The hundredth independence day

The hundredth independence day

[NOTE: This is my first attempt to write a short story There are mistakes, most certainly, regarding almost very aspect of it, because I mostly write poetry. Still, I hope the reader will pardon me for them. I hope you enjoy reading it. Also, since it's mostly about my country India, reading it will be pleasing possibly only for Indians. ]

“Welcome Sir, today is 15^th of August, 2047. The forecast is for Clear, sunlit weather with a maximum of 41 degrees Celsius, light breeze from the north-west, almost negligible possibility of rain. The latest headlines are as follows: President Jefferson Delacoir of the French Republic is visiting the United States of India today, for joining the celebrations making the 100^th anniversary of Indian independence from the British rule. His flight is schedules to land in New Pataliputra City at 10 AM where he will be received ceremonially by Deputy Prime Minister of the USI Manoj Srivastava. The celebrations marking the 100^th anniversary of Indian Independence have already began across the major megacities of the country, including New Calcutta, Indraprastha City and Mumbai City. On other topics, the United Republic of Korea today announced completion of the second phase of its Mars colonisation project...” Tejas just wanted to kill the damn AI for waking him up so early. “Man, it's just 6:30 now, would it kill me to have another hour of rest? Huh, big celebrations”, Tejas thought as he slipped into his pajamas and entered the bathroom.

“Sir, you have 2 new messages today, should I synchronize them into your personal Telelink for easy retrieval?”, the AI asked. “No, save the messages and remind me to check them out tomorrow, Robin, and thank you. What's on the sports section?”. “The United Indian League has started off with its 15^th initiation ceremony and the first match will be played tomorrow between New Calcutta Warriors and Indraprastha Infernos. Would you like me to set a reminder for you for easy notification of the event, Sir?”. “No, thanks Robin. I guess I'd rather spend my weekend trying to book my ticket to Luna. I really need a vacation.”. “I am sorry to bother you once again, Sir, but there has been a recent update made available to improve my voice interface. Should I download it immediately and reboot myself?”. “Yea, do whatever you like. I am just gonna have my bath and grab a bite to eat. Lots of work today.”. Tejas snapped in sarcastically as he started the shower. Voice-activating the radio, Tejas began to work out his plan of action for the day. It had been a rough night with Neena, and the woman never listens to him. It's just that same degree of old-fashioned patriotism shown by those old fools born 90 years ago and still batting off, possibly trying to make a century. While medical advances have their advantages, Tejas just can't tolerate those lecturing habits of old men he has to meet everyday.

The radio continued to play “And so finally we've reached the very special occasion of 15^th August. And this is not just a special day, but a specially specially special day indeed! I mean, Boy! Who could have believed a hundred years ago that such a long time would just pass away like a beam of light? Stay tuned, as we bring you more updates from the beautifully decorated streets of Indraprastha City, just after this small infobreak.”. “Back Off”, thought Tejas, as he commanded Pinky to fetch him a sandwich and something hot to drink. The cute, pink robot immediately giggled like a little girl and went on her way. Drat, these machines are being programmed to mimic everything we humans have or exhibit. A simple robotic confirmation would have been okay, but what's the matter with all these giggling stuff??

Tejas powered on his 3D Texlet and saw that the magazine has finally arrived. Damn you USI 360! A whole day of server repairing and this magazine is getting delivered after a total delay of 18 hours! How Could anyone even stay up-to-date with such crap? Grumbling to himself, Tejas started flipping the virtual pages of the magazine. Pinky had, in the mean time, fetched him a warm, moking cup of coffee and a nicely baked sandwich, awaiting further instructions. “Well, what are you staring at? Go and finish the laundry” Tejas almost barked. Pinky sighed and left. What the shit? Are these steel boxes Programmed to take over the planet by simulating artificial emotions some day? Tejas threw The texlet away and voice-commanded the viewlet to power on. “Activate News 60 degrees channel and synchronize the programme schedule with my telelink”. “As you wish, Sir”, replied Robin with a slightly modified voice, possibly an effect of the update, Tejas thought. So what's on? Damn, all those news about India. THE UNITED STATES OF INDIA IS NOT THE SAME OLD INDIA! THESE PEOPLE MUST REALIZE THAT, Tejas almost mentally screamed, and powered the viewlet down. And Neena! Would she really go there, to watch that silly flag-hoisting cerenomy? No, she can't. All those patriotism stuff, nobody gives a rat's ass anymore. It's all commercialization, everything is business.

