September 26, 2025

How remarkable we are as humans: we preserve memories, we sense the present, but the future—ah, that remains uncertain. Sometimes, it is good to imagine it. While you read this, come with me into a tale of what may come, 40 or 50 years from now. So, let’s begin.

It was a fine morning in a city where drone taxis and ultra-fast transportation had become ordinary. Mobile phones were no longer necessary—technology had evolved beyond them. A chip implanted in the wrist controlled locations, communication, and devices by thought alone. Another chip, embedded in the forehead, enabled video communication, projecting images directly into the eyes. Conversations felt as vivid as face-to-face meetings. This was technology for everyone.

Workplaces had changed as well. Employees accessed management directly through an app-like system embedded in their vision. Morning briefings appeared as holographic displays. Daily tasks were assigned in real-time, performance was monitored instantly, and instructions were crystal clear. Efficiency had become the new law.

But all good things come at a price. As Artificial Intelligence grew more powerful, companies tightened their grip on employees, using the chips not only to assist but also to monitor and control.

Amid this world lived Prinita, a high-ranking officer in the police department. Beyond her official duties, she served as a Government Influencer—charged with ensuring that policies were enforced, by persuasion or by force. She was tough—really tough. Her fiercest rival was Varsha, from the education department. Where Prinita pushed for sweeping reforms, Varsha leaned toward caution and tradition. Calm but sharp, Varsha knew when to deliver a strike—and a deadly one. Their rivalry mirrored the two great ideologies of the time: the Alpha Party, which demanded full modernization, and the Delta Party, which argued for restraint.

A single policy drove the deepest divide: the phasing out of the elderly and handicapped from mainstream society. Alpha supported their elimination; Delta demanded separate refuges. The conflict ignited protests that quickly spiralled into violence.

Dr. Rahul, a respected robotic surgeon, kept his distance from politics. Once, he had overseen chip installations, and through his work, he often crossed paths with Prinita. He also knew Varsha well—she was his neighbour, a woman with whom he could share ideas. Their worldview matched Delta’s: a developed world should not belong only to the young and energetic; the aged and disabled deserved the right to live with dignity. 

One day, a storm broke when Dr. Rahul refused to implant a chip in a sick child. Prinita, loyal to the government’s stance, lost her temper and slapped him. The incident exploded across the media. Varsha stood by Dr. Rahul, knowing the time had come to deliver a decisive blow to Prinita—and society split further along political lines.

Then, without warning, Prinita vanished from public life. Her position was quickly filled by others, but her disappearance only fueled speculation. Many linked her downfall to the confrontation with Dr. Rahul.

Unconvinced, Dr. Rahul began to investigate. Using hidden codes, he hacked into the system and traced Prinita’s condition. What he discovered shook him: Prinita was alive but in a dire state, suffering from severe brain trauma. She revealed that her condition had been caused by an accident. While traveling with her husband and child, the car had spun out of control. Her husband and son had died, and only Prinita survived—broken and near death.

Dr. Rahul found her during rehabilitation. He identified implant interference that was slowing her recovery and worked tirelessly to neutralize it. Though she remained scarred—with brain injuries and a fractured leg—she was no longer in mortal danger. Day by day, Dr. Rahul stood by her side, and a quiet bond grew between them. Once a powerful and feared figure, Prinita now leaned on Dr. Rahul with childlike trust.

But not everyone approved. Varsha called Dr. Rahul and issued a cold warning: “Stay away from her. Let her die.”

Driven by curiosity, Dr. Rahul decoded more from Prinita’s chip—and to his shock, discovered the cause of the accident. A toy, gifted to her son by a teacher during a function where Varsha was present, contained a signal disruptor—a weapon in the digital world. While traveling, the device triggered the accident, blocking Joe’s (Prinita’s husband) vision and jamming the car’s auto mode, causing it to spin out of control. The toy had been designed for mass disruption—a weapon Varsha had developed, albeit on a small scale. Dr. Rahul now realized the greater danger it posed.

Dr. Rahul feared Varsha’s growing power. Through policy and influence, she could crush Prinita permanently. His only option was drastic: he would disable her chip completely, cutting her off from the digital world.

Still, one question haunted him. In his final exchange with Varsha, she had revealed the root of her hatred. The two women had once studied together, but Varsha had always lagged behind. The final blow came when her own boyfriend, Joe, charmed by Prinita’s brilliance, married her instead. From that moment, envy consumed Varsha. The toy had been her revenge, meant to destroy Prinita—but fate had twisted the knife: Joe was the one who died. 

Now, Varsha had shifted the blame onto Dr. Rahul. The public still remembered the slap, and authorities were closing in on him. The weapon gave her leverage—a tool she could use to manipulate the system.

Dr. Rahul now pinned all hope on Prinita: if she recovered, she could overpower Varsha. Her recovery was crucial.

At last, Dr. Rahul made his decision. He would take Prinita away—beyond the suffocating reach of technology and politics. Before he could unravel the entire conspiracy, he and Prinita vanished into the thick woods. Whether they had stepped into a new life, or were merely clinging to the edge of survival, no one could tell.