World does not operate in solo mode!

** Does the world operate in a way we all think and act only for ourselves always, or the opposite is true many times? The anti-hero Balu finds out in this story about video-games, after he tried to cheat his way to victory when the game was on mid-way. **

An hour since 'War with Azoora' had commenced! To Balu, it had given complete satisfaction over acing the first 4 levels, the levels where the warrior player's astuteness is kept in check via unidentifiable quicksands, flying dragons and the risk of getting roasted from the fire emitted from them, infectious bugs with their intoxicating spray that could freeze you on the spot for full 10 seconds and collapsing towers, at the shade of which you do not wish to rest! 

Balu had been a warrior, not in the true sense of the word, but he was one, given gaming machines sort of rule the planet these days, and he was a talented gamer. 'War with Azoora' was a game that spanned 10 skill levels, was the talk of the world since its release last week and had demanded the highest level of ability and game-playing prowess only an ace player with 10 years of skill could attempt.

"What's the price money for the game this morning?" wondering to himself Balu had checked the score and information board, at roughly 8 AM that morning. "Next game shall be in another hour and could last at least 4 hrs depending on your skill......." read the board, "and since this is a tournament across the town, it carries a price of Rs.1,50,000!". "Wow.....!" stars shone in Balu's eyes.... "that is good enough for me to make to America, to the famed Mardi-Gras... it costs merely half the money for a round trip with the Qatar Airways..!". "I am in a hurry!" Balu had demanded at the counter of the game shop, where he would be contending for the latter part of the day!. "Take my name down... and let me know, I am going out for a short breather, and then I'm in just before the war commences....!", pet-naming the game as the 'war', Balu had paid an initial entrance fee of about Rs. 1000 to get himself in to the game. He was confident he will be the winner, not only was he one of the topmost game-players in the country topping the grand-slam in many tournaments before, he had also practiced 'War with Azoora' in solo-mode for the past 1 week, ever since its release! In fact, he was playing the game full-time in his house the past 1 week, never even met his friends all this while! "Are you sure you familiarized yourself with the game rules, sir?" inquired the person registering his name and Balu gave a quick, indifferent nod. "I am quite the master of it by now!" he claimed victoriously and the cashier nodded approvingly.

Now it had been 10 AM, and an hour since Balu had been playing 'the game'. 

"What is Ramesh doing?" Balu glanced with the corner of his eyes at Ramesh, his opponent at the game eyeing rebelliously at the computer game's screen with the controller at his hands. "Boom, boom....!" came the noise of Ramesh shooting fiercely at the flying dragons. The score board had announced that Ramesh was scoring first place so far, an hour in to the game, with him at 100,000 hard-earned points with Balu being a close 2nd contender at 88,358 and Senthil, the third player at 56,000. Neither Balu nor Ramesh had lost any of their lifelines all this time. Ramesh was an equal to Balu at game playing ability and was quick, astute and agile! Balu had been frozen the last 10 seconds after a toxic bug 'got him' and after a peek into Ramesh's screen, Balu got back in to his game again.

"Thunder, thunder...", ricocheted the shell of the flying saucer, belonging to the asura 'Aasman-azoora'. Aasman-azoora meant a dark demon who had the ability to disappear from the warrior's vision altogether or to appear at multiple places at the same time. The clever player had to distinguish the real image from the mirage, something possible only with superior powers bestowed by guardian angels in the game and along with that, years of gaming experience. The ecosystem of the gaming terrain at level 5 had been particularly challenging for Balu, it was hard to focus with so much intensity, despite his long and hard gaming ability. "No worries" Balu exclaimed to himself, he had mined enough resources that would protect his player "Simon" as well as enough battery life for his chosen vehicle "Mahindra" for the game. After intense search and rescue mission for Simon, who wandered through extreme temperatures, toxic gases and dangerous storms for another long while, Balu let his game to pause for full 10 minutes! He had to check the score board again.

