PRADIP KUMAR
BISWAS
This story is an entry to Fiction writing workshop. This story is developed and based on a Plot given by The fool and is linked to the following link.
(About me: I write what my characters speak among themselves or to me,
so I am not a writer to but a steno to my characters. I move out for my day to day work and the
persons or places whatever I see creeps in my subconscious mind forming a dream
sequence. When the dream ceases, I see the characters once again and they start
talking. And there starts my stenography. I have many published and unpublished
stories and one published novel “A Trek to Unknown” by Bibliofil. Prior to this story, I never developed any
plot of other. Here also I failed at first, but coincidentally, I met with two
characters recently, who installed and
trained us for two software packages
that our company bought. One was an ordinary but very sharp software technician
and another was V.P, also known as
‘Hunterwali’ by her officemates. This story was based on their interaction with
me.I am a geologist by profession
and lucky enough to visit places and persons around India
Suddenly
Meghna found, her horse has moved too fast and she is now isolated from her
companions. An enemy warrior in black dress came out from a bush and his horse
blocked her way. In quicker reflex, her sword flashed and she tried to defend
the attack of the tall man by hitting his shoulder. The man helplessly lowered
his head, only to be beheaded. However, just before that, he threw his javelin
towards her. A tall dark man on a white horse appeared from nowhere. His Horse
galloped high, his sword flashed like a lightning, and blocked the Javelin. He looked back and raising his sword signaled
the Artillery behind him to start firing at the direction of the bridge on the
river. Now, Meghna had a glimpse of the
Warrior. His face was covered with the protective hanging iron chains from his
golden headgear. The bright embossing on his golden helmet and bright crown
silver mark on his dress marked him as the strider of the main clan. As a
leader of the sub-clan, she saluted him and he reciprocated and his horse carried him away fast
The
“boom- boom” deafening sound of the shelling started from their side were
enough to pull her from her bed. Meghna opened her eyes and she
heard clearly the sound of another bomb. She got up and looked through the big windows.
The smokes can be seen still. It is from the main road.
Today
is 20th September, the day of “Bharat Bandh”. There could be a clash
between the ruling and opposition political parties. Somewhere from her room
there was a clatter of breaking glass panes. She was now afraid and looked
around.
The morning TV live show was showing the activities of miscreants
pelting stones to a bus and breaking the front glass into pieces. She was
trying to recollect how she slept here.As
usual, she got up early only to remember that it was the “Bharat Bandh” day and
she might not be able to go to office.
She opened the TV to check the News but
found none. Keeping the TV on, she opened her computer to play her favorite
online computer game of MMORPG but soon was asleep.
The
game she was playing currently is the War-Game led by a strider of a clan and
Ex- army head of a country, now in exile. The queen, a foreign national, opened
the country free for traders of her motherland. The Army head opposed the idea
and he was banished.
The general soon found out patriots like him in exile,
united them, and formed a clan. The aim of this clan was to free their own
country from the clutches of the queen.One
can join the clan and be a member of the sub-clan depending upon the resource
and the challenges the person can opt for.
Meghna was inducted in the guerrilla warfare
sub-clan and upon destroying two strategic positions; she is currently the
group head of the sub clan.
They are now near the border of the country. They
have to capture a fort occupied by the enemy on the other side of a big deep
river. There is a bridge on the river approaching the fort. But this heavily
guarded bridge is covered by the artillery from the ramps of the fort. Casualty on their side could be very high if
they want to cross this bridge.
Meghna was watching the move of their strider
took to capture the bridge and the fort. She played the game upto this but soon
she fell into sleep.As
she woke up, she found an excellent move was taken by the strider. The enemy side kept the
prisoner of wars (POWS) in front, led by a Captain from the Queens
side. The tyrant captain compelled them to make a do or die fight with Meghna’s
clan. The main force of the enemy with artillery coverage was behind the bridge
approaching the fort and in the rampart of the Fort.
The Move taken by the Strider.
·
The
brave warriors sub clan on horse back swept past the POWs guarding the direct
entry to captain’s arena.
·
Captain
was isolated.
·
The
POWs now surrenders to Striders clan.
·
The
artillery clan successfully demolished the bridge.
·
The enemy
force was isolated.
·
POWS
guided them to cross the river through a narrow and shallow part.
·
Meghna’s
guerrilla sub-clan was given a cover to cross the river along with them.
