‘Rejuvenator’ is a short story that | wrote for Quicksand, as part of the Aurora project in Liverpool. The Project was driven by Invisible Flock (UK), in collaboration with Digital Nativ ( Indonesia), Quicksand (India), Abshar Platisza (Indonesia), Azusa Ono (Japan/UK), Bagus Pandega (Indonesia), Etza Meisyara (Indonesia), James Hamilton (UK) and Simon Fletcher (UK).

The central theme of the project was to highlight the criticality and beauty of the role that ‘Water’ played in our lives. The project had several facets to it, including publications, where this story was first published in two parts.

REJUVENATOR

“You see all that?” Mr Patel clumsily pointed at the horizon. “If you climb up, you will be able to take a photo...” he continued, signalling to a cluster of boulders that stood precariously on the edge of the hillside. 

I obligingly hoisted myself to the top of the rocks. The valley sprawled below, its lush green thicket stretching as far as the eye could see. Combined with the crimson smears of the setting sun across the almost-clear sky, it was a sight to behold. I turned around to check on Bejoy, my photographer. I knew that his rotund physique was not suited to strenuous activity and I grew concerned as to how I would get him to climb up. But it seemed that he had already found a way out of this predicament. “No light…” muttered Bejoy, casually peering through the viewfinder of his camera, ignoring the look of bewilderment on Mr Patel’s face, “Shoot tomorrow...” 

As we made our way down the hill, back to where the taxi was parked, I tried to liven the mood with a pep-talk. “Mr Patel, the Hospitality industry is highly competitive, so we really need to find a distinct way of portraying ourselves...and we can only do this if we capture the true essence of this place. For that we have to experience it...and right now, we haven’t even seen it yet... But to really capture the soul of the place…” 

Mr Patel looked at me and frowned, bobbing his head, “Yes, absolutely. The brochure must really capture the soul of this place...”

Bejoy rolled his eyes, discreetly playing a game on his phone. He had heard many variations of this conversation before. “Yes…” I went on, “We really need to capture what is truly unique about it…”

“Oh that’s easy…,” Mr Patel quipped, “It’s the rejuvenation zone” 

We had been on the road since the break of dawn and it was the fifth ‘scenic spot’ at which Mr Patel had made the driver stop. “These are Chairman sir’s favourite photo locations.” 

Mr Patel seemed nervous and with good reason. Though it was not at the physical scale of the apartment complexes or townships that Empire Realty generally built, Secret Springs Luxury Resort & Spa was ambitious in its own way. The personal passion project of the Chairman himself, the property was an old estate that he had inherited from an estranged uncle. Inspiration struck him when he discovered a natural spring on the land. Convinced that the water from this spring had miraculous healing powers, he had begun developing the place into an exclusive retreat for ‘like minded people’. Few from his company were privy to its details and Mr Patel considered it an honour to be one of them. Development of the property had already begun and his first order of business was to get a brochure made, in order to attract investors. 

The estate was not far away, but the road we took was tightly wound around the hill and climbing up slowed us considerably. By the time we got there, it was dark. The first glimpse of the estate was a security guard's cabin, lit by a solitary light, hanging limply in the blackness. It is only when we got closer that I noticed the fence behind it, stretching on either side. The guard exchanged glances with Mr Patel, hurriedly opened the gate and we took off into the dark. “One of the first things Chairman sir did was put up this fence...his uncle used to let all sorts of people inside...you know, some of the local people would come and spend hours here…no privacy at all...” 

We drove for several minutes. Except for the little patch of asphalt that caught  the car’s headlamp, everything else was plunged in darkness. After some time, lights appeared in the distance and as we got closer, the dim outlines materialised into a large, colonial style bungalow. However, except for the porch light and a couple of others on the side, the housetoo lay in complete darkness. Surprisingly, the car did not stop at the house and we drove past it, taking a dirt path that led into the bushes. 