On the other side, Ramesh had just been back from his pause and had been once again, having his time at the game. His player, "Sheeba" a most versatile gaming character, with abilities different from that of Balu's 'Simon' was charging with her cheetah at an Azoora. Azoora meant a sort-of demonic and enemy character for the mankind. The game was about end of days for earthlings, unless and until a hero could save it from azooric invasion! Balu strained his neck to have a look at Ramesh's game, but the wall in between was blocking part of the vision... Balu went around Ramesh's gaming spot on the pretext he was getting ice cold water from the cooler around the corner. Ramesh had been fighting Azoora 'Mohini' who is actually a guy that could become a girl that could bestow the player with real gifts or deceive the befooled player if he so much as lacked skills to figure out her tricky ways! "Huck", Ramesh let his Sheeba duck her head after Mohini seemingly attacked Sheeba at the pretext of giving a magical superpower to the character. Ramesh let his Sheeba acquire the said superpower, in reward for let her duck at the precise moment. Now Ramesh was many levels up! For the coveted superpower made it unnecessary to play up to 2 more higher levels! Ramesh safely drove ahead to level 7!!! Balu's eyes shot up with envy. "No worries again....." thought Balu to himself. "It isn't much longer when Ramesh will ask for Durai, and then it is my game after that!". 

Durai had been Ramesh's (the winning player) best buddie till then at the game studio and they were so close for a very long time since. Once Ramesh had won a prize money of Rs. 50,000 at another game earlier during the year and he had offered almost half of it to Durai, since Durai had helped Ramesh score as his ghost player II at a critical point during the game.

Balu had made a secret deal with Durai this time around. During his short quick walk earlier before the game commenced, he had spoken to Durai and promised Engineering seat with his father's reputed college near Durai's house. "All this is for you if only you would follow my advice", Balu had instructed Durai, "join Ramesh when and if he ever asks you to help him out as his ghost in level 9 upwards! I am sure Ramesh will ask you to help him out as his ghost player and his lifeline, as I know no one made the level 9 or the topmost level 10 at least, without a ghost player! Once Ramesh asks you to join him, which he will, secretly donate his Mohini-given power to me. My on-screen character is 'Simon'. Then hit at the Azoora 'Rakthabeeja' when Ramesh isn't paying attention to you. Rakthabeeja will multiply in to 10 more azooric replica of himself each time he is shot. Ramesh won't be able to conquer Rakthabeeja without his Mohini power. He will struggle even more so with all 10 different Rakthabeejas and soon will run out of game!" Balu had instructed to Durai. 

It had indeed been hard for Durai to go against his trustworthy friend and comrade Ramesh initially. But the lure of admission in to a fanciful college and graduating thereof with flying colors as a prestigious IVY-league degree down his collar, had gotten the best of Durai. He also thought he will make Ramesh win a future game perhaps, for this deceit to his most trusted friend. "Ok", Durai finally agreed, "I'm in, the way you want!". Durai registered himself as a lifeline, and Balu paid the fee of Rs.500 on behalf of Durai, meant for helping out as a co-player to the asking party. One of the bizarre rules of the game 'War with Azoora' allowed for a co-player to join a primary player upon request, and also assigned same abilities as that of the primary player to the co-player, with freedom to choose his/her own 'comrade' helper character! Not only that, the primary and helper characters in this game could as well sacrifice their lifelines to any another contender playing elsewhere! This feature is unknown to the gaming world and this actually made the game very complex and difficult to win.

Soon as expected, Ramesh wanted some help at level 9. Balu was only at level 6! Balu awaited anxiously after winking at Durai... "It shouldn't take much longer for Durai to shoot at Rakthabeeja from now on...". In just about another 2 minutes, Balu's game screen lit up and announced he received 'Mohini-power', an exceptional lifeline, from a character called 'Poothna'! Poothna had been Durai's ghost player character that he had chosen to assist his pal, Ramesh. Now Poothna was doing just the opposite, giving away the primary player's hard-scored magical power to a contender! 

"Oh no!" Ramesh raised his voice suddenly. "How is that possible? Oh no! Now I'm doomed!" said Ramesh hysterically. He was crying over the sudden rush of 'Rakthabeeja', just as Balu had envisioned, knew and waited for all along...! Rajthabeejas 10-fold in number were rushing towards his player Sheeba from all over. Balu paused his game to go over and watch the fun! Ramesh frantically operated his controller, trying to get a grip over the situation and put an end once and for all to any Rakthabeeja that poured on towards Sheeba... but to no avail. Without his Mohini power in sight, Ramesh kept assaulting at the repetitive azooric character and for each assault, as a penalty the Rajthabeeja multiplied himself into 10 more of his own self. It was unimaginable! Quite a mess. 

