kept her stylish Gucci glasses on top of her head and pretended to sleep under the bright reading light. After his initial gazing and preliminary judgment, he ignored her presence. But his frequent exit and entry across her seat g caused her a bit of inconvenience. Brahm also realised that. It should be foremost to always keep our co-passengers pleased whether it was a known person, a stranger or a retinue. After a long interval, Brahm deliberately struck a conversation with her though she did not look keen to have one.

Are you going to Patna or Gaya?

Patna, she replied.

You live in Patna? Brahm asked.

No, she said casually.

So… you are from? Brahm asked

"I am from Kanha Chatti…" she responded hurriedly, avoiding the next question. She opened up the book in her hand and began to read it as if she is preparing for some examination. He did not ask her why she did not take a direct flight to Ranchi then.

Looking like an actress, speaking good English, frantic tantrums, glossy lips, stylish Gucci glasses…. but living in some remote backward area Kanha Chatti? The very thought bantered him and Brahm controlled his laughter by deliberating pursing his lips tightly.

His continued ogling made her uncomfortable, Brahm sensed.

Brahm deliberately tried to restrict his crazy mind once again and prayed for a smooth take-off.

Take-off was not normal, anyway. Everyone felt a peculiar reverberating sound from the jet, which seemed like another omen that he did not ignore.

After the paid refreshment, people turned calm. The items of delicacies displayed in the inflight magazine constantly urged him to eat something. The aroma emancipating from the open food packet from the adjacent seat was mouth-watering. Since there was no free refreshment available, Brahm did not opt for anything. His parents also denied eating anything inflight. The customary free refreshment did not exist on many flights anymore considering a mounting loss. It surprised Brahm to recollect how the cloth merchants of Chatra extend courtesy to their customers who come for purchase or any query. They would not let any customer go out without having tea. Perhaps, the target of profit that business houses looked for, almost destroyed our inherent culture of pampering customers. Airlines stopped offering even a glass of water that matters. After all, a glass of water was also cost-consuming.

The aircraft was moving steadily with a persistent booming noise followed by intermittent whirring sounds. This irked Brahm’s attempt to sleep. He turned on the music and plugged in the earphone. The earplug gave some filtered external noise. He is not sure at which altitude the flight was in, but there was often some turbulence-induced probably by high wind or its closeness to the clouds.

Frequent jerking out of turbulence made everything chaotic. Bags in the overhead luggage cabin started moving and creating rubbing sounds. There was an announcement from the crew for everyone to remain in their seats as the turbulence continued because of bad weather. Crew members did not answer the query of people in panic. However, they were murmuring amongst each other as if something was wrong somewhere. The turbulence continued till the aircraft reached the airport zone. An announcement came in quickly for an unusual landing.

The announcement from the crew was interfered with, by some airframe and jerking noise. No one realized when the plane landed with a dull thud. Regular travellers screamed and prayed loudly. First-timers wondered what was happening. Brahm’s parents were a bit confused when they observed the unusual commotion inside the flight.

Brahm patted his Papaji’s shoulder and said that their aircraft had suspended its subsequent journey to Gaya irked the passengers. Since they were not mentioning the reason behind it, the people continued making a noise. "Papaji, don’t worry, we have landed safely. But the onward journey of this flight has been cancelled," Brahm informed.

The mobile phones of the passengers ringing almost simultaneously from here and there turned the cabin more chaotic.

Later, Brahm knew from the flash news on social media that a Delhi-Gaya flight had been suspended after de-boarding people at Patna because of some technical glitch. He went through the ticket attachment in Gmail. His adrenalin shot through when he realised their flight number was the same.

6

Divinity Idol of Bhadrakali

While boarding off at Patna Airport, Brahm took extra care to avoid any unnecessary touch with his co-passengers. He was yet to be updated about the ongoing disease and precautions. The airport looked far better and more developed than his last visit. Most airports in the country were undergoing the makeover process. Even with time and progress, the overall cleanliness and discipline of people were not very appealing. He could not see any precautionary protocols at the airport, It was as if nobody was aware of this dangerous virus.

Brahm’s parents tried to force him to take tickets from the tourist bus counter that was operating at a much cheaper rate. However, Brahm preferred to take a taxi for the long travel ahead.

He took an airport taxi service to ensure better safety for such a long drive.

The taxi driver though wearing a mask preferred to keep it around his chin so he could spit out freely. He was chewing some Tambaku while talking. After a special request from Brahm, he agreed to spit out Tambaku and wear the mask properly. Well, at least the driver had a face mask. Brahm sighed deeply and cursed himself for not carrying one with him. He guessed the driver was literate, as he was already updated about the news of the virus. In fact, he seems far more advanced than the co-passengers Brahm had during his flight journey. The unexpected arrival of this new disease in the subcontinent was treated as hearsay even though some people had already started taking precautions based on information aired by TV channels.