“Whose house?” Bejoy looked a little worried.

“That is where Chairman sir’s uncle lived…currently it is being renovated...You will see tomorrow…” Mr Patel smiled.

“Tonight sleeping?” Bejoy made no attempts to hide his uneasiness.

“Just you see…” Mr Patel’s smile grew wider.

After some time, the car came to a halt and the three of us got out. It was still too dark to see, but before we could ask him any more questions, Mr Patel pulled out a flashlight from his pocket and set off down a narrow path, forcing us to hurry after him. After walking a short distance, he stopped in his tracks, shone his flashlight into a bush and peered at something before turning, “It’s here...come on...”

Hidden behind a thick clump of bamboo was a contemporary-looking door. It was equipped with a some kind of scanner that he flashed his official ID card into, before punching a few keys on a number pad below it. The door unlocked and Mr Patel ushered us in. We were enveloped by a curious odour, one I could not place immediately, but there was a freshness to it. However, it was still too dark to see anything and we just stood there for a few moments. I could hear Bejoy curiously sniffing the air, “some smell…” he muttered, but was cut short by Mr Patel, “Behold!” he shouted, “The rejuvenation zone!”

The lights in the room turned on with a flash, revealing what appeared to be a huge swimming pool. However, we soon realized that its size was merely an illusion. The walls and the ceiling were fitted with mirrors, making it look much larger than it was. In actuality, it was no larger than the average sized children’s pool. We stared at it in silence for a few moments, until Bejoy suddenly blurted out, “That’s all?”

Mr Patel was stunned, “That’s all? My dear fellow…” he began, but then changed his mind, “Ah...you think this is just an ordinary pool? Let me tell you, this is natural spring water...in this region, it is unheard of...can you smell that? The water is completely loaded with rejuvenating minerals…sulphur … otherminerals …” As Mr Patel tried to win Bejoy’s approval, I took a closer look at the pool and realised that the water was turbid and did not look particular clean. I was about to point it out to Mr Patel, but just as I turned to do so, I saw Bejoy bending down and splashing some of the water onto his face.

“How does that feel?” Mr Patel beamed at Bejoy.

“Nice...”

“You know, Mr Chairman has told me personally, if he does not take a dip at least once a day, then his entire energy feels drained. He needs it!”

Bejoy nodded at him silently. 

“Dinner?” he asked.

******

Our rooms were on the floor above the pool and moments after we had checked it, I saw Bejoy sauntering downstairs in his underwear, a towel over his shoulder, “Rejuvenation zone…” his voice trailed off.

There was a small dining area on the floor above us and a short while later, I found myself alone at the dinner table with Mr Patel, “Your friend is really enjoying eh? I cannot blame him...” he smiled, “Can you imagine how this place will be once it is finished? One of the most exclusive nature retreats in South India!”

I nodded. “The Chairman is lucky to have someone as passionate as you handling this,” I said.

“Oh, Ownership and Accountability are two of our important values. We are honoured that Mr Chairman reached out to us. We treat every company we work with as our own…”

“Oh wait...you mean you aren’t an employee of Empire Realty?” 

The advertising agency I worked for had been handling Empire Realty’s marketing for some time now and I was quite familiar with their values. And while Diligence, Transparency and Innovation were on the list, I had no recollection of ownership and accountability.

Mr Patel stared at me blankly for a few moments, “...well...technically...since this is Mr Chairman’s personal endeavour, it is outside the purview of Empire Realty. My company was hired by him to help manage it…” he paused for a few moments, “If you ask me, I think he did a smart thing…” He resumed, plunging into officialese as I noticed he often did. “As per the law, any large-scale development in close proximity to a natural water-source, requires mandatory coordination with the state department… and you probably know how complicated these transactions can get…”

 “Ah, so that’s why Empire isn’t being involved?”

“Empire will not be involved… but only in an official capacity…” Mr Patel grinned, “We still plan on utilizing the company’s valuable network of partners, something that has been realized through exceedingly fruitful collaborations since 2025.”