“Sir, Miss Neena is requesting physical access. Would you like to see her at this moment?”. “Yeah, Robin, just call her in. And have Pinky bring us two cups of coffee” Tejas replied with relief. Ok, so she hasn't yet gone to that ceremony. Maybe she'd re-consider her decision about spending the day at Silliguri City? Tejas thought as he stepped into the lobby, greeting Neena with a dry smile. “Ok, so sweetheart, looks like it's going to be quite a sunny day today. And you've just arrived at the correct time. Let's have a cup of coffee and catch the HSL to Silliguri City, as planned”. “No, my dear, instead I've come to invite you to visit the central ground today. Why don't you understand that this day isn't just any day? It's the 100^th Independence day! Bring out your car and lets drive there. We're noble citizens now, aren't we, Tejas?”. “Ah, the same old ghost of patriotism! This is almost the second half of the 21^st century, babe, and you're talking about that fundamental neurological weakness of mankind, patriotism?! It's a disease, a sort of evolutionary response because of staying too many cycles as primitive primates. An aftereffect of living together in caves, I'd say”. “Everything isn't anything that your neuroscience can explain. And there should be things like dedication and devotion to your own country. Don't view everything so dryly or life will because even drier or you”. “Huh, is that an open threatening? Shit, looks like I'll have to cancel the HSL reservations”.

HSL, or the Hyper Sonic Locomotive, has truly been hailed as train of the future. After all, which train could take you from New Calcutta to Silliguri City within 30 minutes? Seats are all booked, but still Tejas managed to find two somehow, with a little bit of tweaking by Brajesh. Right, the chap can be a true friend at times. Having a friendly guy inside a HSL Reservation Office can really help.

Pinky entered the room with an enamel tray, carrying two steaming cups of coffee. “Would you like additional sugar cubes with your coffee, Miss Neena?”. “NO SHE WON'T! AND DON'T JUST WALK IN WITHOUT MY EXCLUSIVE PERMISSION FROM NO ONWARDS. UNDERSTOOD?”. Neena was plainly disgusted at Tejas. After all, what's the reason behind getting so irritated at such a simple matter? Neena's father was a military official, who saw the glorious battle of unification the Indian army fought, to regain control over what was once Pakistan and Aksai Chin. Even more thrilling, as her father would say, was the battle of Tibet, 2019. With increasing levels of self-immolation by Tibetan monks in front of the offics of India, it became difficult, plainly for sake of humanitarian grounds alone, to restrain from protesting. The PLA, or as they were called in those days, the Dragon Army, had replied fiercely, invading deep into what once was Arunachal Pradesh, as far as Itanagar itself. The Indian Parliament had no choice but to declare war. Everyone knew, it was just a matter of time before the People's Liberation Army had superiority. But things often turn out to be quite different from the expected results. The airforce of China had suffered tremendous defeat at the hand, or better to say, wings of its Indian counterpart. “The Americans were hebind it, certainly. In fact they couldn't bear to see the largest democracy of the world suffer defeat again”, she recalled her father saying many a time. Whatever the cause way, the result was a turning point for the course of history. Despite the expected air-superiotity to be displayed by the Chinese Air Command, it was the IAF which finally emerged victorious, and with surprising quickness came to the aid of the ground forces holding off wave after wave of Chinese heavy legions.

By the end of 2019, the result was clear. The PLA had to retreat back into Xinxiang, and the Indian tricolour flew for the first time ever on the cold hills of Tibet. With the sound of conch shells and chanting of “Vande Maataram”, the Tibetans welcomed the victorious army of India, thus uniting with India to form what as known as the United States of India.

The following years hadn't been easy either, Neena recalled. Her father, Lieutenant Commander Indradyumna Saini, was deployed in the western wing of the IAF. The bloody tides of the fourth Indo-Pak war followed, finally ending in Pakistan's disembodiment into the southern states of Sindh and Balochistan and the remaining portion, northern Pakistan. Sindh gradually became a key ally of India in countering the reintegration attempts by the North Pakistani diplomats, and finally, following the integration of Bangladesh into the USI, and confirmation of the 6^th permanent seat of the United Nations for the representatives of the USI to sit on, Sindh and Baluchisthan finally became parts of USI, partly completing the immensity of the once-existent land of Aryavrat.

