The Ghost in the Machine
October 13, 2009 – 8:30 PM
Jadavpur – Aritra's Villa
The television screen flickered in the dimly lit living room, casting a cold glow against the minimalist décor. The atmosphere inside was silent, save for the muffled voices of political analysts dissecting the exit polls of the three states that had gone to elections.
Aritra sat in his usual seat on the sectional sofa, his body relaxed, yet his gaze was piercingly focused on the screen. His left hand rested on the armrest, fingers occasionally tapping in a slow, calculated rhythm. In his right hand, a half-empty glass of water sat untouched for the last twenty minutes.
Beside him, Katherine shifted slightly.
She had been watching him more than the television.
There was something… off.
Not in an obvious way. To most, Aritra looked as indifferent as ever, his face betraying nothing. But Katherine had spent enough time around him to notice the details.
The way his jaw tightened for just a fraction of a second whenever a certain number flashed on the screen.The subtle narrowing of his eyes when a political analyst dismissed BVM as a joke.The slight pause in his tapping fingers whenever an opponent's predicted margin was announced.
"Why is he watching this so seriously?"
She couldn't figure it out.
This BVM party—Bhavishya Vikas Morcha—had been completely erased from the conversation. It wasn't even considered worth discussing. The analysts and anchors treated it like it didn't exist.
And yet…
Aritra was watching like his life depended on it.
Katherine frowned. What was she missing?
🔴 Live: National Election Network (NEN) Exit Poll Special
"Welcome back, viewers! You are watching the most trusted exit poll coverage in the nation, where we break down the numbers, predict the winners, and analyze the losers!"
The voice belonged to Rajiv Khanna, NEN's star anchor—a man known for his sharp wit and sharper tongue.
"And let me tell you, folks—this election has been one hell of a ride!" Rajiv smirked, adjusting his tie as he turned to the massive digital results board behind him. "The exit poll results are in, and we have a clear picture of where each state is headed!"
The screen behind him flashed the numbers for Maharashtra first.
Maharashtra – Exit Poll Projections
🟢 United Progress Front (UPF) – 168 to 180 seats (45-47% projected vote share)
🔵 Maharashtra National Bloc (MNB) – 90 to 110 seats (35-37% projected vote share)
🟡 Independent/Others – 2 to 5 seats (5-7% projected vote share)
🔴 Bhavishya Vikas Morcha (BVM) – 0 seats (1-3% projected vote share)
A burst of laughter erupted in the studio.
"Well, well, well!" Rajiv chuckled. "Did anyone really expect anything different? UPF is leading comfortably, MNB is holding its ground, and—oh! Look at that—BVM at a proud grand total of ZERO seats!"
More mocking laughter from the panel.
"Let's be honest," interjected Sudhir Mishra, a senior analyst. "Did anyone actually think this party was going to make an impact? They ran some flashy digital ads, put up well-dressed candidates—but this is Indian politics, not a tech seminar."
"Absolutely!" Rajiv grinned. "And let's talk about their 'revolutionary' campaign strategy."
A massive graphic appeared on the screen, showcasing BVM's key campaign methods:
Hyper-local speeches in every constituency24/7 personalized voter outreach callsTargeted campaign messages based on voter history
"Now tell me," Rajiv said, turning to the panel, "what's the one thing missing from this campaign?"
One of the analysts smirked. "Human connection."
"Exactly!" Rajiv declared, clapping his hands. "They tried to replace ground-level politics with software! As if voters are just data points!"
The panelists erupted in agreement.
"Their problem," added another analyst, "was that they focused too much on urban areas, forgetting that elections are won in the villages."
The screen split into two graphs:
Maharashtra – Urban vs. Rural Voting Trends
Urban Areas
🟢 UPF – 43%
🔵 MNB – 39%
🔴 BVM – 4%
Rural Areas
🟢 UPF – 51%
🔵 MNB – 40%
🔴 BVM – 1%
"This right here," Rajiv pointed at the graph, "is why they failed. BVM thought they could win elections from a corporate office, but elections are fought in the streets."
Katherine stole another glance at Aritra.
His expression hadn't changed.
But she saw something in his eyes.
It wasn't frustration.
It wasn't anger.
It was amusement.
"They think they've already won," Aritra muttered under his breath.
Katherine froze.
"What…?"
But before she could ask, Rajiv moved on.
Haryana – Exit Poll Projections
🟢 United Progress Front (UPF) – 45 to 52 seats (48-50% projected vote share)
🔵 People's Democratic Party (PDP) – 35 to 40 seats (42-44% projected vote share)
🟡 Others – 1 to 3 seats (3-5% projected vote share)
🔴 Bhavishya Vikas Morcha (BVM) – 0 seats (1-2% projected vote share)
The pattern repeated.
More laughter.
More mockery.
More assured declarations that BVM was nothing but a joke.
Arunachal Pradesh – Exit Poll Projections
🟢 United Progress Front (UPF) – 50 to 58 seats (53-56% projected vote share)
🔵 National Democratic League (NDL) – 2 to 5 seats (35-38% projected vote share)
🟡 Others – 0 to 2 seats (5-7% projected vote share)
🔴 Bhavishya Vikas Morcha (BVM) – 0 seats (0.5-2% projected vote share)
"Well, folks," Rajiv concluded, smirking, "BVM might as well pack up and go home. They tried to change the game, and the game laughed in their faces!"
More laughter.
More dismissals.
And beside her, Aritra just kept smiling.
Katherine's chest tightened.
She didn't know why—but for the first time, she felt like she was standing on the edge of something huge.
And no one—**not the anchors, not the politicians, not even her—**had any idea what was coming next.