I smiled and continued nodding. Mr Patel was quoting the very lines that I had written for one of Empire Realty’s brochures.

“...Needless to say...and tell your photographer also...do not broadcast any images of the property… your agency has already signed the non-disclosure paperwork… water is too sensitive a topic… we have to be careful...”

I gave Mr Patel my assurance. Water was indeed a sensitive topic and seeing that he had grown a little grave, I tried to lighten the mood, “You know my father always likes to talk about how, when he was younger, they would pump water up from the ground...to the point where their tanks actually overflowed!”

Mr Patel smiled, “I remember...now for us city folk it is almost impossible to even imagine…” He paused, “You’re from Bengaluru, right? Ah...so you use Etchtwooah?”

“Oh yes… for as long as I can remember…” I had no memory of the time before the city had come under the EH20 scheme, but I was familiar with the phrase, “When the ground still had water…” on account of my father’s nostalgia. “The Engineered H20 scheme is doing really well. Really efficient. The government won an award for it a few years back…”

“Yes, I read about it...They say it single-handedly saved the city from drying up. Bengaluru is a model city like that. In Pune, my home… We are still under Mumbai’s jurisdiction...so it’s still quite chaotic...the tankers don’t come regularly… Yes, under Mumbai’s ‘Inaap’ scheme.

It was uncommon to find someone working in India’s creative industry, who did not have an opinion on the names of the different State-Engineered-Water schemes. Some names were more favoured than others and Maharashtra’s Inaap scheme, was one of the popular ones, along with Gujrat’s iJal programme. The marketing gurus had been highly impressed and one had even been quoted saying that ‘By taking ‘Paani’ - the common Hindi word for water and catalyzing it with age-old wit, Inaap is something that is not only memorable, but is also rooted in a unique marriage of traditions. At the same time, the very sound of it is resonates deeply with the magnitude of the water crisis.”  

 Mr Patel looked thoughtful, “But soon we should have our own Inaap plants in Pune...then it will be fine…In any case...about tomorrow...”

Just then, a large figure came bouncing into the room. His hair was a mess and the wet towel around his shoulders was dripping onto his t-shirt. It took me a few moments to recognize Bejoy, primarily on account of the spring in his step. 

“My! You are looking refreshed...Rejuvenated rather!” Mr Patel laughed.

“Thanks!” Bejoy made his way to the table and sat down. He seemed unusually fidgety, keeping an eager eye on the kitchen door.

I was a little taken aback by the transformation. It almost seemed like he was glowing! “What did you think of the Rejuvenation Zone?” I asked

Bejoy beamed at me, his smile widening into a grin, “It works!” 

******

I woke up to the sound of thudding from the corridor outside. My eyes still heavy with sleep I peered through my peephole, to see Bejoy jovially bounding back into his room in a vest and a towel, his wet hair flopping about.

A short while later, as I groggily stood in front of the mirror, brushing my teeth, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to a fully-dressed Bejoy, complete with his camera gear. “We’ll go?”

“Where?” I was not familiar with this enthusiastic version of Bejoy.

“To take photos…” 

“What photos? Mr Patel has to brief us first…”

“Mr Patel?” 

“Yes...we are meeting him first...in the estate house. He will brief us there...”

For the first time since the previous night, I saw Bejoy’s face drop, “But photos…we will take?”

I assured him that we would take photos but we were expected to meet Mr Patel for breakfast first. I expected the topic of food to cheer him up, but he sighed, “Ok…let’s go…”

The estate house was bare, with the exception of Mr Patel’s workstation and a dining area, but the dust-patterns on the walls suggested that the walls had once been fairly crowded. We were greeted at the estate house by an exceptionally enthusiastic Mr Patel, “Great news! Mr Chairman will be joining us for breakfast!”    

