Ramkatha Marg had barely settled from the sudden chaos. The memory of the agitated bull galloping through the narrow lanes still hung thick in the air. Young and old beggars waiting for pilgrims to give them prasad(sweets) were panicked.
Vendors resumed their busy calls, but even these calls were drowned by the panicked whispers. An undercurrent of unease rippled through the crowds.
Sai walked silently beside Mrs. Mishra as she carefully placed her phone into her worn handbag and put the hot kettle down. Her face was pale, her hands still trembling slightly.
"Mrs. Mishra," Sai said gently, "do you really believe this app? That it knows these things before they happen?"
She glanced at him, eyes haunted. "Sai beta, I want to believe it's just numbers and guesses. But when things start coming true... it scares you, doesn't it?"
Veer and Rhea caught up, their expressions less tense but still curious. "Maybe it's all coincidence," Veer said, though his voice lacked conviction.
Ramu joined them a moment later, wiping sweat from his brow. "The app is business, not magic. But people take it seriously now. It's changing how we see the world."
Before Sai could reply, a sudden shout cut through the street. The group turned to see a small crowd gathered near the temple steps. A man was arguing loudly with a motorcycle rider, apparently the rider had grazed a vendor's stall.
Sub-inspector Ashok Meena, recently transferred to Vishrampur, arrived swiftly on his bicycle, his face stern.
"Enough!" Meena called, raising his voice. "Control yourselves, or I will have to take action."
His eyes scanned the crowd briefly and then caught sight of Sai and the others.
After the crowd dispersed under his gentle but firm control, Meena came to the stall to have some tea.
"What happened?" he said, his tone softer, "why's everyone so glum here?"
"We were talking about this Starcode AI app that Mrs. Mishra had it on her phone. Apparently, it predicted some danger nearby and it actually happened." Sai took his call and answered.
Meena shook his head. "People lose senses over such things. Predictions, fate, they're not police matters. But I'll tell you, this app isn't to be trusted. Don't spread fear or it'll cause real harm."
Sai looked away, suddenly unsure.
As the hot sun shone on his face, Sai's phone buzzed. App installed. Would you like to open? Suddenly, he wanted to delete it before even using it. Sai wasn't one of those reckless risk-takers. Even if it seemed superstitious, he didn't want to take a risk. He selected "no" and was about to delete the app.
But before he could even close it, a notification popped up, which read:
"Watch closely. Change is near."
He silenced it quickly, heart pounding.
Behind him, the temple bells tolled solemnly.
In Vishrampur, something old was stirring, something tethered to the future.
The whispers had only just begun.
…
SI Meena asked for a glass of tea, his hands resting lightly on the wooden railing as he observed the small group before him.
"So, this Starcode AI," he began, his voice steady, "it's got people talking, some trusting it too much, others scornful."
Rhea nodded. "It's… unsettling, sir. Some say it knows things before they happen."
Meena's eyes softened. "Fear makes people grasp for certainty. When life's unpredictable, any sign feels like a lifeline."
Veer frowned. "But what if some predictions really come true? Today's chaos with the bull, for example."
Meena looked toward the street, where vendors were slowly packing up after the scare.
"Animals react to their surroundings, crowds, loud noises, chaos. That's natural. But people sometimes link such events to superstition when there's none."
He turned back. "I've seen enough in my years to know that real danger comes from action, not prediction. Rumors spread quicker than facts, and that can turn neighbors against neighbors."
Sai met Meena's gaze. "So you don't believe in the app?"
Meena chuckled softly. "Belief isn't my job. My job is to figure out what's really happening. But I do know this—relying on an app for the future? It can make people careless or fearful, neither helps."
Mrs. Mishra, nearby, listened quietly. "Sometimes fear feels realer than facts, sir."
Meena smiled kindly. "It does. But we must live by what we can see and do, not by shadows on the wall."
Sai kept nodding his head at the chatty sub-inspector while thinking of the notification he just received. He felt flustered and lost but didn't want to lose his composure at the moment.
Meanwhile, Meena took another sip as he glanced at his watch. "I have patrols to complete, kids. But remember, eyes open, head clear. That's how we keep this town safe."
With a slight nod, Meena left the group, his calm presence lingering.
"This guy sure loves playing the hero," Veer muttered to Sai and Rhea while Mrs. Mishra kept gossiping about the app to other customers, trying to shake off her unease.
Sai exhaled slowly, pondering. The mysterious app, the tremors of fear, and Meena's counsel, they all hung in the air as the afternoon sun cast long shadows over Vishrampur's streets.
"I feel a headache coming. I'm going home," Sai told Veer and Rhea as he walked back home in a daze.