Code-D

By Sidda Lokesh Kumar

On a summer morning, Abhi got a whatsapp message from unknown number; it’s a riddle with four options as 1135,1350,1440,1535 after analyzing the riddle Abhi has given 1135 as the answer but Abhi don’t know the person who actually messaged him. After a while he view the profile of that number and it is denoted as “~D~” then he starts memorizing all his friends, relatives whose names starts with “D” but he couldn’t make sense out of it. Abhi slowly believed that someone is trying to prank him from unknown number; out of curiosity he again started conversation with that unknown number.

Abhi: Hi, who are you?

~D~: Are you kidding? There is a strong bond between us.

Abhi: If it is yes! Then tell me the year when we met for the first time?

~D~: I can tell you but I won’t because I can’t accept the fact that you forgot our relationship within no time. However the answer to your question lies in my riddle itself.

Abhi: Hahaha! I knew that you are one of my friends or enemies who try to make me fool by communicating from an unknown number. Stop making me fool; I already became a fool in the society.

~D~: I understand so I am here to give you a solution for your grief and sorrow, It’s strange to hear that even your generation too have enemies that too in multiples. Can you please share me the details of your enemies?

Abhi: Are you going to kill them?

~D~: No, I just goanna defeat them; sorry make you to defeat them.

Abhi: Interesting, I don’t know about you but the above message make me believe you. All the persons who rejected my wish are my enemies.

~D~: Can’t get it? Could you please elaborate?

Abhi: During my childhood, my family used to celebrate festivals in a great manner, especially Diwali. Our house is lightened in a great way such that it becomes center of attraction in my colony every time. In 1995 on Diwali night, I observed that my nearby houses (generally it is a type of slum area) have no festival vibes. Then I realized my house lightning is due to darkness of others; I felt very low by observing that my neighbors didn’t celebrated the festival. Then I found that the root cause of all this is poverty. They are not in position to build their houses even with basic amenities; I decided to become a civil engineer and build houses for all those in an economical way by providing all basic amenities. After some years I completed my civil engineering from a repudiated college and become a Civil Engineer. I developed a plan to construct houses for my neighbors in that slum area; I have approached many government offices and started explaining my plan about the construction of houses in slum area. Many got rejected my plan claiming that there are few drawbacks that make the project too expensive, whereas few criticized my plan that how effective houses can be constructed for the needy in low budget. Slowly after too many rejections I too got depressed and give up my plans. Now I am just working on normal projects to earn my bread and butter.

~D~: Why didn’t you worked again on that project?

Abhi: What is the use of trying again and again when you know you goanna fail?

~D~: Ok before answering your question, let me clarify one thing Do you have the fear of jumping from high places?

Abhi: Yes

~D~: Suppose you are on the 2nd floor of a building, suddenly your floor has caught fire, you have only 2 options – 1) To face the fire and become dead , 2) To jump from the second floor where you will land on a place with some people but you might end up with some injuries. What will you choose?

Abhi: Obviously option 2 since it has some chance for survival. I feel trying to save my life with some injuries rather than being dead.

~D~: Similarly Trying again and again for your goal is far better than giving up your plans.

Abhi: I am completely speechless after seeing your reply, who are you? Where do you come from and what’s the reason behind your conversation with me? I just want to see you. Please tell me where can I meet you?

~D~: You goanna feel my presence and the day you realize that: I feel so overwhelmed and that’s the gift you can give me. Until then please make this conversation as a memory. Bye

Abhi: Please don’t leave me alone, please don’t leave me alone, and please don’t leave me alone.

(Suddenly Door shouts and Abhi suddenly wakes up realizing entire conversation with ~D~ is a dream, he stood silent for a while, however he felt the motivation he received might helpful to him in reaching his goal)

From that day, Abhi has restarted his works on the project; he tried to sort all possible problems that might encounter to him in future for rejection of project. Upon six months of dedication, he has finally ready with final project making all the changes to his original one. Now he only requires a good opportunity to get his dream come true.

One morning, Abhi finds that the people representative (MLA) is going to conduct a meeting on Public Park regarding the development of slum areas. Abhi find it helpful and immediately went to the park and there for his surprise, the people representative has expressed his wish to develop the slum area by constructing houses to them in an economical way. Then Abhi felt very happy because his project too is prepared to finish in an economical way. He immediately asked for an appointment and he was allocated on the next day at 08.30 am in people representative office. Since Abhi has made all the possible changes in the project, he now confidently presented his project before the representative. After three hours of detailed discussion the people representative is impressed with the work of Abhi and gives a nod at 11.35 am for the execution of project since the cost of the project is somehow streamlined with the given budget.

Abhi felt very happy since his childhood dream of constructing houses for his neighbors got fulfilled by this approval. He started to share this good news with his Parents and after hearing this, his mom said that his dream got finally fulfilled at 11 .35 that morning. After hearing the number, Abhi memorized it is the first answer he has given to ~D~ in Whatsapp chat. Then he started searching the details of ~D~ and slowly he remembered the four numbers that are given in the riddle as 1135, 1350, 1440, 1535; he also remembered that the meeting with ~D~ was first happened in year that relates to above four numbers. So he tried to add digits in every number and he got 1,9,9,5 as the results. Thus he assumed that in 1995 he met ~D~ for the first time and he started to memorize all the important things that happened to him in the year. But he couldn’t figured out the persons whose name starts with ~D~.

Meanwhile the construction works got completed and soon the people representative got higher position in state legislature for his works. From then Abhi has started to work on numerous projects that are based on his childhood dream. On next Diwali, Abhi celebrated the festival on grand scale with all his neighbors and all his neighbors felt happy for the change that Abhi brought in their life. He suddenly remembered that on Diwali 1995 only he decided to build houses for poor which made him to think again about ~D~.

But still Abhi is in a confusion state because he wants to know who is ~D~.

The time he wake up on that day, he believed ~D~ means “Dream”,

The day when he got his project approved, he believed ~D~ means “Destiny”,

The day he celebrated Diwali with his neighbors, he believed ~D~ means “Diwali”.

Even though he couldn’t find the answer for who is ~D~, he started thanking ~D~ everyday in the morning for the motivation it gave to him. He continued his passion by constructing houses for needy in an economical way by and become a part in the development of the country

The ~D~ in this story is not a dream, not a destiny, not a Diwali too. But ~D~ in this story depicts us the “Determination” of a kid who showed his empathy towards his neighbors, for a kid of that age, empathy might sounds different but being determined at that age and making that determination as a carrier for the development of weak sectors in the society is something we should appreciate. The best appreciation we can give to our success is to just be thankful to our qualities which make it happen. Often we are identified by our qualities over rejections, determination over difficulties and finally hope over hurdles. The “dream” of a kid to see his neighbors having equal happiness with him has become his “destiny” one day and become a “Diwali” to his neighbors on another day but ~D~ that linked all the above 3 Ds is “Determination”.

Thus Code – D is all about a story of a kid who showed his Determination in fulfilling the happiness of others. Hence, Code – D is all about “Code- Determination”.

By Sidda Lokesh Kumar