But how could she even expect him to understand all these? After all, he didn't have to see the mutilated body of his father in a coffin brought back, wrapped by the national flag, the hard-earned flag of India, or as they call her now, the USI. Having been raised in a family of scientists privileged enough to have access to the joyous side of life, Tejas was totally ignorant of such feelings of patriotism. And now, adding to his already ultra-scientific mindset, as if it wasnt enough, his post-doctoral thesis on neurological model of human emotions got quite a bit of recognition, puffing him even more with pride and self-satisfaction.

“Look here, dear. I'm not going to cancel my schedule for the day, and nor do I have to tell you, now a mature man, Dr. Tejas, how to plan yours. If you feel like coming, please do so. Or else, go and enjoy your vacation there amid the high mountains, where I sincerely believe you'll still feel elated without me”.

Damn it! The mind of women is so complicated that the recently revamped theory of everything can hardly be anything to analyze or even attempt to analyze it. Sultrily, Tejas replied “Okay, so guess I've already fixed my day here. Go to the grounds, and enjoy the ceremony. I'd rather tarry here alone, because loneliness is the ultimate reality of life, to quote the Bhatwat Geeta. You come alone, and you go alone, as they say”.

“Well well, now suddenly we've turned to religion, Mr. Atheist! No problem, enjoy your day however you may, I'm leaving”.

“Fine!”

“Yeah, fine!”.

Neena emptied her mug of coffee and dashed out of the room, barely pausing a second to let the automated door close itself. “Ok, so let's see, I'm alone, with nothing but a heartless robot mimicing all sorts of terrible human emotions, a shitty AI that just knows how to brutally wake me up from the very heart of the REM phase of my sleep, and a whole, boring day with nothing to do other than swatting flies. Hey Pinky?”

“Yes Sir?”

“Bring me a can of coke, and a nice book to read”.

Giggling again, Pinky replied “But there's no tag 'nice' to categorize your book collection, Sir”. Hysteric, Tejas thought. Someday that pink trashbot would have to be thrown outside. “Get your speech and intuition recognitions upgraded, how many times will I have to tell you? Fine, fetch me that can of coke alone”. “As you wish, Sir”, Pinky hastily departed. Listening to the sound of her motor-powered wheeled-feet carrying her away, Tejas suddenly asked himself a question.

“Hm, looks like we're all machines, underneath. But what is it that makes us different from these robots? Well, emotions can all be explained with logical models, and the properly application of design stance to examine them. But what of these machines? Why do they still lack them, and are being programmed to mathematically simulate them? And how is it that we do have actual emotions, often powerfully structing our line of thinking and even our lives? Hm , why don't machines have nations of their own, flags of their own? What makes us different from machines, when both follow the same laws of physics and chemistry? What's so special about human psychology?” Tejas started getting immsersed into his thoughts.

---------------------------------X-----------------X----------------------------

“It's quite crowded here”, Neena thought as she drove her way into the central heartlands of New Calcutta City. The bustling metropolis has been decorated with soft, halogen lights powered by mammoth Hydrogen fusion cores beyond the Ganges, and they're truly outshining the sun, speaking literally. High-rising towers are everywhere, with large, 3-dimensional advertisements getting displayed on them and changing themselves sequencially from time to time. A 3D holographic flag of USI seems to be hanging from midair, and it it's making quite a show. Children are playfully taking as many shots as they can using their in-googles. It's sometimes difficult to imagine how the people of 2010s used to spend their days before the advent of these miraculous devices, fetching you almost anything you want digitally from Internet 3. While Neena isn't much of a geek, it's still difficult to imagine a life with something so old as Internet 1. And ARPANET and even the days befoe that! Oh, they were just horrible!

Neena's thoughts came to a sudden pause as she heard a loud, humming sound. Looking at the sky, she discovered that the flight show has already began, with the Gangotri Air Command's eastern division now rocking the skies with sparking tricoloured smoke. Even better than that holographic projection, Neena thought.

A voice echoed from somewhere above the floating, jet-powered platform specially built for the occasion. “Citizens of New Calcutta, fellow countrymen, it's a great honour to be addressing you all at the onset of this prestiegious occasion. As you all know, I am not a very good speaker, and so I don't want to ruin your mood by elongating my speech as much as I can. This bright day marks the 100^th anniversary of the independence of India from the tyranny and oppression of British imperialism...”. Looks like Minister Prava Banerjee has already ascended to speak. Tough lady, winning her way for the third time to lead the Banga Sabha. And indeed, she knows, as the head of the provincial government, how to get the attention of the national parliament there in Indraprashtha.

