YOUR WISH IS MY COMMAND!!

INTRODUCTION

eBay has organized a contest in association with Indiblogger. The topic is 'The Future of Shopping’. Here is my humble entry for the same. Hope you like my idea.

THE STORY

YEAR: 2030

PLACE: Republic of Unified Earth (R.U.E)

Elbert Ainstein had arrived home with a big package. His children, Susie and Tom, gathered around him expectantly. Ainstein worked in the R&D department of EBay Corps. It was his practice to show his latest inventions to the children. His father, Nssac Iewton served as the main critic.

“What is this, dad?”

“This, my dear, is the Magic Lamp. Its going to revolutionize the way we shop.”

“Magic Lamp? Like in Aladdin?”

“Yes, Tom. That’s exactly what this is. Let me show it to you.”Ainstein unwrapped the package and took out two items: a headband in the shape of a monkey’s tail and a beautiful carpet.

“What is this? You call it the Magic Lamp and you show them the Magic Carpet!”

“Dad, you are a genius. In fact this is the Magic Carpet, and this little headband is called Abu’s Tail.” He placed the headband on Susie’s head and said, “Make a wish, my dear.”

Susie thought for a moment. Suddenly a blue genie erupted out of nowhere and said, ”Your wish is my command.”

 It then disappeared into thin air, leaving everyone in the room dumbstruck. A few moments of silence ensued. It was Iewton who broke the silence.

“So much for your revolutionary product. I liked the theatrics. But when it comes to delivering the goods, the old method, which I invented, is far more superior.”

“Dad, I didn’t even get to tell my wish.”, said a teary eyed Susie.

“Hey, don’t write of my product. Have you checked the Magic Carpet?”

All eyes now fell on the Magic Carpet. Once again everyone was left dumbstruck. There on the centre of the carpet was a pink Barbie doll.

“Hmmh! An old magician’s trick. You kept a toy to please the kids!”

“Did I, Susie? What was it that you wished for?”

“A Barbie doll! The same color. The same model! But how?”

“You see children, the Magic Lamp has three parts: Abu,Genie and Magic Carpet. Abu is the input. It is the device that monitors your brain and senses your desires. In short it takes the orders. Genie is the graphic interface. It checks whether your product is available in the market and informs you of the alternatives. Magic Carpet is the teleportation device. It teleports the product from the supply units to your home for instant delivery.”

“Cool!”

“Son, aren’t you forgetting something?” asked Iewton.

“What?” asked a puzzled Ainstein.

“The money. Who makes the payment?”

“When you buy the Magic Lamp, you have to make a SJ account. Your bill gets debited from the account.”

“SJ?” asked Tom.

“Shehzade Jasmine.”  said Ainstein with a grin.

“Son, but if this gadgets finds its way to a child you will be bankrupt overnight.

“No dad. You forgot that the Magic Lamp doesn’t belong to Abu. It belongs to Aladdin. Susie has already made a dozen wishes once she saw the Barbie doll. But you do not see any of them on the carpet because Aladdin makes the final decision. Genie always checks with Aladdin before he carries out the order.”

“Who is Aladdin?”

“Aladdin is the owner. In this case I am Aladdin.”

“Dad, help!!”

The children had already begun the fight for the Magic Lamp.

“So what’s your opinion dad?”

“My opinion is the same as before!” said Iewton.

“You mean, you didn’t like it?”

“No. I like it.”

“Then?”

“I always believed that The Magic Lamp was a timeless classic.”

***

FINAL NOTE

With advancement in technology shopping will no longer be a hard task. Here I would like to give a brief description about how technology can make the above story a reality.

ABU : Its a headband which monitors the brain. Our brain emits ECG signals when we think. With advancement in technology, a time will come when these signals can be analysed and read.

GENIE : Genie is an OS. Every apparatus requires it. As for the theatrics, a hologram will suffice.

MAGIC CARPET : This is the delivery system. It depends on teleportation. The basic idea is dismantling of a product into molecular components and its reassembling at the receiver. Something like digital data transmission. Instead of bits,we will be sending atoms.

MERITS
1)Helps in selection
2)Custom product
3)No waiting period
4)Instant delivery
5)Efficient and quick

To get the latest online shopping experience, check out bit.ly/eBayCheck_Extention

WeCHAT : A ‘FANG’TASTIC EXPERIENCE

Written for Indiblogger-WeChat Contest

It happened on my first chat. I was new to WeChat and was therefore interested in trying out its features. I logged in with Facebook Connect and then went to see the sea i.e.  to pick a Drift Bottle. After all, the concept was new.

At my first pick I got a starfish. I had better luck the second time. The message was as follows:

“  From: Europe

  Invite me home

  - Vlad  ”

The request seemed strange but I replied anyway.