We sat in silence around the breakfast table, staring at the empty seat in which the chairman was expected to appear. In one corner of the room, I could see the Cerebrograph, glowing red, like the crystal ball of a robotic fortuneteller. Mr Patel would constantly shift his gaze between the seat and the Cerebrograph, growing increasingly impatient, “He said it was set up last night... I wonder if I should call him…”

“I have never seen one of these before… Only pictures…” I knew that it wasn’t easy to get one of these. It had been launched only a couple of years ago could only be afforded by the larger corporations.

Mr Patel smiled, “I told you, Empire Realty can’t get involved officially, but unofficially…” he winked.

“What’s the coverage like?”

“Oh this entire building has been equipped...and also the rejuvenation zone...Mr Chairman was very particular about the coverage over there…”

“So using this, someone can project themselves here from anywhere in the world?” 

“Oh yes, of course, the user can project into any registered Cerebrograph zone, anywhere in the world. The reason we have it is because Mr Chairman is traveling so much...I don’t think even he knows where he is most of the time!” He laughed, “...besides, this signal is completely secure and private… It has never been compromised, ever! These days there is simply no room for security risks...”

The Cerebrograph slowly began to change colour and it began to glow yellow. Mr Patel hadn’t realized and continued, “But the two of you still need to get your security clearance...” 

The orb was now flashing green and Mr Patel followed my gaze to it, his face immediately lighting up, “He’s here…”

With bated breath we watched the chair and for several moments, nothing happened. Then, slowly the light began to change and a silver apparition began to fade into view, shining brighter and brighter. A few moments later, the silvery, shimmering silhouette of a man sat at the breakfast table. 

“Goodmorning Mr Chairman Sir!” Mr Patel quickly got to his feet.

The figure surveyed the room for a few moments before speaking. It’s voice was robotic, “No need to stand Mr Patel, good morning… and a very good morning to you boys!” 

It took me a moment to realize that the figure was looking at us, “Er…”

“What’s the matter? You boys look like you’ve seen a ghost...Mr Patel...don’t they have their security clearances?”

Mr Patel immediately grew defensive, “No sir, it was only setup yesterday. Following the necessary protocols takes time, but I will get it done!”

The figure was silent for a few moments, “Alright… My apologies boys...The Cerebrograph is one of the most sophisticated communication tools on the market. If I enter a space where there are people without the right clearances, then I will appear and sound as you see me now…It’s quite remarkable what a simple spinal implant can do these days...”

Bejoy and I continued to stare at the figure in silence. I suppose it got awkward because the chairman suddenly broke in, “I don’t have much time...I’m on my way to *BLEEP* after which I am meeting with *BLEEP* to discuss *BLEEP*. I only have a couple of minutes and I just wanted…” 

The chairman froze mid-sentence and appeared to stare at us for a few moments, “You will have to excuse all the bleeping. I’m not used to speaking to people without the right clearances...anything I say that you are not cleared to hear...will be bleeped out…In any case, I wanted to personally welcome you on board. Hopefully, the next time we meet, you will be able to see and hear me in my true form…” he chuckled for a few moments and I took the chance to speak up, “Thank you Mr Chairman sir. Mr Patel was telling us about the project and the fact that it is very personal to you…”

“Indeed!” The silvery figure boomed, “And that is precisely the route we must take while pitching to investors. Unfortunately, state laws prevent us from doing full justice to the rejuvenation zone... So instead, let us play up the exclusivity. I want Secret Springs to be the most ultra-luxury spa in the entire country...It’s not just a place, but a destination! We can make it an invite-only destination exclusively for the best of the best!”

“Absolutely sir!” Mr Patel chimed in, “For those nature lovers who are just used to the finer things in life.”

“Correct you are Mr Patel… Now this is going to be the first trip of many boys. Mr Patel will give you your list of tasks to complete...photographs to take and so on. I believe you’re scheduled to fly back to Bengaluru…tomorrow?” The figure stood up, like it was preparing to go somewhere.

