The Rubble

CHAPTER 2

10th March 2014:

Triber Headquarters, CA

"What do you think of buying SilverOpinion?" his advisor peeked him into the conversation over supper as he scrolled the analytics of his business site.

"SilverOpinion?" he sipped the tea before replying, "it's a growing platform, indeed. What do you think would be the benefits? I mean, its just a normal platform, I have never seen a lot of traffic there."

"But, the number of new users are growing every day, Adam. I think we should at least buy a stake."

"Fine, I will think about it."

­­___

6th November 2023

Triber Headquarters, CA

Triber boasts of a million users today, all thanks to the new business tycoon in the market, Adam Hughes. Hughes started this platform for people to share their thoughts in flash images, words that also allow them to develop content. A man in his late thirties, he sure knows how the business world works, having started the Triber worldwide at a young age of 28.

He has a forty eight percent stake in the company's share which makes him the richest man among all the social media giants. With such influence, he sure can buy an entire state in the USA. One can never come across a person who is not a user of Triber. Within a span of 10 years, it has grown to be one of the most sought communities on the App Store. With a number of other platforms like SilverOpinion- a blogging site, CoWork- a platform for all the working professionals and corporates, Blab Nest- for all the millennials, he owns a stake in every possible channel of social media.

Adam scrubbed his thick stubble in a rather tense fashion, gritting his teeth whilst walking around the sophisticated floors of the board room. The wooden floor was a chorus of browns; they sung together, whenever someone stepped their feet on them. With him dawdling over, the scented sandalwood on the walls let him breathe every other minute. Fifteen knuckle punches later, he saw his team treading slowly into the room. Board rooms at Triber are like invisible jail bars. Adam can be jovial and fun loving only till a crisis arises.

As the eight of them sat down on Adam 's approval, the room reached an all-time level of boredom within five minutes. As they started discussing about the so-called threat, Adam opened the envelope once again. The edges were smudged and curled by now, while he read the message again.

25th November 2023

Triber Headquarters, CA

A simple message, right? Well, that's what all his colleagues and subordinates were thinking. Why fret over a simple message? A date and the address of the company's headquarters. It could have been an invite for their tenth-year celebration which was due around Christmas time.

Everyone thought it as a false rumour while a call came in, from an unknown place which is yet to be traced. "This day will never be the same." Adam crushed the letter before throwing it in the bin far away from his chair.

"Sir!" everyone noticed a youngster exclaim in tension, "another person has also received a similar threat!" Adam immediately got up and stomped over to look on the screen to see a someone named Praanvi on SilverOpinion.

"Hello ladies!

Since we are in the discussion of 'weird messages you've received in your life', I would like to quote my experience too. Yesterday, I received a rather weird package and a letter from an unknown, with a random date 25th November and an address in the outskirts of the place I live in. I am curious to know if anyone else also has received the same.

Love,

Praanvi"

"Where is this lady from?" Adam crooked his eyebrows and sat on the vacant seat and held his chin up, showing his naturally defensive attitude.

"India," his intern replied, looking at his boss from a distance. Adam looked at him intently before adding, "I need her details as soon as possible. Set a meeting if possible."

His subordinates and interns looked at each other mystified at his decision. They did not have an iota of understanding of what was going on and everything was happening really quick. At one moment, their boss acts as if every single thing in this world is important and at the next, nothing is. Today, they could really feel their brain cells been randomized by the unknown message.

Sometimes, there are more paths than clues.

____

It has been 16 hours since she posted her answer on the thread and the stats were not satisfactory. With only about a few hundred engagements, she had no positive response from her followers which made her perplexed. She kept glancing her screen, her mouth pursed but slightly open and loose. Her eyes are fixed as if she's looking at something for the first time in her life.

"Praanvi!" the voice cut her trance as her hazel eyes looked above her cabin, "Ready?" he waved his hand as she blinked twice before saying, "Yeah, when will we return?"

"Return?" he smirked, "when did you worry about the return dates? You love travelling!"

"Yeah, but I want to stay home for a few days," she said as her phone screen blinked. It was the same message for the eleventh time in the day. It was only 10 am.

"I can manage with someone else, Praanvi. I'll take Niranjan to cover for you. It's just an interview."

"No, no. It'll be a change of mind, so I'll be there. When is the flight again?"

"2:10 pm, Airnova," he said and handed over the tickets. I'll be waiting, alright?

"Oh, its Mumbai," she mumbled softly, looking at the ticket.

"Yeah, any problem?" he raised his eyebrow as she answered, "no, just random thoughts."

"Are you sure you're okay? I mean, there are a lot of people here."

"Yes, Karan, I am. Don't worry, it is just the message pop up. It's irritating," she looked at her screen to see another pop up.

"Oh, the address thing? Don't worry, it would be a random message, like tricking people."

"Yeah, hopefully." She clicked her tongue and feigned a smile as she saw Karan drifting away from her eyes.

She got up from her chair with her bags and tickets and treaded softly while searching about the person she was about to interview. Interviewing new people was Praanvi's favourite job, apart from blogging and gardening. She knew that interviewing people would make her feel better so she braved a smile and moved forward while having a stout eye on the messages. Though the constant messaging did concern her, she never had the thought of complaining or blocking the number.

____

"Any progress?" Adam clenched his teeth whilst his aides nodded in disappointment.

"Sir, don't worry, there's a time difference, I am sure she'll reply us in due time." His assistant kept the latest data on his table, making sure that he is at least a few metres away.

"In due time?" his eyes grew wider, "We are on a countdown, remember? Nineteen days before 25th!" he knocked his hands on the stunning piece of maple as they said, "yes sir, we are on it."

Though Adam wasn't a man to get livid on meek things, the message pop ups and calls made him turn into an automaton who hasn't slept in days. He knew that he had to get in touch with a person who has also received the same threat to figure out what was happening.

____