There was a small divinity idol pasted on the dashboard of the car, which was not found very commonly. It resembled the deity of Bhadrakali Mandir of Chatra. Its eyes were shining like diamonds.

Locals were afraid of pilfering anything from the Bhadrakali temple premises. Someone had told him that anyone who stole things from the temple would become a statue immediately wherever he was standing. Bhadrakali was so powerful that she could stop herself from being smuggled by thieves even on an Amavasi night. The dangerous attempt to remove her diamond eyes had turned the thieves into statues on the spot. Brahm still remembered that old story and correlated it with existing ancient sculptures in the temple. Brahm could feel his endeavour to steal such childhood memories about the temple made the divinity on the dashboard distressed, and its eyes started sparkling brighter and brighter till he diverted his thoughts. Perhaps the idol of Bhardrakali disliked his presence. The divinity of Bhadrakali disliked the uncanniness of his wandering mind.

Brahm came to know from Amamji that his English teacher was bedridden because of prolonged paralysis.

Little Brahm was always scared of getting a beating by his English teacher for his mistakes or pending homework. He never thought his prayers at Bhadrakali Mandir against his teacher would be so effective in later years. The moral was, never to curse your teacher if you had not done your English homework and to be careful because Bhadrakali was extremely powerful. Brahm recollected his past naughty days and shifted his vision outwards.

After a long journey, Brahm experienced the scent of his homeland that was approaching. The smell of the city peripheral was as stinking as it used to be earlier. May be the vehicular pollution and hubbub are increased several folds than earlier. While approaching Chatra, his modest village, he requested the driver to put the AC off and roll down the windows too. The weather was enchanting, and the pleasing air was less polluted than in the city. The noise decibel also felt considerably less, while reaching closer to home, the noise level was reduced further but camouflaged with the sharp chirping of crickets that he could hear. It was a nostalgic evening for a person who left his home a few years back. Life was reloaded with dreams once again, he felt. Oh my God, I forgot to call up Mary,’ Bhrahmn was anxious suddenly. He tried to call her up, but Mary did not pick up. He sent a message on Whatsapp after several attempts.

‘Hi, Honey! We just reached safely, and are moving towards home now. Tried to call but the phone went unanswered. Busy? No worry, talk to me when free.’ Followed by an emoji of a heart broken into two.

Mother searched desperately for the bunch of keys in her handbag and recovered them after putting her hands in each of its pockets. Her handbag looked ancient and threadbare now. Mary had noticed the same the day they had arrived at Satyalok. She had insisted that Brahm buy a new one and gift it to his mother. He has bought a fresh bag with a pair of fluffy pussy cats hung from its handles on the same day. Mother liked that gift very much but did not use it as she wanted to continue using the old bag till its life was completely exhausted. She was a simple literate woman with a typical Indian village lifestyle. Her wishes and dreams were simple and easy to narrate. Hence her source of happiness was also well known to everyone.

As soon as Ammaji opened the main door, Brahm rushed to his study-cum-bedroom where he spent his entire childhood and teen years.

He made sure the window was ajar so that he could see what was going on in the neighbouring house where his close friend Vishnu lived.

Although Vishnu was no longer in that house, he could visualize his presence there.

An unusual thunderstorm shook up the window panels. But there was no sign of rain. Intermittent lightning tried to penetrate into the deeply buried memories for no reason.

He saw Chachaji was strolling casually in front of the house.

Vishnu was the only close friend he had during those childhood days. Chachaji’s face looked sullen when he greeted them at the gate. He was not sure whether his mother had already explained the story of her son’s marriage, to Chachaji. He knew that his mother was in touch with Chachaji regularly during her stay with him at Satyalok.

Starting with dusting, Ammaji hurried to settle the house that had been closed for a long time. As informed by Chachaji, there were no helping hands available for household work these days. It was quite late. Brahm has mentioned buying food from some restaurant while returning home from the airport, but the mother did not take any interest in his words. She insisted on making a quick dinner at home. She looked very energetic once she had spent time with her son and family for a month at Satyalok.

Ammaji ignored Mary’s religion once she realised how simple and caring her daughter-in-law was. Brahm could not understand how a sophisticated Brahmin mother adapted to her daughter-in-law irrespective of her religious difference so promptly.

