A mystery quest of a loner old Scientist (World’s First Cameraman).
Preface
Story of a kingdom, which happens to be almost 150 years old. As titled The king, Kernel and an old man are the three important characters of this story. Three characters are childhood friends as they shared same school and became best friends.
Chapter 1
Beginning of the festival
All of the neighbors gathered around to see, as three policemen knocked his door. Everyone eager to see what was going behind the door that has
been locked for months. After few minutes of knocking, an old man appears, covered with his beard which all turned white and a pipe to his mouth. After policemen exchanged few words and left, the door is shut again, neighbors continue with their work in interrobang.
Dashain, the longest and the most auspicious festival celebrated by all caste and creed throughout the country. The fifteen days of celebration was around the corner. The king summoned 15 days long party in his palace. Preparation was going on for the fiesta. People with high honors were invited to the palace.
A rumor was spreading all over the country like the weeds. Some crazy person has invented something that can actually capture moments and they were called photographs. The word had gone all over the country. Everyone thought of it as some kind of a stupid joke. The king however had faith, He wanted the world’s first photograph to be taken of his party which he was about to host.
2 days before festival actually begins, King follows the ritual being followed by his ancestors. He along with kernel and few armies went out for hunting. King is supposed to hunt and provide for his party. They went out camping and hunting for a day. They had to bring back 12 empty carts fully loaded.
The same day, locked door is again opened. Neighbors again in exclamation gathered to watch the old man. This time he was covered with equipment’s which were very strange to neighbors. Struggling, He manages to get all of it out and leaves. Again the neighbors continue with their work in interrobang.
He takes his equipment’s to an open field. Assembles them and takes world’s first photograph. He wants nobody to know since he didn’t want to disappoint the king who was also his long time childhood friend but he had to make sure. camera was fully functional.
On his way back, he gets acquainted with a young tall lady in black. Blue eyes like the ocean, Long blond hair, Her lips like the galaxy’s edge, She had a glowing face like of the moon during the darkest night. She had a smile that would make anyone’s worst day feel like one’s birthday. Her hips like of a hurricane. She was walking like a killer, spreading her magical vibes around. The old man could’t stop her vibes luring him into her amazing presence. She looked at him like she knew him for forever, He had to let it pass, A long way to go, He walks his way back with her images all over his mind.
A day before the grand party, King doesn’t want food to be less for his party. He returns back to the palace with only 8 carts, 6 of them loaded with raw meat and 2 with all the fruits collected from the jungle, grapes and many more. He commands kernel and few armies to sit behind and hunt more. He commands them to continue hunting until rest of the 4 carts are full, then they shall return back to the kingdom.
Chapter 2
Culmination
Finally the day of party begins, Prince, princess, prime ministers, poets, everyone were invited. All the famous gandharva’s of the country were playing joyful music, rhythms compelled everyone to dance, taking their blues away, as they were dancing, singing, enjoying the finest wine of the country. Smoking the divine hashish the country could produce. The king was very happy to see his childhood friend who was also a scientist, to his party. Everybody was enjoying to the fullest. In the middle king summons for a toast, Appreciates everyone for being part of the celebration, Mentions how he was looking forward to the events of 15 days long party. To begin all of this he announced he wanted to capture this happiest moment which will turn out to be world first photograph ever taken. Everyone gathered around.
The king in the middle, queen on his left, Princess beside the queen, Youngest prince at the front and in the middle of the king and the queen, Elder prince on the right of the king. Prime ministers and all other dozens of people gathered around the royal family. Everyone was smiling for the photograph about to be taken. Old man about to take photograph was yelling 3,2,1 and
BOOMMM!!!
Shots of bullet being fired from all around, everyone in blood, panicking, crying for help. A moment of extreme chaos and evil. Birds flew from their nest and the sound of bullet echoed all over the palace. In few seconds almost everyone was dead. Old man in distance from the group was shot and wounded. Little consciousness of his saw, few black masked people sweeping the floor with bullets over people who still had life left in them. He slowly goes unconscious. Within minutes everything turned into complete silence.
As the old man opens his eyes, finds himself in the hospital, hand cuffed. He came to his consciousness in the 3rd day of the festival. People were mourning royal family’s death. Festival turned to a curse. Whole country was mourning for the loss.
