The Krishna Love (Wattpad India Awards Winner)

Chapter 53 - Post Modern World

Following Hakim was the only thing Sid and Ravi did when no one thought to initiate a conversation. The silence ruled their mouths. Only sound, however, you could hear was their footsteps. Just a few minutes ago the hope which was submerging in an ocean of falsehood, now it was again getting to see the face of a surface in Sid's heart.

With every step that he took, his heart was flooding with expectation. Hakim turned around and decided to have a word. "The person we're going to meet is a spin doctor." His lips twitched in a smile.

"A doctor?" Ravi and Sid voiced the query at the same time.

Hakim turned around and laughed his head off. "Not a medical doctor, of course. The one who makes video go viral." Hakim turned and kept talking. "The guy's name is Ronit. He's bit eccentric, sometimes could be cocky too, but a very talented bloke."

Makes video go viral; these four words sent a strange, crawling anticipation in Sid's guts. The excitement, however, didn't last for long because as the Joker had said: "When you're good at something never do it for free." It was dubious how much the spin doctor, Ronit, would charge. Concession for students, probably?

Hakim paced up his walking speed—leaving two blocks behind in a jiffy—he stopped at an apartment. On the top, there was signboard "Go Viral." The doors were automatic, the ones that slide open once you stand on the welcome mat. Inside you could see the well-furnished apartment, everything was tidy up. Hakim turned around and looked at Sid. "You wait here, I'll talk to him and see if he can meet you."

Sid nodded while taking in a deep breath. The latter went inside the room which looked orange because of the yellow ceiling lights.

The wheel of thoughts kept on circling in Sid's mind. He purposely kept the expectations low because the idea of getting attached to the result terrified him. He walked back and forth in the waiting room and exchanged looks with Ravi, who within five minutes started catching the glimpses of the clock.

The door pushed open, and Hakim emerged from inside. He sputtered, "C'mon, go ahead and meet him. He's willing to talk."

Again, a spasm of crawling anticipation rose within Sid's heart, he nodded and made a move. Hakim's eyes followed him from the waiting room to the office room. "Hey," was the only word from him that stopped Sid and Ravi. "I know, it'd be awkward to talk about it. But do you have any idea why I helped you?"

Sid shook his head in denial; this thing hit him with the realization that he forgot to give thanks. He observed Hakim's face; it wasn't really looking for a "thank you."

"I think, I can understand how it feels like when no one hears you, and let people judge you without knowing your story." Hakim, as always, ended up in a smile.

Sid gave a curt nod. "Yeah, I can relate to it. Thanks a ton for your help." Even though he felt it's too late to say it.

****

Ronit, who prided himself as a spin doctor, was living a typical life like everybody else. The guy, however, owned an unusual trait that made him a cut above the rest. It didn't take long for him to realize he was not meant to do the stuff that everyone does: study hard and walk on the regular track. He wanted to do something different and didn't wish for social norms to monitor his life. In his teenage, he lived like an Indian who physically lives in India but mentally in America, so much that he faked American accent. But he had the eureka moment at his coming-of-age, he decided to pursue a career which would help him govern others.

He became a spin doctor (nowadays he makes things go viral). He did get success and made several viral videos—mostly political—many clients uncredited his work though. What ticked him the most was, there were a few YouTube channels who didn't pay him well, leave alone giving him credit. The work of spin doctor is to deceive others but his "friends" hoodwinked him. Daily one hour he has to spend on blasted phone calls to get his outstanding payment, but his clients—as a ritual—kept on telling him their tales of woe and promise to pay later. He knew his heart was unnecessarily magnanimous for this selfish world.