"Adventures of 15-year-old boys" (aka Two Years' Vacation by Jules Verne)

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

A fresh-faced newbie reporter arrives at the police station and announces himself to a group of unwashed, bleary-eyed sunbaes typing away on their laptops. One guy gets up to greet the obvious first-timer, while the others just sit there with a faraway look in their eyes.

Three days later, Shaurya is the rookie to announce himself, and the fresh-faced newbie who arrived three days ago now looks exactly like the others, with dark circles down to there and the same dead look in his eyes. Shaurya narrates, "They were like zombies-zombies that had been awake for 24 hours and left to starve. And a few days later, I had become one of them."

Six hours earlier.

Dad finds out about Anokhi's new job the bad way - by seeing her face on television as the new face of Jagruk Nation's "honest news." Mom picks some pretty amazing timing to drop by Dad's office, and he barely has a second to register Anokhi on TV before turning around and coming face-to-face with his ex-wife. She says she's here to talk about Anokhi, and Dad looks about as pleased as you'd guess. Yash tenses up at Shubh Savera's report about the death of two chemical plant workers who were discovered in a fire. The investigation is showing signs of foul play, and the use of toxic chemicals to instigate the shipping container fire that killed them. Their leading suspect is the plant manager who owed them money and is currently missing... because Yash trapped him in a manhole six feet under! Yash's boss hands him the money that he collected from Shaurya for the truck bumper, and says the guy was happy to pay for the damages, and even looked a little like Yash. Shaurya finally finishes his shredded paper reconstruction after two all-nighters, and the rest of the rookies are especially nice to him as they face their official district assignments. The worst assignment is the Ambala, because that rookie has to work under Alok (whose nickname, by the way, is Nitpick).

Ah, I misinterpreted Shagun's smile in the last episode-she was pleased because one rookie gets assigned per district, and she hoped that Shaurya would free her from Alok's wrath. They share their hot-packs and candy bars with Shaurya, who's totally unprepared for their upcoming night watch. Shaan comes out to give out their team assignments, and as expected, Shaurya is put on Alok's team. The other rookies breathe a sigh of relief, but then Shagun also gets placed on the same team, and she blurts, "WHY?!" Shaan points out that there's no rule about one rookie per team. Alok arrives behind them, and LOL, his ringtone is the Darth Vader theme song? He even lets it ring a while just for effect, before saying loudly into the phone that he's got two newbies on his team to drive him twice as crazy. Poor Shagun is so frightened that she cries again, and has to lie to Shaan that they're just yawn-induced tears. She blankly asks Shaurya to return her hot-packs, suddenly not feeling so generous. They don't even get as far as the elevator before Nitpick calls and screams at them to get their asses moving, and they take off. Over at Jagruk Nation, Lalit is a very different kind of team leader, who speaks to Anokhi andAhir in jondae and politely explains their night watch assignment (naturally, they're also assigned the Ambala district). Preetam accuses him of treating them differently because of their connections, only to watch a little longer and realize that Lalit is just as much of a hardass - he just likes to speak in that eerily polite, passive-aggressive tone.
