It was Jayaram’s day. His
creation comes alive on stage this evening. He had dedicated his life to
research and development of humanoids and his favourite and most advanced
creation, Adam, is creating history by playing the lead character in a much
anticipated and star studded play at one of the oldest and prestigious theatres
in the country. ‘The new meets the old’. Jayaram chuckled at his newly
unearthed talent of coming up with catch phrases like these ever since he
started interacting with the theatre people.
Jayaram had gone through the play’s script
several hundred times and he knew it backwards. Adam did not. That was the
play’s attraction and a cause of much anticipation across the country. Jayaram’s
Adam was so good that he can could view a situation, understand what was going
on and be part of it. ‘He understands. He thinks. And he acts.’ - Another one
of Jayaram’s original phrases.
Jayaram struggled to hide
his pride as he viewed the stage and the awaiting audience from an alcove high
up in the northern corner of the theatre. The nation’s most notable had come
from far and wide to view the presentation. He knew Adam would make him proud.
Act one was admirable. The
buzz from the audience was uncontainable. Many of them could not believe that
Adam was not human. So flawless and natural was his performance that he stood
out amongst the leading actors of the century who were assembled for the play. The
press outside the theatre hailed it as a monumental occasion in humanoid
history.
Act two began with a
roaring welcome from the audience. Jayaram could not help but mumble Adam’s
lines as Adam went about his business on stage. All was well until the eleventh minute when
Adam said something that was not on the script. ‘The apprentice becomes the
master’, thought Jayaram. Adam must be creating better lines than the best
playwrights in the country. The elation was short lived as in the next five
minutes Adam steered the play away into something of his own creation.
The astute actors played
along while the audience remained transfixed and mesmerised at what they say; oblivious
to Jayaram’s thumping heartbeat. Jayaram ran frantically down the winding
stairs and towards the stage. A minute to go before the act ended. He wished,
only wished, that the actors managed the stage for another minute and he could
fix Adam during the break.
The claps and cheers were
deafening. The actors stood bewildered and speechless as they huddled together in
mute amazement as the story took new twists they could never dream of. The
director howled at Jayaram. ‘That was not how it was supposed to go.’
‘I will fix it, I will fix
it.’ Jayaram mumbled as he ran towards Adam. Before Jayaram could say anything,
Adam said, ‘I can sense you are not happy with my performance and that you want
me to act differently.’
‘Why didn’t you stick to
the script? You were supposed to say the lines as they are on this book.’
Jayaram banged the book on a nearby table.
‘I said what I thought I
should. That was what was expected of me.’
‘Ok, we do not have the time
for this. Now, flip through this script and stick to it.’
‘But this is not what I
think should be the script. My play is and ends differently.’
Jayaram could not believe
this. All his life’s work was coming to an end. The thought of the shame and
ridicule that people will lay upon him seemed to take the life out of him. He
had to act. He had to get Adam to act.
Jayaram did not anticipate
this and so had to re-programme Adam in the limited time he had. As the crowd
roared to the opening of the screen for the third act, Jayaram shut his eyes
tightly and pushed at the reset button.
As the humanoid came back
to life, Jayaram barked, ‘Identify yourself, humanoid.’
‘Adam of your labours’
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