His secret honeymoon at Satyalok did not last for long. The rousing fire in the body could not be doused within such a brief span of the honeymoon period. The unexpected visit of his parents to Satylok turned his comfort zone topsy-turvy. The presence of his parents at home gave him an altogether glorious feeling of security. Every object in the house shone out of frequent dusting and caring. His parents’ stay at Satylok gave him ample energy and his home turned out to be an energy spot. Brahm hardly realized how fast a month passed.

7

Satyalok

Aluxury apartment in a skyscraper in the NCR periphery, close to Aravalli Bio Diversity Park, had ample privacy for its residents since its approach was not that easy for outsiders.

Hardly any friends visited his house and spoiled their privacy. The apartment was premium in nature, and its exorbitant maintenance expense was the only concern they had.

His flat was on the 24th floor of the building, almost emerging in the raving clouds always. Brahm felt extremely proud, owning a house in the sky. It may not be easy for someone in his early career-building phase to own such a premium house in NCR. But Brahm had done it.

Under the flat number, which was 51, Brahm placed a special name plate for his flat. He named his flat ‘Satyalok’ to create a unique identity.

No pollutants reached up to flat no: 51, in Satyalok. Pollutants were suspended far below. From a distance, Satyalok looked like a celestial abode of God.

Brahm took a bank loan to buy his dream house though he had to go through many hassles as usual. He has almost pledged his life to get this housing loan. He took ultimate care not to get into the traps of fraudulent banks and deceitful housing societies. His apparent reason for changing from a software company to a manufacturing company was to get a hassle-free housing loan from the bank.

Software companies often gave pink slips ruthlessly to their employees for which many banks restricted giving bank loans to professionals who were starting their careers, especially in NCR.

He informed Papaji about this new investment expecting some contribution at the back of his mind. Considering it as a new investment, Brahm was also planning something in the backend secretly that he reserved in his mind for the time being. Papaji neither refused nor extended any contribution towards his new investment. May be his Papaji was not very excited about buying a house in such a high-rise apartment. However, he promised him some contribution at a later stage.

Dust rising from the nearest mining pockets spoiled the air quality in the basement area, and it never remained fresh.

An envelope of thick dust and smoke hid the basement area most of the time.

Hence the upper portion of the high-rise building looked suspended in the air from a distance. The usual groaning of Automobiles was the music of the suburban city. Groaning automobiles combined with screeching, rattling, hissing, banging, whirring, lapping, and roaring sounds made people exceedingly restless and crazy.

The daily routine of people out there comprised, working hard, eating and drinking out and shopping till exhausted. There were some exceptions, but very few. Brahm and Mary lived happily in the apartment and maintained privacy. With time Brahm gave up the simplicity of a village fellow, followed by Mary who gave up the sophistication of her Anglo-Indian lifestyle and together they made a new set of rules and built up a new lifestyle to sustain their unapproved married life. They almost went into exile in a concrete jungle as a self-punishment for the unapproved marriage, but the newlywed couple had a gala time in such a private atmosphere with little hassles.

Since it was a premium apartment society, many people preferred to wear hidden horns of pseudo pride and prejudice. Originally, they were simple and hailed from various villages in India. However, money and unexpected growth in life made them blind and intolerant. Especially the ladies, who looked very arrogant and rather obnoxious. Ladies dropped off their ghoonghats and advanced to the sleeveless style to fit into the prevailing modern culture. Exhibiting a little skin is often considered a lifestyle. Married and overweight ladies often appeared in mini trousers and showcased their drooping thunder thighs in public. It was easy for newlywed couples to lead a secluded life out there. Nobody took any interest in peeping into the neighbour’s adjacent balcony. Rather nobody knew each other and nobody took part even in rituals like funerals.

The approach road towards his society was still under construction. Hence the approach of an outsider to these condominiums was hectic, even if one used Google Maps. Brahm and Mary lived happily and started adopting the same lifestyle as the people around them. It was a newly built apartment mainly occupied by young couples working at the nearby software parks. The eyes of all walls pretended to be shut, but the ears remained sharpened to listen to the secret cooing of the young couples.

Added romance in the air and an exotic atmosphere made Satyalok exceptional.

The residents enjoyed the warmth of the new life uninterruptedly!

8

Shadows of Old Parents

It was a pleasant Sunday noon. There was no ear-piercing groaning of automobiles heard as if people preferred to stay inside their homes, though the day temperatures were not that scorching.

An unexpected knocking on the door surprised Mary who was engaged in cooking. She thought that some delivery boy from Amazon came down to deliver a pending consignment yet to be received. Brahm shouted from the washroom and requested Mary to open the door and check who was knocking as he was preparing for a bath, standing bare-bodied. As soon as Mary opened the door, she saw two not very tall people peep into the room, uninvited.