(Ha, doesAhir not understand sarcasm?Anokhi has to stop and explain that Lalit is saying one thing but means another.)
He practically sing-songs at them to run, and to answer his calls in under three rings at all times, whether sleeping or pooping. He reminds them that other reporters are now the enemy, and we intercut between Alok and Lalit giving minute-by-minute instructions to Shaurya andAnokhi as they each race down to the street. They actually arrive outside their buildings at exactly the same time, and Shaurya comes to a screeching halt and asks what Anokhi is doing here. Ahir asks if she didn't tell him that she's a reporter for Jagruk Nation now, and introduces himself to Shaurya. Shaurya ignores the outstretched hand and asks for an explanation, and Anokhi tells him about Mom and the publicity internship. He looks up and sees the giant banner with mother and daughter advertising honest news from a Pinocchio reporter, and walks away. Ahir grabs him by the arm to say that Anokhi isn't finished talking yet, but Shaurya just twists Ahir's arm around his back and shoves him away. Anokhi runs after him, leaving Ahir alone to swear angrily. The second he does though, he surprises himself, "Did I just swear? Huh." Anokhi runs after Shaurya and grabs both wrists before he'll stop. He shouts back angrily, asking why she wants to be a reporter so badly - did she really want to go back to her mother that much, when all she did was stomp on her pride? Anokhi shouts back, "It's not because of Mom! It's because of you!" She tells him that it's because of that quiz show he went on eight years ago, and the way it felt when their teacher and all their classmates changed their opinions in one fell swoop. She pounds her chest: "That day so wonderfully remains right here. Not one minute, one second will be erased." She says that's the reason she won't give up on her dream, no matter how much Dad disapproves or how much Mom stomps on her pride. She tells Shaurya that she doesn't need his support either, and would rather have him disapprove-that way it'll be easier to stop liking him. Dad arrives in the distance as Shaurya tries to hold her back to argue. She tells him to go ahead and try to stop her, because she'll just want to do it more. Dad flashes back to Mom's visit earlier that day. He asks if she suddenly feels the urge to be a mother, and Mom says no-that's why she's here. She says she knows Anokhi, and the more Dad tells her not to do something, the more she'll want to do it : "Like me." She asks for him to let Anokhi pursue her dream, which is the only way he'll get to keep her by his side. So when Shaurya asks how she'll convince Dad, Dad interrupts them (I love the way Shaurya instinctively sneaks her behind his back all the time), and shocks them both by saying that he doesn't disapprove. He doesn't exactly approve either, but he hands her a pair of new shoes in honor of the new job. Aw. Anokhi bounces up and down in glee, while Shaurya accepts defeat. Everyone heads home to pack for their 24-hour news patrol shift, and Ahir packs a full suitcase like he's going on a luxury business trip. Chaebol Mommy worries about him having to sleep at the police station like a common criminal, and she coos at him to give up if things get too difficult.

