Being a Bot

Kajal Kapur posted under QuinTale-10 on 2019-07-09



Like carousal, the scene kept changing every minute from sand to plateau, gorges to ponds. Trying to figure out the geography they kept trudging.

She looked around to seek a clue. On top of a tree was perched a bluebird that was not tweeting. It was rather odd considering that the species was a legendary blatherer. A little ahead, on either side of the muddy path, stood a ghost outlined in yellow and a green bot. What are they in charge of, she wondered. She tried to touch them but they broke into speckles and vanished in the air.

As if that was not enough a telly-tubby minion appeared from nowhere. Hopping around, aimlessly. “Are you lost too?” she asked gently. Seemingly scared it ran away. Weird! Surely that’s not the one leading us the way, she thought.

Following the path, she hoped that it would lead them out safely from this curious landscape. Gazing at him she hoped that he would put his phone away for a while and help them find a way out. “Now c’mon, we need a way back home,” she retorted. He simply mumbled some incomprehensible words.

Suddenly they found themselves standing in front of a white illuminated door with multiple buttons marked P, In, V, G+, t, W, Be and f. Would you believe that? How audacious

As much as she was confused, she was as surprised that she had to make a choice. Given that this was not a place she had chosen to be in, in the first place, having to make a choice to be out of it was simply vicious. Before she could even make up her mind, he quickly stretched his hand and pressed all the buttons one by one, not once taking his eyes off his phone. Beep, beep, beep... the tiny string of noises pushed open the door letting them through a long corridor of scentless smoke. There at the other end was a bright light. Square and rainbow coloured. As they approached she noticed how it looked like a Polaroid camera with a shiny button on the top right corner. Guess, we're required to press that button too, she inferred.

She again looked at him. He was continually scrolling up on his touch screen as if the way out was blueprinted there. She threw a repulsed look towards him, hoping that he would look up just once and help her. Only if.

She stretched her hand to press the shiny button and before she could, it shattered into a zillion pieces and they landed in front of their home.

Gee! how she was delighted to get a sight of her paradise. Tucked in a lush green woody forest with a slate roof. She turned towards him and shrieked, “honey, we’re home!”

Happiness flashed over his face as he ran towards the entrance. “Oh PubG, how I missed you,” he screeched and vanished inside even before she could react.
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