The Futuremystic Machine

Rajesh seemed calm and composed. There was nothing in his demeanor that would give him away, the anger he was hiding inside. It was an art he had mastered over the years-how not to let his face reflect his mind. Walking down to the station his mind now seemed to recall only flashes of his argument with his manager.

"This will have dire consequences", his boss had warned.

"I don't care. You will not be able to run this project without me". Rajesh boss knew that too and Rajesh knew he was too important to be refused a leave. He had requested for a leave in the past whole year. Sometimes he felt exploited but then he knew he ruled and his boss would crumble in a day if he was away.

Rajesh was a typical slave in India's flourishing IT business. He worked for a top software firm and he was quite satisfied except for the fact that he was a slave. After years of slogging tirelessly, Rajesh had mustered courage to speak up. He was angry but he was happy. Speech was indeed the gift of mankind. Satisfied, he started his labor and was at it till late night, when he could take it no more and decided to go home.

The machine seemed to recognize him. The wheels turned, the lights blinked - beckoning him, calling him. Rajesh had never seen the machine work. It was just a weighing machine, standing in the corner of the station, an "OUT of ORDER" stamped on it in bold letters. It was a slave too - a slave to humans. Rajesh had never seen it before; in all these years he had traveled through the station. It still had the "Out of Order". But it actually was working. Before he knew it he was on the footboard, dropping a rupee coin into the slot. The wheels turned rigorously now, the lights flashed faster and POP. The card had popped out of another slot below the lights.

"Golden is the corn on the cob and poor you who is without a job". There was no weight mentioned anywhere on the card.

Rajesh lost it. He threw the card away. "What nonsense! I have a pretty high paying job. There was no way anyone could get him out of his job! Rubbish."

It was a weekend and he had to meet Neena-his girlfriend. Rajesh got on to the train towards CST- the terminus of Mumbai. He was getting impatient already. It had been a week since he had seen her. They had a simple rule. Slog all week long and spend as much time as possible over the weekend. The weekends made him forget all the troubles he had accumulated over the entire week. Neena was his angel. She had transformed this angry young man into the calm and confident person he was now. He could not imagine his life without her.

"Damn, this train is moving slow". He muttered to himself. "It's just Dadar. Only half way through."

His thoughts went back to Neena. They had met in college and the attraction was immediate. Before he had time to know what was happening, he was already dating her. They planned to get married as soon as they had enough money to buy a house. Property rates in Mumbai never seemed to go down. And now this recession had only made things worse. Many of his friends had lost their jobs. But Rajesh knew he was safe. The project was dependant on him. His deputation to the United States had earned him enough money. Eventually though he had lost almost all of it in the stock market. How angry Neena had been when he had told her.

"Why this big hurry to get rich? Couldn't you have invested safer?" She looked so pretty when she got angry. Her dove like eyes seemed to double in size. She had this habit of clenching her teeth, which would highlight the angles of her face. Rajesh had not heard a word of her advice. He was lost in her beauty.

CST Terminus was here. Neena, happiness and two days of peaceful life.

Mondays were never lucky. Everything seemed to happen so wrong. He was sure it was a conspiracy of God, since he never really visited any temples or genuflected like the rest of his family. He was the owner of his destiny. So why bend before anyone else. But office was here now. Five days of hectic work lay ahead.

He placed his access card on the small red LED eye in the wall and pushed. The door would not open. He tried again, but the familiar beep could not be heard.

"I will have to write a mail to the admin supervisor". He thought to himself.

He tail gated and entered the Development Center-one of the vast slave houses of this great IT firm. Routine was the name of the day. He started the machine, fetched water, ctl+alt+del, password.

"What the hell!" His machine simply refused to let him in. He had to get in touch with the network guys. There were more surprises ahead. His manager was in early. He decided to speak his mind.

"Hi Mahesh! I can't log into my machine. I think we need to take some action on these services guys."

"Hi, Rajesh. There's a reason for that. Come. Let's go to the conference room and talk"

The conference room was more of a private space for calls and private meetings rather than a place for actual conferences. Mahesh sat opposite to Rajesh so he could see him in the eye.

"You have been fired." This direct volley stunned Rajesh. He was dumbfounded. Words seemed to be forming in his throat but they could not be linked to thoughts in his brain. His brain had stopped creating thoughts. The incoherent words stumbled out of his mouth none the less.

"Wha....Me?...why?"

"Happens Rajesh. The company is going through a bad phase. Organizations do these kinda things when they are in a bad shape." His voice somehow lacked conviction. In fact it had a slight mocking tone to it. He seemed to be telling Rajesh it was his way of getting even. Now you know who rules, his eyes seemed to be mocking at him.

There was no use fighting. Rajesh knew he had lost.

There were no goodbyes and no hugs. No one wanted to talk to a loser. And Rajesh didn't mind. He had never been humiliated more in his entire life. He just wanted to hide-hide from the entire world. He returned the I-card at the HR department, collected his exit and experience letters, said a few goodbyes and was out of the campus. In a way he was happy, but he was worried since he had no money left and he was a liar. And what was he to tell Neena? There was no way he could speak to her. He had to hide. There was no other way.

