[01] Bangalore. Bellandur. Traffic.

“Alright, what are we looking at today?”, Ashubhan said, his gaze fixated on the barrage of cars clogging up the ever-congested Bellandur junction. “Based on the forecasted traffic today, I calculate the number of congestion events to be... 27, plus or minus 5”, responded Raia – Ashubhan's personal AI, and only constant companion. Though traffic was no misnomer in the city of Bengaluru, its persistence made it a source of entertainment for onlookers, due to the frequency with which cars and bikes bumped into one another, and, subsequently, with which arguments broke out over who's fault it was. This drama fascinated Ashubhan, so much so that, every day, he'd sneak out of his house, find a suitable viewing spot, and spend the morning counting cars, crashes and parking fines. 

Today, “Shubh” (as those close to him would call him) had broken into an abandoned office building with a rooftop directly overlooking Bellandur junction's many intersecting roadways. Having frequented the area, he had spent the last few days scouting the building's premises for watchmen, cameras, dogs and even police officers on their (hourly) "chai" break, to make sure he wouldn't be caught for trespassing. Using a drone he had built himself with scraps from Mavallipura's many landfills, he captured footage of the building's overall design, including access points, staircases, and emergency exits, and then used Raia's in-built rendering capabilities to model a 2D floor map. 

With printouts of the map, Shubh charted out a seamless entry-exit route (so he could come back when he wanted to) using a combination of maintenance stairwells and emergency exit staircases. Making his way to the top, he cracked the roof door open with the back of a hammer, revealing the hazy, blue-grey, and fog-covered sky that Bangalore had become known for. Perching himself at the edge of the building's rooftop, on a busy Monday morning, he peered below as office goers blared their horns, cab drivers splattered the tarmac with chewed Paan, and motorcyclists & electric auto walas battled for the tiniest of spaces between vehicles. 

“Congestion Events? You know, Raia, you could just say “accidents” like a normal person. Then again I suppose it is in your programming. Anyway, what's the scene with parking fines? With the amount of cars on the road today, and the 15 police officers I can see, we've gotta be looking at at least 50... Right?”. As Raia began to run complex calculations (*cue whirring noises*), Shubh stared on into the distance, almost drifting into a state of trance, until a robotic voice pulled him from his lull. “52 parking fines estimated”, said Raia. Shubh smiled faintly, silently praising himself for his accuracy as he re-attuned his gaze towards the streets below. 

“I'd make a pretty successful career out of this, don't you think?”, Shubh asked Raia, not realising that a third member had newly joined their party. Out of the corner of his right ear, a firm, feminine voice suddenly made herself known, causing Shubh to, momentarily, lose balance and nearly fall off the edge of a 36-story office building. “... And what, become some famous 'Traffic Guru'?”, the voice exclaimed, followed by gradually loudening footsteps. Shubh jittered slightly, and then retorted, “What the hell Theeksha? I could have fallen off!”. Raising his head to meet the shadowy face of his infiltrator - who also happened to be his closest friend – he added, “How did you even find me? I'm the only one that knows about this place”. 

Theeksha – a short, but stout feminine figure – was now towering over Shubh - with an amused grin on her face. Momentarily blocking his view, she stared him directly in the eye, quickly breaking into a light chuckle. “You're not as sneaky as you think, Shubh”, she retorted, smirking as she seated herself beside him and peered at the view below. “You're too predictable. I know you too well”. Perplexed at her statement, Shubh ducked his head and began running scenarios in his mind. How could she have found him so easily? There was no way she wasn't bluffing. Vexed, Shubh raised his head and simply said - “Impossible! You must have hacked Raia or something”.

Theeksha laughed at the suggestion, not so much because it couldn't be done; in the 22nd century even a toddler could bypass an AI's security (with the right tools, of course); but rather because the prospect of trolling her best friend – a self-proclaimed technologist – would make for a hilarious prank. “A great idea, but computers and all are your business. Who needs it anyway, when I can access map directions from one A4 sheet lying in your room? It's the 22nd century, who even uses paper anymore?”. Dumbfounded, Shubh once again ducked his head - this time in embarrassment - before rummaging his backpack and discovering that, indeed, his Rooftop Lair Schematics were, expectedly, missing from within. Frazzled, he emptied his bag, before the sound of an even more amused Theeksha snapped him out of his frantic spell.

“You know, you may not be able to hack me”, Shubh said, “but sometimes I'm convinced you're secretly some professional stalker”. Theeksha, breathless from her incessant laughter, simply continued on, before the tone of the conversation sombered. “Whatever”, Shubh snarked, “just... don't tell my parents about this place, or me being anywhere near it. Dad would probably ground me for life”. These last few words bore a tinge of sadness; sensing this, Theeksha cleared her throat and pointed to a nearby collision on the junctioned road below. Shubh's eyes followed, though his mind was now... elsewhere.

“You know today is Vishu, right?”, Theeksha said. “Your amma made payasam and all. She's the one who called me to come find you. Why don't you go home?”. Shubh looked briefly at Theeksha as she spoke, but initially refrained from answering. It took a few more gentle nudges from her before he finally responded with a curt, but clear - “I don't want to see him”. Referring to his father - A shrewd real estate developer and advisor to the Karnataka Land Allocation Board ('KLAB') - Shubh had been avoiding him off-late, and wanted, more than anything, to spend the day away from home. Seeing his reaction, Theeksha simply sighed, knowing well not to poke the bear that was Shubh's relationship with his dad. She turned her head back towards the traffic and, for a moment, silence consumed the air…

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