“Driving…the day after morning sir…” Mr Patel stood up, “Sir, not to worry… the next time they come here I will ensure they have the necessary clearances…” 

“Good Man!” The figure quipped to Mr Patel, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have reached *BLEEP* and I am late for my meeting with *BLEEP*. It was good meeting you gentlemen. All the best.” The figure suddenly froze and then slowly faded away, out of sight.

We turned to a beaming Mr Patel. “Okay gentlemen, can we start?”

*****

This was not my first assignment with Bejoy. We had worked together for well over a year and in this time we had formed an efficient system of working, which primarily involved me telling him exactly what to do. However, the rejuvenated Bejoy would not wait for any instructions. The moment we arrived at a new shoot location, he would begin clicking away, even insisting on doing multiple compositions. At one point, when I made a suggestion to him, purely out of habit, he turned to me and said, “I can do, but visual not good.” It was the longest sentence I had ever heard him speak. Mr Patel was most impressed, for Bejoy would continuously keep him abreast of what he was doing, in his signature albeit energetic monotone, ‘Depth’ ‘Nice angle’ ‘Perspective’. He even humored Mr Patel when he made us stop at certain parts, raised his hands to his ears and whispered, “Listen! You can barely hear the traffic from here…” 

The spa was going to have a few luxury cottages, spread out all over the land, with the most exclusive of the lot being at the source of the natural spring, but when we got there, we were met with a daunting compound wall, fitted with barbed wire, security lasers and an equally intimidating security guard.

“Ah Mr Chairman didn’t know that you don’t have your clearances… We will have to reschedule these for the next time...I told you no, earlier all sorts of miscreants would come here and drink..you know local people...”

I noticed that Bejoy was carrying a bottle of water, when he produced it from his camera bag and began to take a swig from it, “Hey...can I have a sip of etchtwooah? I’” but he pretended not to hear me and drained the bottle, “Sorry,” he looked rather sheepish.  

That evening, while Bejoy retired to the Rejuvenation Zone, Mr Patel produced a small bottle of rum from his desk drawer, “Er...sir...Do you take hard drinks?” 

“The bitterness of the etchtwooah and the sweetness of the rum are a great combination” Mr Patel sighed with satisfaction after taking a big swig of his drink, “Your friend is simply hooked eh? He’s really making the most of his time here...How come you didn’t go? You definitely should…”

“Oh I wanted to...but I feel like I’m coming down with something...been sniffing a lot…” I lied. I didn’t want to disclose to Mr  Patel that, like most people my age, I was not fond of the water at all. It would lead to a conversation that I have repeatedly had with older folk. I would have to explain that I had no particular interest in swimming, that I refused to go to the beach because I didn’t want to spend hundreds of thousands of rupees on the mandatory-protective-sea-suit you have to wear and that I particularly disliked drinking it. Even in cases of dire thirst, the taste of EH20 had no element of relief and besides, I feared I might say something out of line in the heat of the moment, on account of my drink.

But Mr Patel didn’t pry any further,“Oh no problem, next time you can go...By the way, great work today. There are a few more spots left for tomorrow. Once you take those shots, then we are finished with this leg of the project. You guys can get cracking on the investor’s brochure. I will send you the specifications for the cottages when they are finalized...If you need any other materials from my end, please ask.” 

“Actually, Mr Patel, there is something.To go back to what I was telling you before we came here...in order to develop the brand identity of this place, what we need is a story...The rejuvenation zone is great, but we need some kind of historical rooting to craft the perfect story around it. To make it seem like a really exclusive destination. We have to answer the ‘Why’ - why should people come here?” Even though Bejoy wasn’t present, I could see him rolling his eyes. 