At the station, everyone seemed to be jeering at him. Rajesh knew this was not true, but he could not get himself to look at people. He decided to look somewhere else-at a familiar face. The machine seemed to be sad too. Its lights were blinking slowly and the smiling curve they formed was turned upside down, giving out this effect of a sad face. It seemed to be calling out to him. And Rajesh could not help himself. After all it was just 1 rupee. Rajesh stood on the footboard, inserted the coin and waited for the card to plop out.

"Who needs a job when you have golden stocks in your cob?"

Rajesh could not believe his eyes. How could the machine know he was investing in the market? It was his secret, his lie that he had protected from everyone. Not even his father knew about it. Rajesh decided to take it further. He inserted another coin.

"Power wins, power sins. Best power to be sold, tomorrow just be bold"

Rajesh threw away the card and ran. He caught the first train and got out of the station. As the train was about to leave, he caught a glimpse of the machine. It was smiling now!

It had to be haunted. There was no other explanation. Everything seemed clear now. The "out of order" sign, the way the lights turned to portray a smile, the acceleration of the wheel-it all seemed to add up. A haunted weighing machine! He had to go home and take a bath. He would also have to chant the "Hanuman Chalisa". That should keep the ghosts away.

At home, however, he had other priorities. He had to break the news of his layoff. He simply prayed, his father would not mention about his bank balance. But today was simply not one of his days.

"Don't worry son, you should have enough in your bank. Make a fixed deposit and you can live off the interest for a while. Maybe you can also invest in some monthly income plans........." If only he knew. Rajesh did not say a thing.

Rajesh simply adored his father. He had never let Rajesh miss his mother whom he had lost as a kid. His father had nurtured him, looked after him. His father was his best friend. He could not imagine his life without his father.

The next morning, he woke up early. Life was going to be tough now. On an impulse he logged on to the trading portal. What he saw make him nearly faint. What he considered his biggest mistake was now his biggest winner. The power company had successfully completed a project in Europe and was now the biggest gainer on the stock market. Rajesh was shocked. That's what the card had said. He decided to risk it and sold his stock. He was richer by Rs.50000. This as his biggest gain in any single transaction! But he was troubled now.

"What if the share rose further tomorrow? But then the card had specifically said it was to be sold today." He decided to wait and watch.

The next day, Rajesh was the first to get hold of the newspaper. The poor company's stock had crashed. The European client had accused the power company of using faulty materials and had banned further business with it. If Rajesh had waited for one more day, Rajesh would have lost almost all of his investment!

What he had here was a hunted machine which could see the future. But Rajesh was not sure it was free. After all who does anything for free these days? There was a voice within him which begged him to keep away from the machine. But like always, it was the greedy voice that won. He decided to visit the station again the next day.

Nothing had changed at the station. There were still people there running to catch those ever elusive trains. Rajesh almost laughed when he recalled he had been one of those a couple of days ago. But now, time was on his side; all the time in the world. He still could not figure out how the lights could recreate the expressions of a human face. After gulping down a rupee, the card sprang out. A new advice and a new stock tip.

That night Rajesh decided to tell his family his future. He wanted to invest his full time in stock and not be a slave to the daily grind.

"But son, what if the market crashes?"

"It has crashed already dad, and I am still making a decent profit. I have my talent here."

"Well. Try it out for a while. I am sure you will get over this fancy of yours too. Remember my son, we are middle class people and we work hard to earn our money. There is never an easy way."

Rajesh knew he had to keep quiet. His father had never gotten over the middle class brand. In fact he was proud of it. But for Rajesh, all that mattered in this world was money. He was tired of being middle class.

A month passed and Rajesh was getting richer. His investments were riskier now but he knew he would win. He was still visiting the station weekly. And now he knew how it worked. He had to form the question in his mind and stand on the footboard, insert the coin and that very question would be answered. He knew his question for the day. But the wheels and light today formed a sad face. As soon as he stood on the footboard, a card popped out.

"If my friend you are you say, do not forget to visit every day."

"Sure. Can we start?" With the amount of profit he as making, Rajesh would visit as many times as it wanted.

And the routine followed; the questions, the coins and the answers.

"Stay away son. You are going the wrong way." Rajesh was surprised to see the old beggar he had been giving everyday offering him advice. He was too shocked to speak.

"The machine is evil. I have myself been a victim of it. Now I am waiting for my turn to get back. You have a chance now. Stay away."

"What? What is all this?"

"The ancients used to say that nothing in this world comes free and everything is pre destined. So where does this machine fit in? Is that part of destiny? It is an evil passed down through centuries. It corrupts you. And you pay for your sins. Stay away son. It is evil."

"Poor mad man." Rajesh dropped a coin and walked away.

"Don't let the poker face win. He wins every game. Don't let the poker face win". Rajesh ran away as fast as he could.