Way to teach him valuable life lessons, Mommy. As if the kisses weren't hard enough to stomach.

Anokhi peppers Dad with kisses too, though their relationship is too adorable for words. She's bouncing off the walls with excitement over Dad's show of support, determined to wear the new shoes until the soles disappear. In the next room over, Grandpa packs Shaurya's bag and hands him a new pair of gloves he bought for him, and Shaurya worries about him spending so much money when he has so little. Grandpa adorably gives a guilty glance over at Shaurya's row of piggybanks and lovingly knocks his forehead against Shaurya's as he agrees that he has no money. Shaurya's eyes widen and he rushes over to his precious piggies to find their bellies all split open. HA. Grandpa just walks away and says you make money to spend money, and Shaurya tries hard not to cry. Things get awkward in the elevator as Anokhi and Shaurya head out at the same time, and it gets even more strained when they find out that they're both assigned to the Ambala district. Anokhi decides that it's better this way, since being in direct competition with each other will help her get over him right away, and he lets out a sad little, "Yup." She hands him the dream button from her necklace and when he asks why she's giving it back, she says, "Because I think I'm over you. *hiccup* ...I guess I'm not. Sorry, I might have been too hasty."

Hahahaha. That was awesome.

She hurriedly says she'll get over him soon and takes the button back, and waits until he's out of sight to die of embarrassment. Anokhi begins the competition right away, and steals Shaurya's cab to get to the police station first. He outsmarts her by taking a different route, and we catch up to the opening scene as he arrives at the precinct. Someone calls out Shaurya's name, and it turns out to be Anmol, his old high school quiz show rival. Anmil is a cop now, and can't believe how much Shaurya has changed. He ushers him away from the "reporter trash" who buzz around like flies waiting for their next big scoop, and Shaurya has to follow that up with the news that he's a reporter now. Anokhi comes running in too, and Shaurya suddenly frowns to see her looking a little too happy to see Anmol. He takes his two classmates to show them the pressroom where they'll sleep, and Shagun and Ahir arrive just in time for the big reveal. They open the door to a tiny room filled with trash and dirty underwear. One lone reporter sits in the center of the room typing away like a zombie, and killing cockroaches with her bare hands. The rookies shudder in horror. The clock begins to count down with 48 hours left to go, and their night of relentless buzzing begins. They stop at every cop at every desk to ask if there have been any incidents, and get rejected, and rejected, and rejected again. Ahir is the most shell-shocked out of all of them, and he narrates to Mommy about this bizarro world he's entered. He wonders where all those events that fill a day's worth of headlines are hiding, because they can't be found here. He says that if they don't find things to report, they get chewed out by their bosses on the hour, every hour.
"I learned it here-that the world is filled with so many different kinds of swear words. In this place, if you cry you get in trouble. If you sleep you get in trouble. If you eat you get in trouble. And if you don't eat, you also get in trouble. Mother, why have I come to this strange land?"

Heh, I'm starting to like Ahir now.

Anokhi plops down next to him with some food, and he marvels at the triangle kimbap like it's a new invention. He tells her that he can't eat egg whites and swaps her for her yolks, which is convenient for her since that's the way she splits her eggs with Shaurya. But it pings my stalker-dar that he happens to like them the same way. She notes that he doesn't seem like a typical snotty braggart chaebol heir, and he thanks her for the snide compliment. Ahir continues his narration to Mommy: "There is one guy who's adjusting to this rough world better than anybody..." Their faces darken at the sight of Shaurya running over, all buddy-buddy with a detective and calling him "Elder Brother ." The same detective who earlier refused to throw them a bone offers to help Shaurya out, and they fume indignantly. The boys stare each other down, and Ahir describes Shaurya as a Tarzan zipping through this jungle however he pleases.

"Mother, that Tarzan has started to get on my nerves." Anmol asks how Shaurya managed to get a handle on the precinct so quickly, and Shaurya says it was luck - he spent two nights putting shredded papers back together, and among the pages was a police roster and various open cases at this station. Anmol marvels at the fact that Shaurya memorized all that, and tells him about the case he's working on... the container fire. Shaurya already knows about the case and says it's pretty open-and-shut, since they already have a suspect on the run. All Anmol can offer is that his gut is telling him something is off about the case, and Shaurya dismisses him offhandedly. Shaan can't focus at work, and his mind keeps drifting back to his conversation with Shaurya about his real identity. Shaurya told him about Yash showing up to claim Firefighter Dad's remains, but he has no way of getting the contact information from the police because at the time of his adoption, he thought it more important to hide his name and feigned amnesia. Shaan decides to call the station himself to see what he can find out. Anokhi trudges off to the pressroom to catch a nap, and over the course of the night, people come and go and shift positions, until Anokhi ends up snuggled up in Shaurya's arms.

Kyaaa.