Mr Patel seemed a little dazed, “Hmmm…all the contents of the house have been moved out. They’re in the Empire Realty godown and will probably be auctioned off, but I can arrange a visit…” He paused for several moments, “...Other than that, there is a trunk upstairs filled with some of Chairman sir’s uncle’s things. Mr Chairman had kept them out long back...It has been missed by the movers...”

I told him that I’d be happy to look at it and he left word with the security guard to have it brought down. Then, draining his glass he stood up, “I must bid you goodnight right now. I will eat in my quarters itself...I have a dinner concall with my project manager...You please keep the bottle...offer your friend when he comes…”

Mr Patel took his leave and just as Bejoy came bouncing in, the security guard appeared with an old iron trunk. My grandparents had a old heirloom just like it. I thanked the guard and as I prepared to open it, I realized that I was actually quite excited. I looked up at Bejoy, but he was pouring himself a drink. I think he felt my gaze, because he looked up, first at me and then at the trunk, “Nice box,” before turning his attention back to his drink. 

My excitement quickly died down, the moment I opened the trunk. Inside was a large, bundle of old clothes, some newspapers, a few old photographs and a couple of notebooks.  

 “What’s there?” Bejoy was already pouring himself another drink.

“Not much...here these we can probably use...” there were a few printed pictures of animals in the wild. I presumed they were on the property long ago - a leopard, a wild boar and a herd of elephants by a watering hole. Perhaps the watering hole was the source of the natural spring. There were also a couple of portraits of an old man and a young boy, presumably the Chairman and his uncle.

Bejoy handed the pictures back to me and as I was putting them in, I realized that the newspaper had actually been used to wrap something in - a bottle, containing a clear liquid. I stared at it, “Water? But it looks a little dirty...hey!” without asking, Bejoy snatched the bottle from me and began to examine it. Although annoyed, I was used to his mannerisms and so, while he looked at the bottle, I examined the newspaper it was wrapped in. It was falling apart and the writing had faded to the point of being illegible. All I could read was the date ‘September 07 2022’. 

“Hey this stuff is quite old…” I looked up and froze as I saw Bejoy taking a swig from the bottle, his eyes widening as the liquid went down his throat. 

I stared at him in silence, fully expecting him to burst into a series of coughs and gags, but instead he sighed contentedly. “Best!” he exclaimed. 

We continued drinking for a little while longer and then dinner was served. The whole time, I could sense that Bejoy was eyeing the bottle and I told the security guard to put the trunk away. When we went back to our rooms, I realized that Bejoy was lingering by the rejuvenation zone, his camera bag around his shoulder. I could tell he was waiting for me to leave. I fell asleep to the sounds of Bejoy splashing about in the water.

When I awoke, I could still hear splashing. A short while late I heard Bejoy thudding back into his room and I wondered if he had spent the night in the Rejuvenation zone. The rest of the day went as smoothly as the previous one. Bejoy was still a rejuvenated man of action, giving me very little to do and I found myself observing him more closely than usual. Every now and then he would slip into a corner with his camera bag for a few moments and emerge in a far more gung-ho avatar. Before we knew it, our work was done and we were back in rooms, packing to leave. We were to have dinner with Mr Patel and leave the following morning. I entered Bejoy’s room to remind him and found him sitting on his bed, amidst a number of empty EH2O bottles, “What the…”

Bejoy looked like I had caught him doing something wrong and he looked terribly embarrassed, “Oh nothing nothing...for throwing...”

At dinner, Mr Patel thanked us profusely, “I will not be there tomorrow morning...I am taking a flight out tonight…I will take the helicopter service to Chikmaglur Airport and fly from there...The driver will take you in the morning.”

That night after we had bid our goodbyes to Mr Patel, I found Bejoy lingering by the Rejuvenation zone once again. I left him and made my way up to my room. Hardly five minutes had gone by, when I heard a knock on the door. I opened the door to find Bejoy, dripping wet, but looking quite dejected. “What happened?”

He lowered his gaze, somewhat embarrassed, “Chairman…”

“Huh? What? Chairman...where?”