He was visiting everyday now. Making more profit. The machine advised him to hide his money in overseas banks, he did. The machine advised him to enjoy his money, he did. He was merry. Women, wine and money was his life now. He had friends and girl friends. People asked him to advise them on stock markets. The only person who was not happy was his father.And maybe Neena - had she still been with him.

"Everything has a price my son. Nothing is free." His father told him.

"Surprising! Just like the old beggar." Rajesh said to himself. He had never seen the beggar again. The guard had told him, that he had died one night. He a Poor mad soul.

"Rajesh, your father has had a heart attack. Come home now." It was his neighbor. At the hospital, the doctors told him his father was critical.

"He must have been suffering silently for all these years. The attack was severe. Nothing can be said till morning. Let us see how he recovers." The doctor was one of the best at the hospital.

Rajesh stayed outside the ICU the whole night. The next morning the doctor called him in.

"You should get some rest Rajesh. You seem to have spent the night at the hospital. Your father is doing well. He wants to speak to you. But please keep it short and do not excite him."

"Thanks doctor." Rajesh felt a sigh of relief.

The ICU was cold and he felt like an alien in the clean hospital clothes and gloves he had to wear. His father was lying there, a thousand wires coming out of his body. Rajesh could not bear to see it. He had always looked up to his dad. He was a superman. How could he be so helpless now? The slow steady beeps of the heart machine were slowly weaving a pattern in the silence in the room. The machine was echoing his father's heart beat.

"Rajesh. Come on in. Sit near me." He held his father's hand in his.

"The doctor said something has been troubling you. What are you worried about dad?" He felt his father's grip tighten around his.

"You have been hiding something from me son. What is it? Tell me how you have been making money? You have also been evading income tax. I know my son. I have spent my life in a bank. I know a lot about finance. Where is the money coming from?"

"I earn it through shares." Rajesh could not meet his father's eyes.

"You still lie to me. YOU are the cause of my worry. I have been thinking about you. I worried so much that this has become of me. And you still lie."

"Dad you need to relax. Please. Get well soon and we can discuss everything. I will tell you everything."

The beeps were suddenly quicker now. His father's grip was tighter.

"Doctor. Doctor. Nurse." Rajesh could barely get the words out of his mouth. The entire team was there in no time. He was escorted out.

There as a lot of rushing in and out of the room. Oxygen cylinders went in. Weird machines went it. Nurses rushed out. Finally the familiar face hiding behind the green overalls. And it was agitated.

"I should never have allowed you inside. I had told you not to excite him. Now look what you have done." The doctor was almost shouting at him.

"Is...Is he ok?" A small stream of perspiration was slowly creeping over his spectacles frame.

"I am sorry Rajesh, but your father is no more. What did you do? You should have made him happy."

The world was suddenly spinning. The voice of the doctor was echoing. He sat down with his head in his hands. Someone offered him water.

There was nothing but an eerie silence now. Rajesh was alone. Something he had dreaded his entire life. How could he live his life now? Who would advise him now? Who would take care of him? He had been absolutely dependant on his father. How could he leave him like this?

It was only after Amit uncle came by that he could move. He had been sitting on the sofa in the loft the whole morning. Uncle took care of all the formalities and brought him home.

What followed the next month was something that Rajesh could never remember. Insomnia, his father's cremation, single life, relatives; everything happened so fast he was lost. It was when he was looking at some old photographs that he suddenly decided to fight. His father would never have wanted him to be this way. He decided to be more successful than ever. And then he thought of the machine. It had been a month since he had been there.

At the station, everything looked different. Something was amiss here. There was a coat of fresh paint. There were more people. Strange how places are. You visit them every day and they look the same; you visit after a week and everything looks new. The spot was empty!

The place where the machine stood was empty. A card lay where the machine stood.

"You forget to visit me, I forget you too, you see."

Rajesh could not believe his eyes. What was he to do now? What about his investments? He rushed home. There was a letter at the door. He tossed it on the table. The trading site. He had to check his portfolio. What he saw froze him. He was running huge losses. He had to start over again. He had to pull money from his overseas banks. Subconsciously he opened the letter. The day could not have been worse.

It was a letter from the income tax department. His assets were being sealed for evading tax. There had been three warning before this but he had never opened any letters.

That night, lying on his bead, Rajesh suddenly thought of the old beggar. What was it he said? The machine was evil. He was a victim? Rajesh had to find the machine. He decided to wait at the station.

Rajesh was obsessed by now. He had somehow occupied the same spot as the old beggar. Hiding in his blanket, he kept a close watch. It was days before a young man came and walked to the spot where the machine was. He took out a coin from his pocket and held it up. And it disappeared into thin air. He was reading a card. It was happening again. But there was no machine to be seen. It was a ghost.

Rajesh had to destroy the machine. He would wait and destroy the machine. He had to talk to the young man. Stop him. Make him see his mistake. But he knew his fate. He could now see what could have happened to the old beggar. If only he had listened.......