SCREENPLAY: Digital Insult

This isn’t about Ana. Or Aadi. This is about everyone of us. This isn’t based on gender. Or where you live. Or how educated or literate you are. You may be a celebrity or a common man—you must have faced this ‘digital insult’ at least once in your life. Haven’t you?

The coward, mean, selfish and jealous people who aren’t able to talk to you prefer two things. Either they will bad mouth you everywhere—to everyone you know or who knows you—and tell them how bad you are, even if you’re being good. Or will do the easier thing—insult you over social media—digitally. This stands true for every relation. And with WhatsApp groups—this is worse.

Flashback: Aadi’s sister was looking for a digital marketeer for her business and who could be better than Ana? She designed the logo for the brand. Created a social media page. Promoted and targeted audience and increased the reach. The business also had a WhatsApp group from where Ana used to pick up selected content and promote on the social media platforms. However, due to certain circumstances, the business was on halt—and later Ana and Aadi also lost touch—and so did Aadi’s parents, but the business page existed as it is.

Scene 1: Ana and Aadi and their families were in a ‘no-contact-phase’ since a few months. It was Ana’s birthday and she was in Mumbai for a big event—where cell phones weren’t allowed. The cell phones were taken away at the entry and locked and Ana only got her mobile back after a good 10 hours, at 11.30 PM. 31 Missed calls. 30 from Ana’s friends, 1 from Aadi’s sister. 130 texts. 125 from Ana’s friends and colleagues and 3 in Aadi’s family group. And 2 from his sister.

‘Happy Birthday. Our family members have wished you on the family group.’

‘Reply to them.’

It was obvious that Ana would have replied to each and every one—but she had just got her phone back! Some people deliberately feel the need to ‘train’ other people—even if they have not been in touch since months!

Scene 2: The next day, Aadi just sent Ana a text.

‘Request you to quit all my family groups as soon as possible.’

Ana didn’t care. Aadi’s family didn’t ask Ana before adding her in the WhatsApp group—neither did they ask her before ordering her to quit. Just because Ana couldn’t respond ‘immediately’ to the ‘only three messages’ for her birthday, they decided to throw her out of the group—humiliating her digitally. Little did they know that Ana didn’t care about this at all! She remembered how always she was been ‘trained’ as to what and how to respond on Aadi’s family group.

Four days later, Aadi’s sister removed Ana from one of their family groups. Good riddance, thought Ana. No one was anyway in contact with her since long. She was way occupied in other important chores and official tours. However, Aadi’s family couldn’t digest the peace from Ana’s side. Why is she not crying? Why is she not affected even when she is removed publicly from the family group? Why didn’t she apologise? Hence, to pull the strings harder and make the situations worse, Aadi’s another sister removed Ana from yet another group after ten days. But Ana didn’t even realise that—since she was way occupied in travelling.

Scene 3: A few months later, Aadi’s sister removed Ana from the business group as well—the same business group which Ana handled. The business which Ana was handling the content and digital marketing for. Yet another hit-and-trial to annoy Ana—all in vain. Ana on the other hand, felt more and more relieved. She was happy that finally she’s been able to remove those people from her own life—when they remove her.

How does it even matter when people can fall so low? Such people are narrow minded, behave like uneducated goofs, full of arrogancy and jealousy—and can just insult you digitally. Its better to ‘block’ such people before they ‘hack’ all your peace, happiness, success and progress.

 

SCREENPLAY: The Separation

Flashback: Many months ago

‘Ana, since we have to shift to Chennai, I am thinking that instead of taking all the stuff together, I will just take the bare minimum. You can then bring the major stuff like washing machine, refrigerator, furniture, etc. when you come. We can manage that one by one once I find a place to live there and you come there.’

‘Yes, Aadi. For the time being, we can keep all the stuff at my parents’ place. Meanwhile I will also wind up my job here and will then manage the relocation.’

‘Yeah, sounds good.’

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—–

However, when do things work out the way you plan? Ana already had left Aadi’s house when he ‘Fake Swore’ on her—for his girlfriend. Aadi had to go for a tour next day, so he didn’t even realise that this was the last chance he had to ask Ana to be with him. He instead went on the tour and as always—neither called or texted her. However, this time it was different for Ana. She was way to busy to care or whine about Aadi. She had various official tours to Delhi & Mumbai. She was occupied growing her career—till one fine day Aadi came to her place in the evening with all the stuff—the stuff which Ana had purchased or that belonged to Ana. For example, before wedding while setting up the house, Ana had purchased a TV set and a washing machine, along with some utensils and other minor stuff like toiletries, grocery stands, shelves, etc. Aadi had purchased the refrigerator and the dining table.

Aadi said that since he was shifting to Chennai and had to leave the flat Ana and himself lived in, he was sending the stuff at Ana’s place. He had tried hurting Ana even before in the last month by sending some stuff that belonged to Ana at her place—her toiletries, her two pairs of sarees, her towel, even her stationery. It didn’t take more than a moment for Ana’s mom to understand that Aadi is trying for a separation, right here, right now. She confronted him while Ana wasn’t around.

‘Aadi, son, why are you leaving all this stuff which Ana purchased here? Won’t you need this stuff at Chennai? Or you think you and Ana won’t be living together?’

