Moan Of a Machine

By Sukumar Ruj

Mr. B-ten with his fingertip touches the button of the electronic dashboard of his Husukai car. The speed of the car comes down from one hundred and twenty kilometers an hour to forty only. He is driving his car through the superfast channel --the turn bike of E.M. Bypass. The destination is Salt Lake City. The right-turn signal of the car is switched on just after crossing past J. Bose Stadium. It then turns right at the feather touch of the 'turning-button'. The speedometer of the car once again indicates beyond hundred at the touch of a finger. After driving for another three minutes forty seconds he reaches his destination 'Couple-plaza'. Having parked his car at the parking lot Mr. B-ten come standing on the checking stand in front of the Couple-plaza gate. His eye falls on the electronic sightscreen. It displays in English and in Bengali -- selection of boys. The girl, Miss G-fifty. Born - 2020, M.compu.black-belt holder, five feet three inches. For detailed information please contact G-fifty marriage mail.com. In the meantime, the metal detector and the bomb detector machines at the checking stand have given him a green signal. The automatic sliding doors move apart to either side of the gate. A sweet female voice is heard saying from an invisible sound box - most welcome to couple-plaza .The enquiry and the booking counters are on the right-hand side. Thank you. Mr. B-ten having adjusted the tie knot with his left fingers enters inside. He looks at the right hand side.  Three counters are seen at the lounge of the ground floor. The lines of old and young men are queued up in front of each counter. B-ten goes into a comparatively smaller line. A sign of indignation was manifest in his eyebrows and forehead. He awfully hates to wait in any line. But within a few seconds a hidden excitement of his mind erases the traces of indignation from the facial manifestations. The moving red letters on the laser screen at the top of the counters attract his attention. What is being displayed in English on the screen is as such – ‘Welcome. You are requested to deposit rupees one thousand only to have your name and other particulars registered in the computer. Collect your computer, and file numbers. Climb up the hall-room on the tenth floor and find the set as per the number given. Open the G-fifty file .you would come to know the detailed information about the girl you have chosen. You are requested to log on your resume in the said file. Wish you a happy marriage life. Through your internet at home you are able to collected information from the G -fifty marriage mail.com file whether you have primarily been selected nor not. Thank you.’ 

    Mr. B-ten curses his fate for the computer said that went out of order just only the day before yesterday. The set suddenly broke down only when he was watching the resume of the beauty queen, Miss L.V. Hundred through the internet. Would you have come up here to join the line, if his computer set at home had been Okayed? That apart how did he know that this advertisement would be published today only in the News Universe? Otherwise he could have got the set repaired by yesterday. The e-mail address was also given in the advertisement. The entire job would have been done quite well sitting tight right at home only. Rupees five hundred only, instead of one thousand, would have served the purpose. Bank would have collected the amount if the Credit card number had been sent in through the e-mail. Anyway, what can be done now! All is well that ends well. This thought consoles him at present.

Mr. B-ten turning his neck takes a quick look the men standing in the lines. Most of them are over 40. Young men are lesser. He himself falls into the older group. It occurs to his mind at not only is he alone but also there are many who haven't yet got the opportunity to marry. B-ten fells like smoking a cigarette. He looks here and there and a glow sign attracts his sight. It reads washroom and smoking zone. B-ten quickly counts the head waiting ahead. It's eleven. That means eleven into thirty second, five and half minutes in hand. He moves towards the washroom -cum-smoking zone, letting the gentleman waiting in front know.

 Now it is 10-30A.M. He has been facing hell of a trouble since morning. Early morning the faulty computer was sent for a service. Internet Connection has obviously been off due to this faulty computer. That’s why contact with his parents at the weekend holiday has not been possible. To do the mere duty towards his parents he (has) had to visit them at their old- age homes separately in the wee hours of this morning.

   Last Sunday, he could not contact his father for the computer at the Heaven old age home which went out of order. He thought to talk to him over telephone, but, now-a-days this system has become out of date. He does not want to do that now. Nor that is satisfying one either. It is only beard whereas one is able to see each other on the monitor if contacted through internet. Both get satisfied.

