Special Character

Somewhere in Mumbai, at the toe end of the "August". 

Karan is a freelance writer for a well-known website that is trying to make a mark on his journey. He has recently joined a new company to support his family and meet his monetary needs. His training period has just begun. 

Karan receives a call from his editor in chief Mr. Dasgupta.

Karan: Sir try to understand, It's my training period. The process is a bit complicated here and I have to concentrate on the training for this month at least. 

Dasgupta: Karan we want your full attention on this project. along with you another 5 of our best writers will be associated with it. We want the "character" should be written by our website's writer.

Try to understand karan if this happens it would be a big boost for our website and for you as a writer too, only if you give that character to us. You have only 6 weeks to submit the sample plot. Believe me, if someone else is able to deliver it before you and if it gets selected then you will lose one of the rarest opportunities like this. yun samjh lo this is that "special character" which is the mandatory requirement in that password which you have to crack to unlock your dream life as a writer. Rest all you decide but I still believe. You are one of our best writers and you won't disappoint us.

2nd week of the trainning...

In the training room...

There was some fun activity going on in the training room and Karan was sitting at his place at the corner watching everyone...

Karan thinking: don't know how am I going to write it. Training is tougher but at the moment I have to focus on it. aur Inka Kuch Aur He Chal Raha Hota Hai doesn't know where I am stuck among these people. Gaane Ga Rahe Hai Abhi acting Kar Rahe hai...oh come on I don't wanna sit here "Chai Maarke Aata Hu".  

Karan goes towards the office canteen to grab a tea. He takes his cup and walks towards the other corner of the canteen and starts his tea sip by sip and all of sudden he sees EKTA she is one of the new joines from his team.

 

Ekta takes a packet of milkybar and sits there quietly. Her face suggests as if she is thinking about something quite serious...

Karan in his mind: isko kya hua... abhi toh she was singing and jumping inside the trainning room. Maybe there might be some issue who cares let's go inside...

karan finishes his tea and goes to the washroom. After 10 minutes or so when he enters the trainning room he sees Ekta and he is shocked to see that she was again singing and shouting with her other troops and then...

Karan Thinking: yeh fir Gaa Rahi hai. just now she was in some kind of trauma and now all of sudden back to basic. Is it something I am reading it wrong or is it correct but appearing to be wrong. But why am I thinking this much? lets leave it.  

Next day training room...

Karan was as usual at his place in the corner departing himself from the other team members. Today also there was this last half hour fun activity post process training.

Some of the team members were discussing something about their family and having a good time. 

karan was watching everyone from the corner. He was listening to those topics of those girls one of those topics was about "brother" "dad" and when this topic was introduced Karan noticed something quite interesting at that moment. He saw that Ekta who was having fun at that time talking on those topics had her facial expressions changed for those split seconds might be for those 10 seconds or so and she changed those expressions quite quickly to the earlier mood. Karan saw everyone but nobody noticed sitting there and honestly she changed it quite quickly that nobody realized it as well. 

Karan in his mind: What is this which she is doing. Right now at this moment for those few seconds, it seemed like she might have thought about her brother her dad and at the same time she was mentally present in the training room as well coping and mixing up with the discussion going on with her friends.

 I mean thats ridiculously amazing how she manages to keep that balance without changing the mood and without even allowing anyone to notice it. Thats something special. Karan quickly wrote those few observations on the last two pages of the notepad. later on, quite happily karan called Mr. Dasgupta while returning home.

Karan: Dasgupta sir karan here.

Sir, I have found the character.

Dasgupta: kya baat kar rahe ho.. really itne jaldi...

Karan: Sir I will send u the synopsis currently it's incomplete but I will complete it very soon. You just read it and tell me if you like it. Its definitely interesting sir. You will like it.

Dasgupta: I have no questions on your choices of subjects Go ahead my boy I am happy that you came up before anyone. I am waiting...

From the next day, Karan started observing Ekta more closely. as days progressed karan found out that this girl has this special ability. never seen someone bluff the facial expressions so fluently. When you are with her you can never make out her actual mood unless you intentionally direct your focus in knowing her.

 

Karan noticed that there are quite a few things which she feels bad about and sad about when she is with her freinds but she holds her mood and expressions in such a way that nobody recognizes that there is some other story going on behind her expressions which is completely opposite to what is going on in the middle. Thats an amazing contrast she carries inside her with her outer brightness.

every day karan use to jolt down the observations he use to notice about ekta and every day adding few more amazing observations to his yesterday's tally. Infact he started talking to ekta now to know and observe her more. days passed and karan was gradually moving ahead in reading and scripting Ekta's character to life. karan was managing both his trainning and his writing simultaneously.

4th week of the trainning...

Finally, Karan completed and submitted the "character" to Dasgupta within time. Dasgupta loved Ekta's character so much that he sent only one entry representing the website and that was karan's one. 