“ Sure. Come anytime but I won’t tell u my address. ”

I had moved into a new apartment. There was no way this guy could find it. So no harm done.

I decided to try out the next feature. I didn’t know anyone so I decided to find people for group chat using Shake.

I never believed that someone would shake his phone at the same time that I did. So it came as a surprise when I found one. His login name was Omega. I sent him my greetings and activated group chat.

I           : Hi, I am Amith. I shook my phone the same time as you did!

Omega:  That no big deal. I shake all the time.

I           : All the time? Who are you?

Omega: You haven’t heard of me? I will give you a clue. I am neither black nor white. Some say I               am a man while others believe I am a woman. I love everyone especially kids. I am       everywhere and everyone worships me.

I           : OMG! Impossible! Is there Wechat in heaven?

Omega: Not OMG! Its OMJ!

I           : OMJ?

Omega: Only Michael Jackson.

That’s when a new person joined the chat.

Agatha: Hi, I’m Christie.

I           : Jesus Christ!

Omega: She said Christie, not Christ. You are weird. First you think I’m God. Then her as Christ. What next? Holy Ghost?

Agatha: Hey, Mike, did they solve your case yet?

Omega: Don’t know. It doesn’t matter to me. Can’t go back, can I?

I           : I think they pinned it on the doctor.

Agatha: Doc in the Dock. It would have made a perfect title.

I           : Any theories?

Agatha: Ten at least. Each with a different killer including the President.

Omega: Gosh! The girl is dangerous!

That’s when another guy entered the fray.

DNA OWNBR: Hello.

I           : Are you a scientist? What’s with the DNA?

Omega: How do you pronounce that name?

Agatha: Hello Mr. Brown.

DNA     :How did you know it was me?

Agatha: Order and method, my dear fellow. Order and method.

I           : What?

Agatha: No mother would give her son such a strange name. So it ought to be an anagram. DNA? The best possibility was Dan. Choosing an anagram for a chat id meant either the man was paranoid or a pure genius.

DNA     : Ah! At last someone has spoken the truth.

Omega: You think he is a pure genius? What about me?

Agatha: Of course not. I was the last ‘pure genius’.

Before the other two could protest, we had a new guest.

BAT      : Greetings.

I           : What’s with the name? Are you a batsman?

BAT      : No. I am a batman.

Omega: ‘A’ batman?

Agatha : You mean  Bruce Wayne?

DNA     : Let me guess. Count Dracula?

BAT      : How did you know?

DNA     : Count Dracula was the original batman. His sad tale is told through the comic series. Don’t you see, he was a good guy victimized by the Church. Look at the various names of Batman. The Dark Knight. The Caped Crusader. They are all analogies to Dracula.

I           : Hey dude, one doubt? Why is it that in olden days you feared the cross and now you don’t? I mean I have seen the latest movies.

DNA     : That’s because you have been using the wrong cross. The square cross is the right one. A symbol of peace. The true sign of Christ.

Agatha : I thought the long stemmed one was the right one.

DNA     : You are mistaken old lady. The long stemmed one was a device of torture. I am surprised how few Christians know of the symbols violent history.

Agatha: Well, Christ was not actually being pampered in the cross was he?

Omega: Why don’t we let Batty do the answering?

BAT      : The square cross is the one you must use. It is a sign of peace.

DNA     : See, I was right.

BAT      : R.I.P. The long stemmed cross is pure torture. I hate it.

DNA     : Then why come it is useless now?

BAT      : Symbols mean nothing. It’s the faith behind it that matters. I think I got to go now. Dinner is ready.

Omega: Dinner? At this hour?

DNA     : One question,Vlad. How do you hunt these days?

I           : Vlad?

DNA     : Vlad the Impaler. Count Dracula. Its all the same.

BAT      :Its easy. I sent a drift bottle asking for an invitation. Some fool will reply. One just did.

I           : Oh!Oh!

That was the end of my fangtastic experience as I felt two fangs on my neck.

I slept in peace for three days. But now I am hungry. Will you invite me home?

                                                         

To have your own fangtastic experience, click the link below  

WeChat's Youtube channel.

THE SMARTPHONE

Written for Indiblogger-Colgate Story Contest

“Sony Xperia. That’s what I am gonna buy.” said Ram with a bright smile on his face. “Man, I have been waiting for six months. Do you know what I am gonna do when I get this month’s salary?”

“Err…buy a smartphone?” I asked feigning interest.

“Exactly. And do you know which one? Sony Xperia. The best one in the market.”

Meet my friend Ram. He is hysterical about buying a smartphone. Nearly all his friends have one (except me, of course).He had been saving money for the past six months. When I say saving money, I do not mean just a portion of his small income. No. He had gone far beyond that.