 It was already over nine past thirty when B-ten came out of Eve old-age home pvt.ltd. Seeing his mother there he had to go to Adam cloning center. He wanted to know the present rate and the terms and condition of the center.

 Last year too, his mind became excited once for marriage. That was why; he logged on his ‘resume’ at a couple center seeing an advertisement through an internet. But for some unknown reasons he was not selected. It made him feel sad for that fiasco. Soon after he took decision never to have fancy for marriage for physical pleasure there are so many poly-doll centers. The dolls at there are made up of imported rubber and they are no less than ones of real flesh and blood. And, in fact, marriage means to meet a huge amount of money. When it is mandatory to adopt, at least, one child, it is better to go for his own cloning baby. Last time he enquired at the cloning center and that required half a million of rupees. The center never keeps the baby as soon as it attains three months old. The thought of large expense made Mr. B-ten give up the idea. He thought it would be frivolous to spend that much to get an heir. He had to think of his own future. A standard old-age home is not available unless a million of rupees are deposited. And, that’s to be done in advance too. The govt. homes charge lesser. But they are real hell-holes. Who doesn’t want a little comfort at the old-age? Of course, on more reason dissuaded Mr. B-ten at that time from the cloning. That is, he is five feet two inches only. Truly, he is considered short as per the average Bengalese height. For that he is a bit unhappy. Besides, he has sort of blunt nose. If a cloned baby is born, it would suffer the same agony he does now. With all these thoughts he shook off that very idea last year.

 The advertisement in the morning daily has arrested his attention and rekindled the latent heart’s desire for marriage. At once he also thinks that it is the last chance. Either this time or never If it fails now, he’ll go for cloning… And that’s why he has been to the center beforehand to know the latest charges.

B-ten comes back to the line from the washroom after getting the light fresh-up and smoking. No one is only left before him. Along with a money receipt and a piece of paper containing a number, emerged from the computer, B-ten, as per the instructions, climbs up onto the tenth floor by an automatic elevator. Turning just to the left there is a banquet hall in which more or less fifty computer sets have serially been installed on the respective tables. Having found the specific set, as per the number on the instruction paper, he takes out the chair to sit in front of that computer. 

As soon as the computer is switched on booting on the monitor begins. A picture of a girl-child appears on the monitor while it’s booting. A caption rolls on below the picture –‘girls are the future of nation. Let’s have more and more cloned female babies. Save the society and the nation by taking care of them.  ‘At this a smile comes across the B-ten’s lips. He enters the G-fifty file clicking the mouse. 

At first, candidate's particulars are displayed on the monitor. All the front displaying is in Helvetica type. It read as follows - only daughter of Mr. R.G.-thirty seven, Miss G-fifty has expressed her desire for marriage for the first time. Her date of birth is 2nd day of March, 2020. She got master degree in computer science and is now employed in space construction co. Height: 5 ft. 3 inches. Slim figure Black-belt holder in Karate. Blood group: 'A' and R.H. factor positive. She's allergic to Indian Whiskey. She has never become a rented mother. In other words, she has ever let out her womb to none, neither, sold out the egg cells either. 

       The candidate's particulars have pleased B-ten. Her age is not much. It's now 2045. It means she's 25 only. Earlier, she's never been a wife of anybody. If luck favors him he will be her first husband. She's never become a surrogated mother for money. So, she is physically intact. She is a working girl. Hence, she, as a wife, will certainly be a great financial help too. A flush of joy travels across his mind.   

   Next page is scrolled by clicking the mouse. On this page a set of matrimonial rules has been laid down. A score will be called for an interview well after scrutinizing the curriculum vitae of the applied candidates. Through this interview ten people will be selected for medical check-up. The girl then will face to face discuss and select one by herself as her would-be husband among those whose medical report stands satisfactory. one who is once selected, will pay rupees two millions, as a caution deposit to the girl's father, Mr. R.G.-thirty seven and get G-fifty, as his wife, for five years. In these five years if a boy child is born to her, sum of rupees fifty thousand, and if it is a girl child, sum of rupees thirty thousand must be deposited to the G-fifty's account by the father of the child just born. B-ten thinks two and a half million would bring him a wife and an heir for five years. It is certainly more profitable than the cloning. He again reads the rules and regulation of the said file.