“Hey Neena!”. Neena startled, isn't that Tejas? Looks like the guy has made his way here too, as a last resort to try dragging her onto that HSL coach.

“Hey Neena! Here!”. Oh! Not again! Wishing she could just disappear using one of those invisibility jackets from downtown, Neena turned. Looks like the guy has changed his plan. But again, what is this? Tejas is holding a glowing halogen flag of USI! Shit! “They're for the kids, you moron! Look at your age!”.

“Hey, patriotism has no age, and I'm a proud citizen of my country”.

“Look who's talking! Changed your mind so easily, doctor?”.

“Naah, it just apppeared to me, that even though feelings are products of underlying neurological phenomena, it doesn't make them any less valuable. Why didn't this come to my mind? In fact, without these nationalistic feelings toward our nation, could our ancestors even have dreamt of this day, when we, their descendents will be celebrating the 100^th birthday of our country?”.

“It's not birthday, you moron, it's called 100^th anniversary of independence!”.

“Whatever. In a way India was born today a hundred years ago. From the ashes of a country that saw tyranny and oppression and hardship and poverty, a great nation emerged to lead us all to glory and triumph. Now I understand why you guys refer to USI as our mother at times”.

Neena just couldn't believe her own years. Can this be even true? The man Who didn't display a single feeling of respect towards the motherland has suddenly turned into such a nation-lover now? Can this really be happening? “What caused the sudden transformation? Are you drunk or what?”.

“No my dear, this is the magic of this moment, this auspicious moment. You see, I suddenly had had a revealation, or a sort of conclusion, you may say. Technically, we are not so much different from robots. They have their positronic cores powering their behaviour, while we rely on a bit more complicated structure of our brains. But there's one fundamental difference, they were created by us, while we were created by nature. The unexplained mysteries of nature often veil truth from us, and possibly life is one of those mysteries which can never be resolved properly. Maybe with science we can explain its course, even its very chemical structuring, but simply understanding something doesn't make it worthless. And...”

“And?” Neena asked, struggling hard to keep her elated mood hidden from her Fiancee.

“Well, I didn't want to sit there lazily at my apartment, no matter how cozy it may be. That's the primary reason”.

“Ha ha, who's the liar now?”.

“Well, happy Independence day, Neena, my dear”.

“Happy Independence day to you too, Doc”. Neena hugged Tejas firmly, finally turning her gaze once again towards the platform. Lines of The Indian national anthem were being sung, and the melodious harmony in their rhythm appeared to be too beautiful to be true.

“Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people,

Dispenser of India's destiny.

Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind,

Gujarat and Maratha,

Of the Dravida and Orissa and Bengal”

Even the birds stopped their flights and perched on the branches of surrounding trees. Even the most insolent child had stopped, somewhat mesmerized by this amazing feeling of joy, this devotion, this love one feels towards the motherland, the uniter of a billion hearts, the glorious nation. The sky was lit with smiling lights of a radiant sun, as if the angels were showering petals of lotuses on mother India. And amid the air, the 3-dimensional holographic flag of the Aryan land kept on glowing, as if gleaming with the radiance of galaxies combined.

“It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas,

mingles in the music of Jamuna and Ganges and is

chanted by the waves of the Indian Ocean.

They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise.”

Somewhere deep in his heart, Tejas could almost swear that he saw divine lights twinkling in the sky, as if the spirits of the glorius freedom-fighters who sacrificed their lives for liberation of India from British rule, the spirits of those partiots who sacrificied their lives protecting India from the claws of the dragon in 1962, from the green venom of religious extremism and terrosim in 1965, 1971 and 1999, the the spirits of those who gave away their lives for the cause of utining the motherland in 2029, had all assembled there, to have a look at the glorious, immaculate nation celebrating her 100^th day of emergence.

“The saving of all people waits in thy hand,

Thou dispenser of India's destiny.

Victory, victory, victory to thee.”

As the holographic rendering of the flag completed, both Neena and Tejas could feel the warmth of this intense feeling, more real than life, more powerful than love, more glorious than religion, patriotism.

Vande Maataram.