‘No, I am taking just what is important.’

‘Won’t you need washing machine or TV while you’re alone? You’re not taking that since Ana purchased it?’

‘No, I will give my clothes on laundry and won’t even have time to watch TV.’

‘Take some utensils?’

‘No. I won’t be cooking at home anyway.’

‘Then why are you taking refrigerator with you when you won’t cook? Because you purchased that?’

‘No, I might need it for storing food.’

‘Aadi, you’re acting like you’re separating right here with Ana—sending all her stuff to her and taking all what belonged to you.’

‘I won’t be able to fulfil her expectations anyway… So…’

Ana’s mom didn’t say a word after that. It was damn clear that Aadi is now initiating a ‘separation’. Dividing the stuff was the simplest way to do this—without saying a word.

 

SCREENPLAY: I swear!

Scene 1: Saturday evening.

‘Ana, one of my friends parents are coming tomorrow and I need to pick them up from the railway station and drop them to the bus stop.’

‘Great, Aadi. Whose parents? I will come along.’

‘A friend. You don’t know. You relax on the weekend. I will go.’

‘Why? I will also  meet them. Who is the friend?’

‘Akshay. You don’t know him.’

 

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Scene 2: Saturday night. Aadi receives a text from ‘Neha’. His mobile was on the table and Ana saw the notification. Neha mentioned that her relative will pick her parents and Aadi doesn’t need to go. Ana understood that they were Neha’s parents, not Akshay. In fact, there’s no one named Akshay.

Ana was devastated. She was fed up with Aadi’s lies. She was wondering why she keeps lying to her every time. She couldn’t understand why Aadi was still in touch with the same girl—Neha, who was the root cause of differences between Ana and Aadi. She was amused that even though Neha knew this, she had the guts to ask Aadi for a favour. Although, Ana would never refuse to help someone in need, yet she was disturbed with the fact that Aadi kept lying to her over and over again.

Scene 3: Next day, Neha called Aadi and told him that he should pick her parents from the relative’s house and drop them to the bus stop. How would have Aadi managed to leave the house now? How could he tell Ana that they were Neha’s parents and not some random guy named Akshay’s?

‘Ana, I have to go and pick Akshay’s parents in the evening. You take rest till then. I will then take you out for a movie when I am back.’

‘I will also come with you, Aadi. We can go for a movie directly then.’

‘No, you relax here. Its weekend!’

Scene 4: Ana didn’t say a word during the movie, nor did she seem happy.

‘What’s wrong, Ana? You slept well in the afternoon, enjoyed the weekend and I even came along with you for a movie—yet you don’t seem happy?’

Ana knew that the definition of happiness was poles apart for her and Aadi. How can he keep lying and hurting Ana again and again and yet expect her to be happy?

Scene 5: Ana didn’t say anything for four days. She was stressed. She was overthinking—but that was the need of the hour. How could Aadi do the same thing again and again knowingly? This was the same girl Neha—who used to call Aadi late at night before marriage. She also went with Aadi on a trek before marriage and Aadi didn’t tell Ana about this. She also was weirdly close to Aadi—intimately, emotionally—while Aadi didn’t prefer talking to Ana. She was the reason why Ana went to her parents’ place last month. Could going out for movies, shopping or random dinners suffice the wounds Aadi had caused Ana? On one hand Aadi was hurting her and on the other—he was trying to portray the world what an amazing husband he is—by planning a tour for Ana. Ana didn’t want any tour. Ana didn’t want anything.

‘Ana, if you’re not interested, we can postpone the trip.’

‘Yes, I think we should, Aadi. We don’t trust each other anymore.’

‘Oh so you’re coming up with some entirely new issue, aren’t you? What’s this melodrama again, Ana?’

‘Melodrama? You tell me. Whose parents were they?’

‘What? I told you they were Akshay’s parents.’

‘Think again, Aadi.’

‘They were Akshay’s parents. I told you once. Can’t you get it?’

‘Really? Swear on me, Aadi.’

‘Yes, I swear on you, Ana. They were Akshay’s parents.’

‘Wow, Aadi. No one dies if you fake-swear on them. However, had that been a choice for you today—you chose my death over telling the truth.’

‘What the hell are you talking about?’

‘Well, I knew they were not Akshay’s parents. There’s no one called Akshay. They were Neha’s parents. The same Neha who is the cause of our unhappiness and you chose her again, over me.’

‘Well yeah! I had to fake-swear on you and you’re to blame. Had you been understanding, I would never have lied to you. But you forced me to.’

‘Wow! Am I not understanding? I would never refuse to help someone in need, Aadi, and you know it. Also, hypothetically, if I refused to help someone, couldn’t you tell Neha that your wife won’t understand so she should manage on her own? Why do you want to have a win-win situation always? Why can’t you choose one?’

‘Well Ana, I can’t live in so many restrictions anymore. You have problem with everything I do and you’re not understanding. I am done with this.’

‘Aadi, I today then free you from all the restrictions.’

 

Ana packed her bag and left the flat. Aadi didn’t stop her. Probably, fake-swearing had killed Ana for Aadi already. However, Aadi didn’t know that Ana had truly achieved freedom and solace now.