Now the Strider ordered Meghna to make a successful operation to
reach the rampart of the Fort. Her sub-clan
either silence or capture the Guns and pave the way for the gunner sub clan to
start shelling at the enemy guarding on the spire road approach to the fort
with minimum casualty and complete the operation before dawn. He also warned her
that there is a full moon light in the sky.
Looking at her watch, she left the game for sometime and got to her feet. She must freshen up before
the production report from the mines and progress reports of the Solar Power
arrive. Soon a call came up. Thinking it as a call from the Port, she looked at
the Number.
This was from her friend Tanya, the chief editor of BP Group. Tanya was her classmate at IIMA. She joined the BP group and Meghna
in DFC Bank.
After initial exchanges of welfares on both sides, Tanya reminded the
interview Meghna promised might be held today. Tanya could send her
representative Jona at her residence.
She said, “Do not worry about her. News people can reach any where
at ease even during the All India Bandh. Right now Jona is giving live coverage
in a locality close to yours. If you are comfortable now she may visit you
within half an hour.”Meghna said “Send her, we shall have breakfast together.”
Jona said “Congratulations Meghna. We all think that you long
deserved this award of the Top Executive of the year by FICCI. How do you feel
about it?”
Meghna “I consider this as recognition of Shyam Group as a whole.
I only played my role as Vice-President of Business development and strategies”
Jona “Before you joined,
the group was plunged in debts and a bad achiever in Stock market. What
strategies are implemented by you to pull it up?”
Meghna “Before I joined. Shyam group was in only Mining business,
which was reeling with recessions. We diversified ourselves in Steel making, Solar,
and wind Power. Diversifications in right and Pioneer areas brought in bright
results in the balance sheet of the company.”
Jona “FICCI observed that your strategies alone made the Shyam
group to turn around. How do you feel about it?”
Meghna bit her lips and paused a while and gave a diplomatic reply
“We act as a team, some one initiates and others participate. The team develops
and implements it to further.”
Jona “Do you initiate always and others…”
Meghna “I can not divulge company trade secrets.”
Meghna could not say that she found none so far.
None, including the fat CTC earners of few crores, the COO,
directors and her colleagues senior and junior to her, has the capability to initiate
or wish to do so.
Every time she has to initiate and face the lone battle of
bottlenecks in each piece of new ventures that has brought the company to
limelight. Nobody ever participated in
strategy, Business development, or Vision. They only criticized her but eat the
cake every time merrily at the end. What she has got, apart from a good
package? She knows people down or up her line call her “Hunterwalli”.
Jona broke the pause “Meghna, there is a query
from our readers and viewers. You are very much selective in your core team.
Each member has to be bright, graduates from top institutes like IIMs and IITs and
good connections. What is your comment on this?’
Meghna “It is true that each core team member is not only bright
but they are very hard working and sincere. We have both, pass out from top
institutes and people like me who started their career with basic
qualifications and gradually obtained some more professional qualifications.
After+2, I worked as an accounts-assistant, passed B.com through evening course
and saved enough money for a coaching session for CAT and got into IIMA
supported by Bank Loan.
There is another Guy, Arup, currently our senior IT
technician. He discontinued his studies because of family problems, began as a
office boy but gradually obtained certifications and a degree in IT through
correspondence course. Without him, we could not have ventured into our network
communications linking the mining and solar power projects, installation, maintenance,
and security of softwares at all the projects and our corporate office. In fact
one of his brainwaves saved us a lot of foreign exchange for the computerized
solar Power plant control room.”
Jona “ One last query. What
inspires you to your role?”Looking at the computer screen lying at her small desk, Jona
further asked “Please forgive me. I am seeing an online role-playing game on
your screen. Do you or someone else play this game?”
Meghna “I think you have answered your query by yourself. Yes, I
play this game but in a small role. But, I learn a lot from the team members
and from the Strider. Every time he makes excellent moves, compelling each to
play their role and he also brings out the hidden groups that can participate.
I think this person, who can play at ease with excellent strategies may be a
very high and decision making executive in a big corporate sector. He cannot be
any ordinary person. Someday I may be able to stumble into his identity and
meet him in person.”
Jona “Thank You Meghna, for sparing your time for this interview.
I believe this story inspire our viewers and readers.”
Meghna said, “One moment Jona. Can you do me a favor? I think it
shall be too unsafe for me to take out my car and reach office for a day like
this. May you please drop me at your office?”