“Rejuvenation zone…” Bejoy was so embarrassed, he found it hard to make eye contact, "He's staring…" 

I slowly crept downstairs. Right by the edge of the pool, a good distance from the stairs, stood the silvery, shimmering silhouette of the chairman. He appeared to be watching the water. After some time, the figure slowly bent down and attempted to put its hand in the pool, but it passed right through, like any hologram would. After doing this a few times, the figure got to its feet and slowly faded away. 

******

The following morning, I sat in the taxi with the driver, waiting for Bejoy who had suddenly disappeared into the Rejuvenation Zone. He emerged a little while later, his backpack bulging. As he sauntered into the car, I could hear bottles of water swirling and swishing about inside. I had suspected for some time but now I was more or less convinced. He was drinking the water from the Rejuvenation Zone! As strange as it was, I decided not to confront him about it. However, shortly after we left, I realized that his bag was making a heavy, hollow clunking sound every time it brushed against the handle of the door. The sound a glass bottle would make.

“Bejoy... What do you have in your bag?”.

“Water bottle”

“Did you also take the bottle from the trunk?”

Bejoy didn’t say anything and just looked at his feet.

“Look man, I don’t know if it is safe to be drinking all this stuff...but that’s your business. The bottle from the trunk, you cannot take. That’s the chairman’s property. IF they find out we took it without permission, it won’t look good at all...”

Bejoy continued to look at his feet, but he was nodding. He understood. He slowly opened his bag, pulled the glass bottle out and handed it to me.

I decided to break the awkward silence that followed by being encouraging, “In any case, I am actually glad you brought this bottle…” He had several EH20 bottles in his bag as well, “Those are the same bottles that were on your bed? You filled them with water from the rejuvenation zone no? I’m happy you did. I actually wanted to talk to Mr Patel about it. I think we should get these water samples tested in a lab. Perhaps we can use the results to strengthen our brand-story...”

“That’s a good idea…” Bejoy looked thoughtful. I had no memory of him ever participating in a work-discussion before, “Otherwise everyone else is saying the same...Elephant used to live here…Tiger used to live here...”

He was right. Most of the other nature resorts played on their history and claimed their property was once home to several exotic animals. My boss had joked with me by saying  that all land was once home to the dinosaurs.  

“But..” Bejoy was still staring at me. He shifted his gaze between me and the bottle in my hands.

“What?”

“Can I...?” He looked quite embarrassed.

“Just say it…”

“Can I have one sip?”

The request was so strange, that I found myself obliging him, “Okay...but take a small one...they shouldn’t be able to notice that too much is gone…”

To my annoyance, he took a big gulp, “Ahh! Best water i tasted in my life.”

Bottle safely tucked under my arm, I gazed out the window as the last few trees slowly zipped by. The last green cover for 200 Kilometers. Soon, we would pass the ‘Green Cover Mall, which stood on the border of the forest and after that, since it was a Sunday, it would be a slow and painful drive to the highway through the crowded streets of Discount Village.  

“Can I take some photos?” Bejoy looked at me longingly. Discount village was a photographer’s dream. Unofficially known as Asia’s Largest strip-mall, Discount Village was actually a collection of nine towns located on a succession of hills. Due to the heavy presence of manufacturing industries in the area, the towns became known for their factory seconds goods, which were available at hugely discounted prices. The name ‘Discount Village’ emerged when somebody observed that the towns were actually merging into each other  in such a way, that it felt as if one were repeatedly returning to the exact same place again and again.

Bejoy wanted to take pictures of everything. He was particularly amused by some crows that were pecking at the signs of the Hilton Discount Village. The sign that read ‘Helicopter service to Chikmaglur Airport’ now read ‘Hel service to…’ Bejoy would not stop chuckling.