Balu quickly returned to his game. "In no time now, Ramesh's game will be over, his Sheeba is gonna be dead!", a villainous smile erupted on to his eyes, and he maneuvered his controller skillfully and resumed his game. But then, "What is this!" wondered Balu. For, without his ever hitting on Rakthabeeja in his own game, there were now 10's of 100's of Rakthabeejas pouring in from every direction in his own game! For a second Balu lost it all.... his cool, his presence, his commonsense.... "No! This can't happen!" he cried.... as he cleverly managed to pull along his character Simon in to safety just for a few seconds after slaughtering about 25 Rakthabeejas with the help of stolen Mohini power from Ramesh's Sheeba, Balu in all his haste, did a huge blunder. His character Simon hit at a Rakthabeeja in a foul move and then it happened - the game seemed to blink once for a split second, and there was a all-so-familiar 'brrr' sound and it said on the game screen - "Game over!". Balu had lost! Once and for all. 

When he was just about to turn around towards Ramesh and get a clue at what's happening, Ramesh screamed, "Yes! Yes! I won!". He put his arms up as if his favorite team at national football had won and jumped up in joy! Even Durai, seemed to have forgotten he had switched side now, and was celebrating for Ramesh, and as a chorus, they sang, "We have won! We have won!". It was just too much for Balu.

Balu quickly jumped to see Ramesh's game. Ramesh had actually lost the game, with just a little more points than Balu. His screen was also pouring down with Rakthabeejas all over the place and his Sheeba along with her cheetah were clearly, dead! He was at level 9, not even at 10, the highest level. So what was going on? The game screen ahead of Ramesh said, "Congratulations, winner! You are the sole commando who has saved the earthlings, we convey our salutions to you!". Flashy light and music started playing in Ramesh's screen. He put down the controller, turned around and eyed at Balu, who was just a bit too shaky and running to the front reception to question the front desk personnel on Ramesh's win. "Just how could that possibly be a win??" Balu repeatedly murmured to himself aloud.

"I cannot agree with your game's results!" Balu demanded at the front desk! "There is something wrong with the game, something terribly wrong!" he demanded, without a single breath. "Ramesh lost his character, his vehicle and also did not reach level 10! Yet game says he won! Come have a look, fix the system immediately! I am the winner, I am much ahead of Ramesh at level 9!" Balu cried twice, in a loud voice anyone could hear. 

The front desk personnel, 2 or 3 youths all went over vigorously and eyed at Ramesh's game. "It is all over now and the game indeed has ended correctly!", one of them declared. "This is a fair and just defeat. Ramesh has played clearly well over everyone else and has earned very many points, and he is the best among all of town's players today! The win cannot be super-ceded by anyone else's!" the youth responsible to declare the win called out. "Ramesh has won Rs.1,50,000!!!" and the whole shop thundered with applause.

Later that day, Balu got to review the game rules for 'War with Azoora' clearly and solidly, amidst much appraisal. The instruction and rules book of the game read as follows:

"War with Azoora is a game for the present generation! The wars happen with those dark Azooric forces that try to conquer all of earth unfairly and unjustly. Not just one can win them over! It demands a group effort! Therefore in 'War with Azoora', a player learns to shed his identity of just himself for the time span of the game, and starts identifying himself with the group, the group of survivors who want to fight over the evil. Thus in the game, players can take ghost players who can assist. Players can hit at the wrong target, and if they do, it has a spill-over effect, afflicting other contender's games as well... and if players 'sacrifice' their hard-earned powers to a different contender, they in turn earn a 'Magic Jack' medal... the most coveted medal of the game. A player is encouraged to ace the game via solo / single-player mode initially, but the real trick is to master the art of group play in the game. And the one with most points and a 'Magic Jack' medal, the medal for sacrifice is declared the winner, no matter if he made it at level 10 or not. As stated already, our game is the game for the day, and the mission is to build in the player's mind, the necessity to think, act and belong in a group. Our motto is to build 'give and take', the most hard-earned value for present times and we build that - yes, we build on humanity!".

Ramesh earned his Rs.1,50,000 and tried to give Rs.50,000 to Durai. Durai flatly refused. Ramesh told everyone that he will be visiting America's Mardi-Gras later that year!

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