Mary opened the door fully and saw an elderly, well-dressed couple standing in front of the door. The gentleman looked over sixty, with a grey moustache and beard; the lady was in a Tussar silk sari with mild golden embroidery on the pallu, and looked quite graceful. As soon as Mary opened the door fully, the elderly gentleman stepped in hurriedly and showed her a small piece of paper with the hand-written address of their apartment. Flat no: 51, 24th Floor, Satyalok, Aravalli Biodiversity Park Road.

Does Brahm stay here? the gentleman asked.

Yes, Mary replied with a dry throat. Her wild guess had propelled her adrenaline suddenly.

Can we meet him? The elderly gentleman asked politely, holding a piece of paper in one hand and a trolley suitcase by another hand.

Yes, please come inside, Mary invited them into the house with a lot of respect, hiding her surprise.

Who is there Mary? Brahm yelled and just came out of the washroom in a towel wrapped below the navel.

But as soon as he entered the living room, Brahm’s eyes grew enlarged out of a sudden shock. He felt the effects of an earthquake followed by a wild thunderstorm all at once.

He was blinded by shock for a while and after that initial reaction, returned to normalcy gently.

Brahm bent down and touched the feet of the elderly couple as a gesture of deep respect. At that moment, he had nothing to say. Father and son remained silent for the next few minutes.

I think you are Mary? the elderly lady broke the silence looking at Mary without twitching her eyelids.

Could I please have a glass of water? the old man sat on the chair and asked.

Yes, of course! Mary rushed into the kitchen with some amount of bewilderment, out of this unexpected shocking incident.

As soon she brought the water the lady grabbed a glass and gulped it down noisily.

Mary offered another glass to the gentleman sitting in the chair in front of Brahm.

Dear son, you could have informed me... I can guess your helplessness. But you, never ever understand me! The old fellow began weeping inconsolably.

Teardrops and sweat rolled down and shattered on the floor. Satyalok witnesses a curse, perhaps for the first time.

"Papaji, I never thought you would pardon me, and the society where you are living would never tolerate my act. Hence I had to take a difficult stand. Please don’t curse me Papaji. Please pardon me," Brahm begged.

Who am I to curse you, son? Who am I to pardon you? None of that matters as long as you people are living happily! Brahm’s Papaji said.

Brahm answered none of his questions.

Do you know, I had abused your cousin Manas when he narrated the entire episode? But a few photos on his phone forced us to come here all the way without giving any prior notice. I know it is ridiculous, but I took a chance to ease my anxiety... Papaji continued in a feeble and distressed voice.

The unexpected arrival of his parents into his posh three bedrooms set in NCR cornered him so badly. He felt like a daytime pickpocket who was caught red-handed by the police.

Brahm’s parents had heard some rumours about his secret marriage from his cousin brother who spotted Brahm and Mary at a marriage function of their friend. Perhaps, the close mingling between the couple had raised some doubts in his cousin Manas’ mind, who was present at the same function. Brahm never expected Manas to be there, but being a media personality, Manas used to get a direct or indirect invitation for many such events. Though Manas was his cousin, Brahm was not very keen to be in touch with him always. Being his very source of information, he knew that keeping away Manas was a wise decision. Brahm was convinced that there would be a Narad in the life of everyone now.

The house filled up with tense silence. Dust and smoke outside started flowing inside through the keyhole and created an atmosphere of a horror scene.

Hurriedness reflected in the old couple made Brahm doubt that they would return home immediately as if they had already purchased a returned ticket for the same day.

Brahm got distressed and called up his lone friend Ratna, a flopped celebrity author who used to be in hibernation most of the time. Ratna was the sole medium to communicate his ideologies and frustrations, and he often shared his worries. Ratna was a dreamer in long hibernation and preferred to stay inside the envelope of laziness.

Brahm dialled his number quickly and said, Ratna, could you please rush to my home at once... Before he heard any reply from another side, Brahm disconnected the line abruptly. The ticking sound heard from the wall clock sounded louder than ever under the silence of the tense moments that passed.

9

A Friend, One Call Away

After an hour, someone pressed the calling bell frantically. As expected, Ratna was standing in front of the door with some amount of surprise and anxiety.

What is wrong? Why did you disconnect the line without saying anything? I hope everything is alright? Ratna rushed into the living room. He saw the elderly couple sitting there and said "Namaste ji" to them casually.

"Ratna, meet my Papa and Mom, Brahm pointed at the old couple sitting there and introduced them awkwardly. They have just arrived."

Ratna quickly bent down and touched their feet one by one respectfully, a customary gesture he never compromised to date.

"They want to return today itself though they do not have return tickets in hand. I want you should request