We stopped for lunch on the way and ate at D-V Mall food court and a highly amused Bejoy snapped a number of pictures of the sign that read ‘D-V MAll - Once Home to the Majestic Elephant. The popular joke about the the D-V Mall food court was that even the dishes were factory-seconds’, but it offered the most variety in the area. Besides it was the best planned and least crowded mall in the whole of Discount village. In the top five at the very least. 

After we had eaten, I noticed Bejoy looking around for his bag and I reminded him that he had left it in the car. He gestured to my bottle of EH20 and I handed it to him, but the moment he took a sip, he spit it out, “Dirty water…” he handed it back to me in disgust.

Soon, we were on the highway and the journey immediately sped up. The tech parks on either side had all their traffic restricted to below-ground, so it was one long drive back and I fell asleep while gazing at the seemingly unending facade of skyscrapers whizzing by.

******

In the following week, as I waited on the results of the lab tests, I slowly watched the rejuvenated Bejoy return to his former self. By the end of the week, when he stopped showing up for work and couldn’t be reached, I was tasked with checking up on him. 

When I got to his house, I found him sprawled out on his bed in a vest and a pair of boxers. There were empty EH2O bottles lying all around the bed and he just lay there, staring at me.

“What happened?”

“Over…”

What’s over?”

“Rejuvenation…”

It took me some time to convince him to come back to work. What finally did the trick was telling him that it was only on finishing a draft of the brochure, could we make another trip to the Rejuvenation Zone. A solemn expression across his face, Bejoy took my hand in his, “Please...actually...my father...when he was my age...he was also doing photography...but after I was born he had to do family business...I always wanted to carry his passion forward…”

I was quite taken aback by this sudden openness from Bejoy, “But you are carrying his passion forward aren’t you? You are a photographer…”

“Yes…” Bejoy sighed, “But I didn’t have the passion...I lost it…” He then looked me dead in the eyes, “But after Rejuvenation zone… I got it back…but now...” I could have sworn I saw tears in his eyes. 

I assured him that work was well underway and that if he came back to work, things would go even faster. I told him about the water samples I had sent in - from  the glass bottle in the chairman’s trunk as well as what Bejoy had taken from the Rejuvenation Zone and that I was going to go collect the results right after I left him.  

With Bejoy cheered up and ready to return to work, I made my way to the lab. I was given a token and made to wait in the lobby of the Diagnostics Laboratory. On one side of the room, sat people with tokens and on the other, people with bags of different-coloured liquids. It was where I had sat the previous week, when I had brought in the samples. I remember trying to guess what each person was holding. 

My number was called and I made my way to the counter. A surly woman on the other side of the counter stuffed an envelope in my hands, “Here. Can open, but you won’t understand. Take one more token. Lab wizard will explain you.”

I took another token and opened the envelope. The woman was right, I couldn’t make head or tail of the figures on the sheet. I waited an hour before my number was called and I was led into a tiny white-walled room. The only occupants of the room were two chairs. After a few moments, the hologram of a young, spectacled man in a lab coat appeared in the chair opposite mine. He was staring right past me like most automated holograms did, “Greetings, I will be your Laboratory Wizard for this session. Please input file number” he said.

I told him my file number and he tanked me. Then, after staring past me for few more moments, he spoke, “Sample summary: Sample 1 contains 98% water and 2% effluents and Sample 2 Contains 96% water and 4% effluents. For a detailed Chemical Analysis, please input bank credentials...to receive rest of preliminary report please say continue…”

“Continue...” Something must have gone wrong. 98% water? EH2O was only 48%

“Both samples belong to category XH2O - a term coined in 2028, when the last natural sample of 70% water and 30% effluents was found - the bare minimum percentage required for direct consumption. Both samples ideal for consumption.”

Consumption? Drinking water? Directly from the ground?

Before I could ask any more, the lab wizard began to speak once again, “As per government regulations of 2037, any water sample above 40% in purity must immediately be sent for review. Please remain in your seat. Someone will be with you to ask you further questions.

******