Makir's Universe

Aarav - 1

Every morning, Aarav would cycle up the inclined road that led to the temple of Lord Narasimha Swamy. The temple, fascinating and beautiful, always brought a sense of peace to his mind. Aarav lived in Hyderabad, but not in a developed neighborhood. He resided in Beerumguda, where there is a pond nearby. However, the pond is slimy and green due to the presence of algae. Mountain rocks near the slope were littered with small pieces of glass everywhere, which was a constant source of frustration for Aarav. "Those drunkards!" He would curse every time he spotted the glass.

At night, going to the temple became a daring challenge due to the eerie and lonely atmosphere. Aarav had strict parents who still lived with him in their two-bedroom apartment. Despite being 24, he harbored a desire to live somewhere alone; however, his income restricted him from doing so.

Being 24 years old and still a virgin, Aarav felt an insecure pressure, which is a common sentiment among Indian youth. He admired Western culture and its trends, feeling that people there enjoyed more freedom compared to the conservative life he perceived in India, where there was a strict set of expectations to follow.

Working as a Data Analyst, he regretted his job every day; however, quitting was not an option due to the intense competition in India's job market. Despite his frustrations, he acknowledged that he should be thankful that he's not unemployed. Aarav's friend, Braphat Karma, originally from Bihar, had been unemployed for over a year in his pursuit of a government job. Now, he always bragged about how easy his life and work were. But Aarav was no meek loser; he was a hustler. He woke up early, exercised, studied, and worked hard because he aspired to become a Data Scientist.

It was Monday, the first day of a long week. Aarav called his friend and colleague, Madla Manhore.

"Hey!"

"Come early; we'll have chai."

On the other end of the phone came the expected reply, "I will be late."

 It had become a routine to call him, even though sometimes his friend would show up. Manhore had a twin, who was younger by 18 seconds. Despite being in a relationship, he always complained to Aarav about how she would never let him touch her.

Aarav had called his driver and was waiting for his cab. It usually came early, but this time it took a while. A car turned into his alley, and he instantly recognized it as his ride. The driver rolled down his window.

"Duck!"Duck! Aarav heard a voice inside his head. 

His entire body was already in motion to duck. As he ducked, he heard a gunshot so loud that he couldn't hear anything anymore. He looked up to see his usual driver holding a pistol. The driver looked terrified, and Aarav swiftly swatted the gun from his hand. As he moved to reach the gun, the driver took off.

Aarav was left holding a gun. His parents came out to see him holding a pistol. The entire neighborhood came out to see what had happened. He stood there, not knowing what to do. Probability and statistics are core subjects for a Data Scientist. However, he had never calculated the probability of his driver trying to kill him, nor the probability of his neighbor attempting the same. He felt someone's gaze and quickly ran towards the stairs, then went inside his home.

"What's going on?" His parents repeatedly questioned him. He couldn't hear anything; his ear was still ringing. He went inside, locked the room, threw the gun on the bed, and started to panic. He dialed 911, but then he realized that he was in India, so he dialed 100.

"Hey! Someone tried to kill me! 

"I don't know what's going on!" He yelled.He couldn't hear what the other side said.

"Hello!"Hello!

Confused, he realized that he couldn't hear anything. He slapped his ears, but it had no effect. He took a deep breath, but he didn't know what was happening. He couldn't think clearly. "Come to 3rd Street in Ruksha Colony, Beerumguda," he said.He tried to call his friends, but no one answered his phone. 

He laughed, "I am still alive.""Haha."

He could feel the thud and slamming of the door. His parents were knocking on the door. He opened the door and said, "Everything's alright."

The police arrived. They asked how he looked, and he handed the pistol back to the police.

He couldn't hear what they were saying; he was irritated because he couldn't understand them.

"I need to go to the hospital. I cannot hear anything," he said, handing them the notebook and pen. They showed him the notebook after writing something.

"Yeah, alright. But, can you please answer a few questions? It would be very helpful for us. What is the name of your driver? Have you had any arguments with the driver? Have you recently had a fight with someone?"

He replied, "His name is Sammaiah, and no, I have never fought with anyone."

He provided all the details he knew about his driver, including his contact number and license plate number, and he was taken to the hospital in a police car.

The scent of disinfectant was soothing to him; he could already sense that everything would be alright. The doctor took MRI scans and was thankful that he was in India rather than in the United States.

Later, the doctor, who appeared much taller than he had anticipated, approached him. He took out a notepad and showed it to him.

"I'm sorry to say this, but unfortunately, due to damage to the inner tissue of the cochlea, we couldn't -"

He stopped reading. He went home, locked the room, sat on the chair near his study table, and searched on Google how the loss of hearing would affect his life. After reading some positive comments on YouTube, he felt more optimistic. He felt tired. He slept.

When he opened his eyes, he saw his friends Braphat, Manhore, and Sravya. Manhore was holding a notebook and a pen in his hands. Sravya was Manhore's girlfriend, although Aarav was the one who introduced them. He had feelings for Sravya but was afraid to tell her, fearing it would jeopardize the friendship they shared.

Braphat said, "Show him that." To Manhore, referring to the notebook.

Aarav can hear him. He heard him as clearly as daylight. He can hear what his parents are discussing in the other room. He can feel the muscles in his ears like a finger. He can clench the cochlea muscle, and suddenly he can hear what their neighbor was gossiping about.

He laughed, "I have superpowers!"