Amitav Ghost: Sample Chapter

The forgotten writer

"Krodhād bhavati sammohaḥ."

"From anger comes delusion, I know." I interrupted Neti, my only friend this time.

He made a twitch sound from his tongue, like the meaning of this Sanskrit verse from one of his favourite books Geeta, was some secret of an army. "Amit, you have to make sure that you don't get angry. I'll make sure that you walk out of here today." He tapped my hand. "By the way, thanks for allowing me to use her diary." He winked before turning away.

I forced a smile, I wanted no one to know what she had written in that diary, but to set me free, to conceal what had actually happened with that girl, the only way was to reveal her diary.

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"Priyal, no!" Vatima snapped in front of his Generation 0.5K laptop screen; the luminous screen disappeared. "I told you not to read it." He pulled out a small chip from the device.

"Fine!" Priyal pushed Vatima's iron armoured body. "I can't continue like this." She gazed at him with her sienna brown eyes for a moment before turning around.

"Priyal, please." Vatima caught a glimpse of her wan oval face and grabbed her silver metal arm. "You know, after that accident"

"It has been six years since that accident Vatim." Priyal cut him short and stared at his pale eyes with lush lashes over a broad bony face and square bearded chin. "Since then you are only working on this one story. It has spoiled your successful writing career and"

"Because since then, this one story wants to come out of me, and it's still incomplete." Vatima looked over Priyal's shoulder, focused on the window of his apartment on the seventieth floor.

"I understand, and that is why I took over this publication house." She chuckled forcefully. "Or else, today, in 2198, the publication is a drowning business."

"I know, but," Vatima tried to interrupt.

"At least let me show it to my creative team, what you've written." Priyal gripped his iron metal arm. "They may help you." Unknowingly, she pressed a button over his arm.

Suddenly, with fast-paced rhythmic clinks and tinkles, the metal cover over his torso disappeared, revealing his lean structure.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know that the dwindle-button was here." Priyal gave a lopsided grin and snatched the chip from his hand.

Vatima didn't protest for the chip this time. He turned around with a jerk and touched the dial of his wristwatch. More of his concentration was on covering his body.

It had been six years since Priyal had seen him bare body; he had not even let her kiss him even once after the accident. "Yours even makes sound, my bodysuit doesn't," she added, placing Vatima's chip over the transparent tablet, illuminating pink light.

"Yeah, this old model armour suit I can afford is like that." The metal cover was back on his torso and hands with the same fast-paced rhythmic clinks and tinkles. "Over a century, the government allowed industries to cause pollution and now they want us to wear this suit to safeguard our bodies." He turned around and twitched his lips. "I don't like the new attire they have enforced."

"This will be the fashion revolution of the twenty-second century," Priyal said, sending his work to her team over email. "Soon there will be more options other than wearing this metal suit like yours or basic attire like mine; select a virtual attire from designer clothing options and you are ready to rock the party. And that will be great!"

"Oh really?? And what about this?" Vatima pressed a cream coloured button at the shoulder of his metal armour; a yellow-lighted helmet covered his head and neck.

"It's for our safety Vatim." Priyal pressed the cream coloured button again, and his helmet disappeared. "In the worst case, if we face the rain of acid as scientists"

"Whatever, but I don't like it at all." Vatima interrupted and twisted his face. "Anyway, if you want, you can also read the manuscript." He crossed his calloused arms in front of his stooped chest, all covered with metal.

Priyal smiled lamely; approached the couch with the pink light tab.

Vatima waited through a long silence, but Priyal didn't say anything. "I hope you like it." He tried to sound guileless.

Priyal smiled genuinely, and plunged into continuing Vatima's manuscript, JIVA: A game of Schizophrenia, again.

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