DESOLATION

BISWAJIT

November 1978. California.

Renowned inventor Dr. Samuel came to attend a seminar on acoustics. He had to demonstrate his new gadget, which could unearth mysteries of nature by capturing and analyzing intricate geo-sonic patterns.

The night before the seminar, Samuel became too excited. He didn't leave his lab till late night. Continued testing his gadget again and again before going to bed.

At around 3:25 am, a doubt disrupted his sleep: ‘Did I turn the power off?’

He returned to lab and found his recording unit on. The analyzer was playing back a noisy conversation:

‘Oh mom, tell your babies, they must stop troubling me!’

‘Oh princess, please see, they are so young and innocent, your little siblings’

‘I know. But how long could I tolerate?’

‘Listen, you are so big and grown up. Couldn’t you tolerate bit more?

‘But how long still ma? See, I’m decaying. The endoskeleton is protruding like towers!’

‘Don’t worry daughter, forgive them, they are mere humans. I’ll make them feel who you are to them. They would learn to love you, protect you’

Useless; unwanted mundane talks. Dr. Samuel threw the magnetic tape away to litter bin, switched the system off and went to sleep.

Next morning, at breakfast Dr. Samuel saw a headline in the morning newspaper: ‘Committee Formed to Protect Mono Lake’

It struck him like a lightning. The scientist gasped, 'Oh Mother nature!'

He jumped to the litter bin, but the tape was not there.

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Photo: K S Brooks