“Hey Ram, that shopkeeper duped you.”

“What?”

Ram had been so excited about the smartphone that he hadn’t paid much attention to the things he was buying. I picked up the toothpaste that he had just bought.

“Look Ram. It says Callgate, not Colgate. This one is a duplicate.”

Ram stared at me nonchalantly.

“Man, what’s the big deal? A toothpaste is just a toothpaste. Who cares which one we use? Besides, this one costs ₹10 less than Colgate.”

I looked at him baffled.

“Man, this little paste is doing its bit in getting me a new smartphone. And do you know which one I am going to buy?”

See what I mean by hysterical?

*     *     *

A month later, I ran into him in the Supermarket. I have been avoiding him for a month. I was not yet ready to face a barrage of smartphone comments. He was hysterical before he had got his smartphone. God alone knows what he is now. I gently smiled at him while mentally preparing for what was to come next. (Now I alone did not have a smartphone and I could already feel the peer pressure).

There was a moment’s pause. He then gave me a feeble smile.

“So, how are you?” he asked nervously. Something about me made him uncomfortable.

“I am fine.” I said slowly, wondering what the matter could be. Why was he looking so uneasy?

Just then he turned to the nearby rack and took a toothpaste. Oh shit! Not again! Had I forgotten to brush my teeth? I quickly checked my breath. Nah! It was OK.

Ram had put the toothpaste in his shopping bag. That’s when I noticed it.

“That’s Colgate, right? So you finally got your smartphone?” It is true that I avoided him for a month. But I was curious to see the smartphone too. You know, that’s human nature. You may act like you don’t want it, but in the heart of your heart you know that you really want it.

But suddenly he turned pale. The smile faded from his face. He looked down for a moment. Then with his head still bowed, he shook his head.

“No, man. Not yet.  I have to wait for a few more months.”

"But you have stopped saving money?"

"Never save money by compromising your health. Believe me its not worth it."

Now this revelation stunned me. The last time I so him, he was as excited as a child waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve. He couldn’t wait a day longer to get his hands on the smartphone. Now he is talking about a few more months and a lot more about health! This was not the Ram I knew. Something had changed.

“Why? What happened?”

“I am not smart” he said dejectedly.” I am not smart enough to have a smartphone”

“Ram, you are smart. Now, don’t get upset. Who said you are not smart enough to get a smartphone?”

“You know that I have been doing many foolish things to save money for the smartphone, don’t you?”

I did not know what to say but I gave a gentle nod.

“I had been using that low quality toothpaste, Callgate, for too long. Two months back, I spotted a small decay on one of my teeth. It was a small black dot. I didn’t take it seriously then. Two weeks later, it had got a bit larger. But I ignored it. I knew I had to go to the dentist. But I kept putting it away. I reasoned out that a visit to the dentist would cost me ₹500. I needed that money to buy the smartphone this month. I could go to the dentist next month. After all, how worse can a small decay be? Besides there was no pain.

But then a week later it began to hurt. I tried to ignore it at first. I was so close to buying a smartphone. One more week and I would have the smartphone in my hand. But the pain just kept increasing until it became unbearable. Finally I went to the dentist and to my horror found out that there was a deep cavity. I had to undergo Root Canal Treatment.”

“That doesn’t seem so bad. A visit to the hospital is pleasant these days. You know, all the new gadgets and the pain free methods.” I said trying to comfort him.

“Yup. It’s all pain free and pleasant …that is until they show you the bill.”

“ So how much did it cost?”

“₹5000Rs.! Can you believe it? Ah! The irony! Do you know that I saved just  ₹500 by using Callgate?”

“By trying to save it, you lost it.”

“Yes, man, I lost it big time. What makes this even more unbearable is the fact that had I paid a visit to the doctor when I first saw the decay, it would have cost me only  ₹500.”

I was thinking hard how to comfort him, when suddenly out of nowhere the idea struck me. Yes, that’s when it first occurred to me. With bated breath I asked him…

“What’s the moral of the story?”

“What?” he asked shell-shocked.

“You are not an IndiBlogger, right?”

“No.” he said, not understanding what I meant.

“Well, we are having a story contest and I think your story is a good one. All it needs is a good moral.”

“YOU RASCAL!” he shouted angrily. ”Here I am telling you my sad experience and you want to give it to a story contest! I will kill you!”

*      *      *

Obviously, he didn’t kill me. Not yet. I wrote the story anyway. After all, he will get his smart phone in 2 month’s time. When will I get mine?

Moral of the Story:  Never ask your friend the moral of his story. He won’t tell you.
                         
(There ought to be another moral there somewhere.But it seems you will have to find it on your own.)

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