Short stories
| Stolen Diary "The tribes are found in these region" said the voice " A,B,C,D" it all looked unreal. The people were mere shadows in the darkness. The lights seemed even brighter than they actually were. But lights are one thing you take for granted while sitting in a studio floor recording for one of the most popular game shows in the world. Sarah, you heard the question right? “Yeah” she nodded. So tell me what do you think? I must add, you have played brilliantly to get this far. Do you have the answer? He noticed her hesitation. This was the final question. The right answer would give her a million and the wrong would take her down considerably to a hundred grand. If you don't know the answer you can quit at this stage and keep half a million that you have won which by the way is also quite a lot of money. Then suddenly she said IT! Are you sure? Asked the host, “yes I am sure” she answered. That's your final answer? “Yes” She replied. YOU HAVE WON!! This is incredible --- the whole moment was a blur. A month later, they were watching the episode being telecast on T.V. Sarah still couldn't believe it that she had actually pulled it off. The voice in her head had told her that all her answers were right. Of course they were. For an orphan with average looks and low self-confidence, who had no legacy left for her, this was series of a very bright beginning. Her Friends from the orphanage were congratulating her for her victory. The door to riches opened with one accident that had changed her life. An accident, that gave shelter to the biggest secret of her life. Last year, a fall from the stairs had Sarah landing in the hospital with a wounded head. Little did she realize what the coming days have stored in for her. A depressed and irritated but weak Sarah lied in the bed fearing the damage was too grave and if her life now will be like how it was or just going to get worse. One meeting with Brain surgeon Dr. Joel changed her life and life style like she never dreamt of. After going through Sarah’s case history he wanted to have a one to one with her. The meeting lasted one full hour. It was a mystery for the hospital staff that some one as busy as Dr. Joel spent one hour of his time with an ordinary patient! Next morning Sarah called for Dr. Joel and gave her approval to the offer put forward by Dr. Joel. On receiving Sarah’s nod without wasting much time Dr. Joel asked the staff to make arrangements for the operation. An operation where he insisted except his wife Dr. Janet no other doctor or nurse would be present. A strange demand that wouldn’t be agreed, had it been, any other doctor in Dr. Joel place. But with a reputation as a world famous surgeon, it wasn’ t very difficult. Eight hours past Dr. Joel and Dr. Janet walk out of the operation room. As Dr. Joel walks ahead towards his cabin Dr. Janet assures Sarah orphanage’s friends of a successful operation and follows Dr. Joel after giving appropriate instructions to the nurses. So far the journey had been very smooth for Sarah after she won a million dollars but now her future was haunting her. Immediately after receiving the money, first thing Sarah bought was a house for herself. Next thing she looked forward to was, marry and settle down. Only a year had passed, after Sarah had shifted from the orphanage to her new house, and her home was ransacked. Sarah was at her wit’s loss, all jumbled, fearing what will happen next. Sarah wasn’t bother much losing her expensive belongings as much as she was worried losing her diary. She said to her self “I shouldn’t have kept the diary in the jewelry box”. But it was so precious for her that she couldn’t think of a safer place to keep the diary. The diary that guarded the secret of her life. The secret that had brought her here. Dear Diary Last few weeks had been my life’s most crucial time. After my accident I was skeptical about the mild operation to be done on my brain. Until I met Dr. Joel, for him such operations were like cakewalks, but for what he needed my agreement wasnt. Dr. Joel after years of research had come out of a microchip, chip of a different kind. That if inserted into human brain will enable the person to get answer to any general knowledge questions. It could answer questions found in encyclopedias or general knowledge books. The person has to ask the question in his mind like a self-talk and wait. After a fraction of seconds the chip in the brain will direct the mind to give out the found answer. It is just like getting the answer from the mind. At first I felt like laughing but was not in the mood to laugh amid all the worries I was in. Dr. Joel probably thought an orphan like me, was the right person for such experiments. All this while, it went okay but the ground beneath my feet shook when he told me there are chances that this experiment may not work. As a result it would leave me handicapped for the rest of my life. I couldn’t think of living a handicapped life. There are a lot of things I missed in life but atleast I was not depended on anyone. And who would want to take care of a handicapped orphan girl? I refused at first. Then hesitantly Dr. Joel added if god forbids that was to happen we sign a deal wherein he will be taking care of me for the rest of my life. He was willing to take my responsibility. This didn’t make the thought of being handicapped any better until he informed me, that even without the chip this operation has minute chances of my being handicapped forever. I then understood why Dr. Joel choose me for this experiment. The choice Dr. Joel gave was better than the choice life gave me so I chose the former. It is all very different now, I don’t stand there quite when my friends talk. I can have answer to almost any question. It is like an inbuilt search engine. Looking at my changed self today Meera suggested that I participate in the game show that can earn me a million. Yes that’s what I am going to do. Today I won a million dollars, I still can’t figure out if I am awake or sleeping and in my dreams. I got all the answers so fast with the chip planted in my brain; sometimes I had to act like I don’t know the answer just to make it look natural. Two weeks after her house was burgled. The phone rang, unexpected of the threat that was awaiting her Sarah greeted the caller. It happened exactly what she feared will happen. The caller had the diary with him and to get it back needed half of what she earned. “I knew, all this was too good to be true” she said to herself. All in sweat Sarah had no clue what she had to do next. She dreaded thinking about what happens to her reputation once this news goes public! Her wonderful image of SUPER SMART SARAH goes down the drain. It didn’t matter to her to give the blackmailer the money to get the diary back. However at that point of time she didn’t have that much as most of what she earned she had invested. From where was she supposed to get the money? Sarah couldn’t even think of informing the police or she would get trapped. If it was not for the Diary she could have filed a complaint against the robbery. Asking for a loan from someone could also raise suspicions. After a lot of thinking process, a brainwave stuck Sarah; "Why not ask a loan from Dr. Joel? He knows this secret and it would only be a loan once my investment pays off, the money can be returned to him! The kind-hearted man that he was, the possibility that he wouldn’t help was very rare” thought Sarah. Feeling a bit relieved at this thought Sarah called up Dr. Joel for an Appointment. Next morning, Sarah reached hospital to meet Dr. Joel. Sarah narrated the whole incident and requested him to give her the money. Seeing the calm Dr. Joel rise from his chair, Sarah’s hopes of getting the money from him too rose. He came near Sarah and told her “There is no need for you to worry”. Looking at puzzled Sarah, he said further “ Sarah the chip was planted about 26 months back, and there is no way that the chip can still be there. It has to melt within 18months of being operated into your brain nerves. Let me ask you one thing is it still possible for you to ask questions and receive answers to it from within? No Doctor I am not able to! Wow why did I never think of this? “No one has any evidence of what had happened, Sarah relax don’t worry about anything”. Dr. Joel’s words were like music to her ears. On Sarah’s return the phone rang again and the blackmailer said “I want the money by tomorrow failing which I am screaming to the world how you won the game show”, a cool and composed Sarah replied, “Yes do it if you so wish and hung the phone. The blackmailer couldn’t believe his ears, was he imagining things. His greed for more died a silent death, knowing very well to expose her would mean to do away with the booty that the thief turned blackmailer got from her house. Sachana |
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