Karan, later on, stopped observing Ekta and continued his entire focus on the remaining part of the training as there were still two weeks more to complete the training.  meanwhile Karan uses to notice Ekta but not that much. He also reduced the number of talks he uses to do with Ekta as his motive was over now. 

in the 5th week, Karan noticed a very weird change in Ekta. Ekta had turned silent. she had stopped getting involved in any of those activities. she uses to keep quite and stay quiet right from the start of the day. 

Karan in his mind: what's this change about. Earlier she was hidding and now she is showing it. have I misjudged her completely till today? which is the original one the amazing earlier one or the current one who is nothing more than a silent dead toy.

karan tried a lot to hold back himself to ask her the reason and clarrification about her and her actual behavior. somehow Karan failed to himself and he decided to confront ekta about what was going on.

It was the final day of the trainning. The last day of the 6th week. karan decided to catch her after the log-off. post log off karan searched her but didnt found her. He then thought about having some open fresh air on the first floor. when he reached he saw Ekta standing they're alone. Karan ran towards her and stood beside her. she looked at him and stayed quiet and then...

Karan: ghar nahi gayi (didnt went home) 

ekta: No. 

Karan: Ekta I wanted to ask something. Kuch hua hai kya. whats wrong. You have changed a lot these days. you stay a lot quiet these days. whats the matter. 

ekta: why you want to know.

Karan: Ekta as a friend Puch Raha hu and more than that you're all of suddenly changed behavior has forced me to ask you about it.

cummon tell me dont worry. you never know I may have the answer which you are searching for.

Ekta: I don't know why I am telling you but I also don't find any reason not to tell you about it. don't know but somewhere I feel that I can trust you. I may also be wrong. 

karan: Go ahead ekta you can trust me.

Ekta: Nobody understands me. I think about everyone's happiness but when it comes to my happiness nobody cares. i think 1000 times before speaking anything to anyone just because my words shouldnt hurt anyone but when it comes to me people say whatever they want.they dont care about what i would feel. They call me childish, immature and irresponsible but the fact is i am not like that. honestly Karan i am fedup of people and their behavior now.so i have literally stopped interacting with everyone. few drops fell down from ekta's eyes.

After that, there was a moment of silence. nobody spoke after that. 

Later on, Karan started the conversation.

Karan: Ekta do u want to go home early today.

Ekta just knoded her head, which meant no.

Karan: I was a bit hungry will you come with me... Yaha Pass Main He.. Waha Se Hum Ghar Nikal Jayenge.

Ekta and karan then walked out of the office premises and started walking.

Karan: Ekta I want to eat Pani Puri and You also like Pani Puri a lot right? 

Ekta: Yes but I am in no mood to have it.

Karan: Mujhe company toh dey sakti ho. Now dont say no.

At the Pani Puri stall...

Karan was having pani puri and Ekta was just standing beside him.

and then karan asks ekta...

Karan: Ekta has one puri 

Ekta: No I don't want...

Karan: Atleast taste toh kar. 

And then Ekta decides to have one but as soon as she eats it. she gently shouts... 

Ekta: It's so spicy Kitna Tikhaa Hai I don't eat this much spicy.

karan says sorry and asks the owner to give a meetha pani puri.

Ekta then has that meet puri and settles down...

karan: Ekta did it happen with you anytime before where u had a spicy pani puri like this by mistake.

Ekta: Never because I always tell the Pani Puri Wala that I need "Meetha Jyaada Teekha kam" 

Karan: so what you think how and why did it happen this time?

Ekta: Arey he didn't know Na and I also didn't notify about what I need.

Karan: Exactly... 

life is exactly like this Pani Puri and consider that Pani Puri wala as the people around you. unless and untill these people don't know what you want and what you don't. what makes you happy and what makes you sad. These people will continue to feed you the wrong "puri" every single time you expect from them and interact with them. I am not asking you to upfrontly reveal ur nature to every second person you meet but the fact is you don't get disappointed by everyone.

You only feel sad when your near dear ones disappoint you. So these are the ones you should open up with and give them a chance to know the real you.

Those who will know the real you will not disappoint you or less disappoint you and those who never change trust me they don't deserve you. I am not saying this will solve your entire problems but yes it can definitely lessen the pain and provide you some relief for sure.  

Baaki not everyone is as special as you who can bluff the emotions so fluently and quickly, irrespective of the original mood. not reveal the pain, hold the tears till the last moment. at the same time be present mentally on more than one ocassions situations without letting anyone know where you are actually. Reaching Germany to your brother sitting in the training room. kaise kar leti ho? how do you manage to keep this balance every where. Believe me Ekta you are that special character whose presence is as important and manadatory like that "special character" in those password policies you are really special.

Ekta kept looking at Karan for a few seconds and her eyes were filled with tears. she asked him about how does he knows her so well and Karan replied...

Karan: it's a long story maybe 3 4 plates of Pani puris will be required Chalega Kya?

And then she gave her beautiful smile where that Friday evening and that moment got completely drowned in her two beautiful dimples.

So guyzzz that's all about this special character jinke Bina Humare life ka password is always incomplete. So guys what are you waiting for, who knows you may find that special character around you who only seems ordinary but is actually super special.

As usual guyss please send me your reviews if you enjoy the story : [e-mail] (Aj)