A Relinquished Resurrection: Afshin’s Quest To Relive The Past
Afshin got out of his class. He met his classmates in the corridor. Amir and Liam kept walking ahead of him. They were discussing the e-baseball game of the e-League. Afshin’s existence was surrounded by the air of rumination. When the three got out of the building, Amir gestured to Liam. They both turned their faces behind. Behind them was Afshin. Lost in some deep thought. His face downward and his body postured implying severe tiredness. Both, Liam and Amir, placed their hands on his both shoulders. The impact was adequate to bring him back from the realm of the muse.
“What has happened to you?” They both asked together.
“Nothing. I wonder, the 21st Century was 100 years ago. But the advancements we have made in the 100-year time frame make it look like the mediaeval age.” He turned his face to both of them.
Liam and Amir still stood for a second. They thought of the thing he had uttered. Then, they both looked at each other and turned ahead. They continued their discussion of the e-game from the place where they had left it.
Afshin registered himself in the course "Human History and Advancements." Learning about how humans made their way from caves to bullet trains and robots. Afshin’s city is the perfect example of harmony between technology and humans. The city has made remarkable advancements. They have air buses, bullet trains, robots as traffic wardens, cafes where robots and AI serve food, and humans spend their days at home. After several protests, the human activists compelled the metropolitan government to make parks at different locations of the city, but people do not prefer to visit them. 30 years ago, the city faced climate and water crises, but the same technology aided in overcoming them. The year is 2123. Where everyone wants to leave behind the remnants of old human civilization. People want to live with technology. The libraries have PDFs and kindles. People have their own kindles and visit bookstores to get them downloaded on their kindles. It is like having a whole library in a single device. The concept of online PDFs has been banned here. You can only find them in bookstores or in libraries.
Afshin asked the same course instructor about books.
“Well, they used to exist. However, the environmentalists proposed the use of technology to save the trees. The very first time in history, they assented to the use of technology.” Replied the teacher.
“Is there a place where I can find them?” Afshin inquired.
His teacher replied with a “no.”
With every passing day, Afshin was getting intrigued to find a book. To see one, But from where? He was blanked at this part. That night, Afshin did not sleep. He kept thinking about ways to bring books back to the realm of technology. The next morning, Afshin remained absent from his classes. It continued for a week. Amir and Liam became worried about him. They visited his home. Afshin’s family was shocked to hear the news that Amir and Liam brought with them. Afshin was going to his classes regularly. But as per his friends, he was not coming there. The night, Afshin explained everything to his family.
“Our estate has been rotting for years. I utilised the land and have started growing mushrooms there. From mushrooms, I will make paper by using a paper machine. I bought it from the flea market. It was on the market in the 2080s. But the environmentalists took it down.”
Afshin’s obsession with the books had made him a lunatic. His father and mother tried hard to make him understand that books were not part of this era. He should go with the technology of this era. He should abandon his idea. But nothing stopped Afshin.
A month later, Afshin was ready with the mushrooms and paper. He again went to the flea market and got a printer from there. The computers and softwares of his time were not compatible with the printer. So, he went to the library in a remote town. The technological advancements were not that much there. Therefore, the chances of him finding a compatible laptop were high there. Fortunately, he got a printer and a computer there. The next step was publishing a book. He decided to publish “Paradise's Demons.” It was a famous novel by Langer Willson. The book had sold 2 million PDFs and 40 million people had it on their Kindles.
After a struggle of 3 months, Afshin went to the same instructor. Professor Ramin thought Afshin had come to discuss his short attendance and a missed midterm paper. But Afshin handed over a book to him.
“See.” He said with a wide smile and a spark in his eye.
“What is this?” Ramin replied with a detest and an indifferent attitude.
“A book,” Afshin replied braggingly.
In his mind, he thought of Ramin as an uncultured swine who did not know the value of a book.
“It is the same book your ancestors used to make these advancements that you own now. It is the same thing that has led mankind to what we are now. Technology came from books. Books are the progenitor of technology. This is the almighty book.”
Ramin, after hearing his impassioned speech, placed the book on the other side, moved towards him, and said, “Look Afshin, you are now in hot waters. Your attendance is short and you have not appeared in the midterm paper. If this continues, you will be withdrawn.”
He gave an expression of concern and fear to Afshin. Afshin looked into his eyes, looked at the book, and went away from his office along with the book.
The last words Afshin uttered in his office were “Uncultured swine.”
He showed the book to Liam and Amir. But they were more interested in their e-baseball than his book. A day later, Afshin was in his bed. Looking at the fan and realising how no one was astonished to see a book. No one was interested in his book.
The next morning, he went to the local e-book store. He handed him the copy, and said that he wanted to sell it. The store owner refused to buy it.
“No one will buy it. It is an era of e-books and kindles. Why would people go through this?” He held the book in his hand and looked at the pages. “They are hard. No one wants to touch them. Sell it somewhere else.”
Afshin went to 10 more stores, and all of the store owners replied the same. Then Afshin decided to sell the book in the town from where he got the printer and computer. The store owner there bought it from him. But nobody came to buy it. The store owner called him and asked for a refund.
Afshin met the same attitude everywhere. Everyone either told him to abandon his idea or lectured him on the technological advancements.
After a year of plight and mortification, Afshin went to a store, got a book downloaded on his Kindle, paid the store owner money, and read it in a nearby cafe. Everyone there had Kindles or other devices for reading books. Afshin read from the device, the light from the device illuminated his face, as he held something he once detested.
