A Heart of Stone with a Coat of Gold

The Nudge Theory

Well guys, how have you been? Wishing you a Merry Christmas.

Firstly I wanna apologize for not updating for so long, but things... Simply saying they have been tough. Like really really tough. Life's changing and like everyone else, I'm not good with it.

But rest assured, further updates would be regular and this is not an empty promise.

Secondly this chapter is very short. Apologies again. I have been out of touch for some time so please also pardon the shabby writing. Things can only improve from now on.

Last but not the least, a big shout out to one very dear reader( who I dedicate this chapter to) for being the guiding light for me.

Thank you
Dhananjay

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When they strolled back towards the seating area, Anu’s steps had a certain lightedness to them. 

No elaborate praises. Instead, his words had been short and simple, but when they had hit her eardrums, they had felt heavy-- they had had meaning. It was akin to living in a desert, where the water in one’s palm is worth more than millions. 

“I never thanked you for helping me out the day the results came. ” She said. 

“I didn’t help you.”

“No you did.” She hesitated. “The day the results came, I had given up hope. If you hadn’t talked to me that day…” Her voice trailed off.  

“Well if you were so thankful, you could have chosen Finance.” He chuckled-- a rare sight-- looking amused. Why couldn’t he be always like that? People would like him more this way.

As if to prove her musings wrong, the seriousness returned back in his voice. “No one can help anyone in this world Anu.”

Anu shook her head as she observed him take a deep drag off his cigarette, the red end now mere inches away from the yellow butt; This man was so stubborn, even in taking a compliment

“But you did.”

"No I didn't"

“Says the man who ruined his clothes for me today. Wasn’t that helping?

“That was different. It was because of that bastard driver. I again say, No one can help anyone”

He continued. “I say it again -- I didn’t help you. If you insist you may say I nudged you.”

“Nudged?”

“How can I put it?” He thought inhaling the final drag of smoke before flicking off the butt. 

He went on, his deep voice turned grave.

“All living beings, including humans, have one goal for which they are born. To survive. You need to look after yourself over everybody else. If you can’t even do that, what right do you have to ‘help others’?” 

“But humans are different than animals. We are social beings. Humans are altruistic. That’s what makes us different.“ Anu calmly countered, smiling, clearly enjoying this debate. She realised, this was one of the most honest discussion they were having. There was no underlying tension, no condescension; for the first time they were talking like equals over a thing, like adults.

“Altruism? That’s one of the lies we like to believe, the weak like to believe to think we are better than animals. The only thing is we have our own different jungle with a different set of rules. Here also each man looks after his own skin. Here also it’s survival of the fittest. 

But the weak wallow in self-pity thinking a messiah will come to help. It's a lie. No one is coming to help you and no one should. Each man is for his own when he is born and the weak -- they die thinking someone is coming to help them. And why should someone else help you, if you are not willing to help yourself?"

Anu was disgusted. She was one who believed in the good of human, and she liked to help. Everything he was saying was against her beliefs. 

“Then why has humanity progressed so far, if we are just like animals and we are not made to help. People like you would be happy to let others suffer, wouldn't they?” She snapped.

Neel seemed amused.

“Do note, I said we are similar but we have a difference. Yes, we look after our own hides, same as the animals. But we also point out the way to the people around us. Or we can nudge others, at least that's what I like to imagine.

Sometimes by purposefully calling others out loud or sometimes without saying anything, like leaving footmarks on the snow. 

That’s what I call ‘nudge’. The strong take the nudge, or the hint if you like to call it that and they move forward. But the weak stay stuck, they perish. That’s what has been our history. That is how we humans have thrived.

And that’s what I did. I nudged you; the rest was up to you. You could have stayed wallowing in self pity and I wouldn't have done a damn thing. Or you could have moved forward --which you did-- and I’m proud that you chose the latter.  But I didn’t help you. You helped yourself.”

Appreciation. That’s what it simply was. The second time he had done it in a single day.

Anu didn’t reply back. Debates over personal beliefs have a tendency to soon gravitate into heated arguments-- she had seen it many times over and she was in no mood to antagonize him after the pleasant time they were having.

Both of them walked towards the dining area. A lot of guests had left and only a few remained; they had taken a long time during their walk. As soon as the director had left too, the senior batch had taken the opportunity for something much more fun than the dreadful dinner their college had arranged. So now a light jazz music was playing in the background and peoples were dancing in pairs on the stage. Even a few of the faculty members had joined in to the sport.

The air was cool, the beats were soft. Myriad people from different walks of life adorned the stage, their feet shuffling on the wooden floor as they danced to the light tunes of the blues,

While heading back Anu had mulled over his words in her mind-- Neel's ideology, the ‘nudge’ theory. She kind of understood him, although she didn’t agree with him. 

She sneaked a glance at his empty soulless eyes. Through his cynical view of the lens, the world was a dark cold place. Full of people filled with hatred and selfishness. And maybe the ‘nudge theory’  was his only way of finding some semblance of good in that empty colourless world. 

As the beats hit her eardrums, she remembered the time when one rainy evening, Ishan Bhaiyya had danced with her on a similar tune playing on the radio; then she had felt warm and happy. 

Her heart yearned for that feei, and her legs started to itch. But more than herself she wanted to show those blue eyes-- more than black, there was white in this world.

“Let’s dance.’ She told him.

“What?”

“I said let’s dance.”

“I can’t dance.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Does it matter?” Neel answered impatiently.

“A lot.” She answered quietly. He gave her a questioning glance.

“I’m nudging you Neel. Now the question is, whether you will take it or not.” She paused.

“So I say it again, will you dance with me or not?” It was not a request, but neither it was an order, It was simply what she said it was.

The blue eyes grew wide with surprise and for a moment she thought he was angry. Then slowly the words came out from his mouth, which Anu almost couldn’t believe.

“Yes, I will.”