Jona “Oh yes Meghna, our pleasure. No one dares to touch our ‘Press’
vehicles”
Meghna has a scheduled video conference with the manufacturers of
solar photovoltaic modules at noon and she was looking at the last minute
glance of the PowerPoint presentations.
As usual, the attendance in the office
was thin and she was feeling a bit nervous with the manipulation of control
panel from the various video and audio outputs.
She was missing Arup badly.
Normally Arup and her secretary Zinta look after this. Arup anticipated his
absence for the “Bandth” and showed her the necessary manipulations the server
to connect, disconnect and synchronizations with mixers blending audio and
Video inputs. He assured her that Zinta is sufficiently trained to handle this
in his absence.
Zinta’s voice came over in the voice receiver “Mam, I am afraid.
There is a snag in the system. I tried
all but it appears it is out of my reach”
Meghna said in her firm and cool voice “Come out of panic and get
me Arup. Tell him to talk to me immediately”
Arup was online within a
few minutes. In his usual cool and confident voice, he said, “I told Zinta to
put off the voice transponder for half an hour and run the antivirus programme.
There could be a virus attack to copy our Solar operations files. It shall be
all OK much before the CONCALL of US experts.”
Meghna said, “Could it be due to the computer games we allow
during the Lunch recess?”
Arup said, “Mam, I check all the games that our employees play
from their IP address. None found so far as malware. Any way Mam, I am trying
to reach office by my Bike; I am already on my way.”
Meghna put down her
receiver. She had a sudden brainwave. and called Zinta. “ Zinta, come to my room
with a print out of the IP address and games logs of all employees from the server. Make it fast.”
Now she shall come to know
whether anyone is playing that Trozan game or not. In this game, there is a
chance you send hints to crack the passwords of the vital installations.
She already
doubts few and now she would be able to
catch their collars. Looking at the print outs, she suddenly stopped at the third page.
Two people in the office are playing MMORPG games. One I.P is she but who the other is?
Looking at her pencil,Zinta said “Mam, that I.P is inside the
server room. That is Arup’s computer.”
Meghna said “Do you know his passwords?”
As Zinta nodded approvingly she said “Go,
open his computer and I shall be there to get the links for the transponder
response. After this, go to board room and check whether the video CONCALL is
operating or not. Call Arup and tell him to join you in the Boardroom and
further confirm. ”
Meghna saw Zinta moving to Boardroom arena and she hurriedly
entered the Server room. Although unethical, but she exercised her right to
know the details of the Game that any employee plays. She was expecting Arup might
be playing at the best a supporting technical sub-head in this game.
Her heart thumped a bit,
Arup may come here at any moment. Within a second the game opened and her
surprises one after another begin.
This man Arup playing the role of Strider is
just a simple Senior IT technician, not at least a HOD. She looked into the
subroutines he designed for the possible and expected future strategies to put the
Queen as a prisoner. She looked at the
glass doors and swiftly shutdown the computer.
The future game plan and strategies clearly reflect his hidden
talent and potential to be an excellent decision maker. But all strategists
make some mistake. He did a mistake about himself and his own career.
Going back to her room, she was entering through the backside
passage of Directors rooms and the Boardroom. Between the curtains, she glanced
at the glass widows.
Arup and Zinta are
sitting near the console panel and they are sitting too close to each other.
They are gazing more to each other than examining the console panels for the
CONCAll. This is office after all; they should not forget the decorum.
There are two long pending applications from Zinta and Arup.
Zinta wanted a transfer to project side, close to her home. She recommended
strongly and kept it in the out tray. Arup applied for the management quota to
Study evening course Of MBA.
While she was busy putting the right words for the
recommendations for Arup, someone inside from her talked.
“You are sure for the transfer of your efficient PS, Zinta. Are
you Jealous?”
“Stop talking rubbish. I am just helping my colleagues. Zinta
should better be near her Parents and Arup should not rot himself as a senior technician of IT and talking to
everybody. In case he faces any help for MBA programme, he should come to me. I
am a good teacher.”
“You sure only talking.”
“Yes only talking and often tips for a better role in MMRPG
game. We are good friends too.”
“Only friends?”
“Oh get lost you buddy. I have a CONCOL to attend.”
Arup
just knocked outside her glass door. She felt as if her heart was beating too
fast. Has she become a rider on a Strider?