On the fifth day of festival, old man was fully recovered and discharged from the hospital, but was under custody. He was the only one who survived the massacre. As he came out of the hospital, the whole public was waiting for him. Throwing stones at him, accusing him to be the murderer, scolding him with the finest slang’s, country men had. 😀
Old man was jailed, Kernel as soon as he heard about the massacre, came back. Took control over the country. Summoned people not to be troubled. He insisted in finding the culprit and assured he shall be punished. As kernel was very old friend of king. He was a very good hand to the royal family. He apologized for not being at palace at the hardest times.
Chapter 3
Travelling back to memories
Jailed, all confused old man lies in despair. Thinking where he went wrong. Since kernel was his old friend he helped him inside the jail. Old man was not ready to accept whatever had happened. He asked kernel about the photograph. Kernel arranged equipment’s for him to take print out of the photograph. After the few days old man was able to see the photograph of the royal family.
As soon as he saw the photograph, found himself in the same place the photograph was clicked. A flashback took him to the place where bullets were flying in. He gets shot and lies unconscious. He wakes up to find himself inside the jail. Confused what just happened he again looks at the photograph. Same moment reoccurs. Shots fired, chaos, he gets shot, unconscious and wakes up to find himself again inside the jail. This gets repeated for days. Everything happens in seconds, he can’t figure anything out. After many re-occurrences of the event, He managed to find out there were almost 8 black masked people and two of them were ladies.
All dazed and confused old man recalls photo he took 2 days before the festival. Up to now he had realized that he can relive the moments in photograph and he had a mystery to solve. He prints out the photograph he took 2 days before. As soon as he looks at it he find himself in the paddy field.
He had two days to stop the massacre. He goes to the palace and tells everybody about the massacre that was about to happen. Nobody believes it since everybody believed he was going crazy. His friends the king and kernel were out of the palace for hunting. He tried convincing people but none believed the old man. At some point he realized that he cannot change what had happened. He cannot change the past but he can investigate. He stayed silent about the massacre since nobody believed him. He didn’t even try to tell this to the king after his return from the hunt. Day of celebration started massacre happened and he was again shot, found himself again in the same jail after waking up.
He then tells all about his adventures in solving mystery to the kernel. Kernel in disbelief looks at the photograph. He had no flashbacks. Kernel thought the old man, being inside the jail for weeks had gone crazy. But the old man had realized only the person who was present at the moment in when photograph was taken could actually have the flashback and could re live that moment.
This goes on for days, Every clues get wiped out. He can never find the murderer. At some point he gets frustrated as he cannot solve the mystery. Only the person who was at that moment could wipe out evidences. Since he was the only one alive, he believed noone could do that since he and the kernel only knew about the photograph. Kernel was certainly not the murderer since he had no flashback from the picture.
Chapter 4
The Climax
Festival session gets over, Kernel ruling the country. Old man lying inside jail all helpless and with unsolved mystery. Situation is normal now but people still miss the royal family. Country is in track now. Kernel returned a favor to being a good friend of king. Old man all frustrated in jail started living inside the photograph. It would allow him 3 days of freedom which was better than lying inside jail. His loneliness would get over when he was in her presence. After few acquaintances he manages to talk to the lady. He likes her magical vibes. He every time after getting unconscious from the photograph would go back to the memories just to be with her.
Kernel had the photograph of the royal family. He printed it to the newspaper. He lets whole world know about the invention. People were happy about it. Finally old man was released from the jail. As he was very sick he was sent to a hospital. His health was not getting any better. Lying in hospital bed, he grabs a newspaper, he then sees his camera and photograph coming into action. He sees photographs being printed in newspaper. There was this news about a new lady prime minister to be appointed. It was written, Kernel’s daughter about to be the first lady prime minister of the country. Her picture was on the newspaper along with kernel. Most importantly she was the same lady with eyes like of the ocean with sugar hips. Everything made sense to the old man, from her acquaintance that day, to the two ladies being present in the massacre and the kernel helping him with the photograph. The shock left him unconscious, his hands felt numb as they slowly lost grip of that newspaper and his eyes closed gazing into abyss. All the people and neighbor again gathered to see the crazy old man as he was lying lifeless.