They're so close, they're kissing noses! He's startled when he opens his eyes, but just lies there watching her sleep with this sweet little smile on his face. He thinks about her confession that she wanted to become a reporter because of him, and reaches over to touch her, but pulls back. Ahir wakes up just in time to see the look on Shaurya's face as he watches Anokhi sleep. Shaurya tucks her in and then locks eyes with Ahir, who follows him out into the hallway. "Hey, Shaurya! What was that? That's not something an uncle does with his niece!" Shaurya just shoves Ahir's outstretched hand away and says it's not really his concern, which he can't argue with. Shaurya tells him he's overstepping and walks away muttering to himself about how he thinks he knows Anokhi, but Ahir says he's known her for quite a long time: "A lot longer than you think."
It's twelve hours till go time, on the first day that Jagruk Nation has moved their news hour to go up against ratings leader Shubh Savera in a head-to-head battle. At the city newsroom, Preetam is taking bets from all the other stations' reporters, but Shaan refuses to participate. The bet isn't very interesting because no one will put their money on Jagruk Nation, and even Preetam bets on Shubh Savera instead. Anokhi is getting desperate for something to report to her boss, and begs Ahir for a tidbit, calling on old high school feelings to try and persuade him. He shows her his wedding ring and wonders why he ever liked her, but tells her about an accidental death case at a gym, where a woman worked out until she died. Anokhi thanks him for the scoop, only to come out and discover Shagun holding a stethoscope to the door. She calls the story into her boss first, andAnokhi fumes. It's even funnier to watch the events from the lead reporters' pressroom, because Shubh Savera's Alok and Jagruk Nation's Lalit take turns making snide comments to each other about their terrible rookies, only to repeat the exact same ragey outburst when their own minions call. It goes back and forth like this with both of them feeling the pressure to deliver a story for tonight's broadcast, but having to rely on a set of clueless newbies to get the job done. Both teams get yelled at to find out more firsthand information and get the CCTV footage of the death. The boys end up at the health club and the girls go to the hospital, and the petty rivalry escalates on both sides.
(I love the look of satisfaction on Ahir's face when he manages to get the elevator doors to close before Shaurya can catch up.) They cobble together some background information about the woman who died, but both teams are lacking the crucial piece - the tape that the gym refuses to hand over. As they meet back at the gym, Ahir notices Anokhi's face covered in soot, and reaches over to wipe it away. But she leaves him hanging, and he awkwardly tries to cover up his embarrassment with a laugh. Shaurya and Shagun are one step ahead of them, and Shaurya seems close to convincing the gym owner to hand over the CCTV tape. Shagun's burst of aegyo softens him up (and Ahir tries to get Anokhi to do the same but she can't), and when the owner hesitates, Shaurya says it's okay if he just plays the tape once, much to the others' dismay. They watch the playback and take notes, and as they leave, Ahir tries to get Anokhi to agree with him that Shaurya sucks. She agrees but hiccups, and Ahir figures she must still like him. She says it's harder to get over Shaurya than she thought, and blames herself for hanging on. Shagun asks if they should head back and try to persuade the gym owner one more time, but Shaurya says he's already got it - he recorded the footage on his phone while it was being played back for them. Shagun claps and gives him a thumbs-up for being awesome, and they head back in a good mood. Ahir's boss asks for his report on the container fire case, and Ahir voices his niggling doubt about the suspect. The plant manager's cell phone signal has been caught in various cities with no other trace, just turning on and off for a brief second, as if to purposely make it appear as though he's wandering around.
We see Yash taking the cell phone in question to crowded places to turn it on and off, exactly as Anmol describes.
Uh-oh.
Shaurya narrates: "The truth is in pieces spread out here and there, and doesn't reveal itself whole to us." Ahir goes over the details of the gym case that Anokhi has to report to their boss. They surmise that the woman discovered her ex-husband was remarrying and began an extreme diet leading to her overdoing her workout and a heart attack. Anokhi says she can do it but hiccups, and she admits that something about the case isn't adding up for her. Shaurya continues his narration that when the thing they find isn't the truth, the truth sends them little signals: doubt. Anmol's boss tells him it is weird, but it's not enough to change their prime suspect. Ahir agrees that things might not line up perfectly, but that it's not enough to stop them from calling it in. But Anokhi decides she has to go back to check things over one last time. Shaurya watches the CCTV footage and something niggles at him too, but he ends up sending it to Shaan. He narrates, "The moment you fold that doubt, the real truth hides itself." Shaan receives the video and heads out with a little warning to Preetam that Shubh Savera's got an exclusive tonight, but a moment later Preetam gets off the phone with a smile on his face and says they have one too. He moves his bet over to Jagruk Nation and heads out. Shaurya (voiceover): "What you see isn't everything." The clock counts down, with three hours left till broadcast.


You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net