After completion of the first five years, if you wish to keep your wife for another five years for the care of the said child, one million out of the said deposited two millions, shall stands non-refundable. And, if, somehow, ten long years are passed by this couple without any kinds of troubles faced in between, the husband shall, thereafter, acquire a right to maintain G-fifty as wife, for rest of his life. But, in that case, the total amount of the said caution deposit for sum of rupees two millions must be treated as non-refundable by any manner of means.

A quick thought flashes across the B-ten's mind. He will care none if he once manages to marry the dame. If situation demands, he is but ready to make an underhand hush-hush dealing of even three millions with her father. It just like a great job will be done, if he’s able to marry her and somehow, hang together up to ten years. Then the wealthy wife will be absolutely his property, together with her bank-balance. Everybody will then salute him, envy him too from back. It’ll really be a great deal to have a wife in the dearth of a woman in this country. A wave of triumph his mind with pride.

    He scrolls to the next page on the monitor. The applicant is entitled to log his C.V. on the prescribed file only if he has the following aptitudes, and then his own instant laser photograph is to be taken with the help of the photo file, so to be scanned thereafter, and kept the same in the said file. 

Firstly the candidate’s age should be forty or less. B-ten thinks he is now just 40 and it’s his last chance. 

The computer monitor screen shows previously married may be considered, but not a father. In the monitor screen of his mind words brew-up He is not even married yet. So chance of being child’s father is far remote.  

The candidate’s monthly income should be, at least, forty thousand. His joy increases. His monthly salary is fifty thousand. Wow! Everything is, indeed, matching.

 The candidate is supposed to be handsome. B-ten’s face lines with worry. Is he considered to be handsome? He is, no doubt, healthy, but the height is a little bit short. And the nose is blunt. Let it be. He thinks looks’ are a relative term. He may not be handsome to others, but may be so in her eye. Besides, he can persuade her after marriage that it is not a problem to get a bonny child in the all-round excellence of the modern medical science, despite he is not handsome. Now it’s a booming market for gene technology. By setting and resetting the DNA chains of genes one can have a beautiful child.

 Next clause appears on the screen-govt. employee must not be considered accepted. B-ten again goes through the clause carefully considering what he saw just now is wrong! But he finds the same as before. He feels a silent agony. He wonders why people look down on the govt. employees. Their salaries are not so poor. Not that there is no job security either. He then realize that fifty year ago the militant unionism of a large section of employees under the banners of different trade unions, caused a nasty dent of non-working culture on the image of the govt. Employees, but till date such concept hasn’t been wiped out. Now the people never like the non-working culture. One who is more active and mechanical, acceptable anywhere   and everywhere?

B-ten recalls his grandfather once told him of an event of seventy years ago. Grandpa’s father settled the marriage of his only son. The son or the grandfather rose a question- “father, I haven’t yet been competent enough. Neither I do any job nor do I earn. Do you think I should marry now?” grandfather retorted him- “I don’t understand what you’re talking about!” what’s the marriage to do with tour job and earning?” “You’re naked in your childhood. But you needed clothing as soon as you grew-up, and then you began to put them on. When you grew up to an adult you grew beard as well (around your chick) and then you started shaving. Similarly, you must marry as and when you attain the marriageable age. And, you must earn too when it is, of course, necessary.” “Am I clear to you, son?”

 Soon after grandfather got married with great pomp and show SANAI-NAHABAT,BAI-BAJNA,PALK…BEHARA,GAEHALUD,BOUVAT-FULSAJYA etc create an emotional dreamy situation. B-ten thinks – the truths of those days left behind have now become a figment of his imagination. Even he doesn’t want believe them now.

     For moments, B-ten has been wandering in the dreamland world of the time of his grandfather. He becomes somewhat unmindful, though an inexplicable agony occupies his heart. His eyes dreamy and dizzy express the pangs of loss. By then the screen saver has started working on the computer due to recess. The picture of the girl child is once again seen somersaulting in different angles on the monitor with a caption below- grow more female clone babies.

By Sukumar Ruj