The Mysterious Gopal
Kamalika Bhattacharya
Aniket was a robotics scientist, a genius in his field, working on advanced robotic theories that could change the future. He had set up his lab at home, a place filled with machines, circuits, and confidential research. The world was eager for his discoveries, and some would go to any extent to steal his ideas. But Aniket was careful—no one except his mother, Madhuri, was allowed inside the lab.
One evening, a parcel arrived from overseas, carrying vital components for his research. His mother received it and placed it on his work table, as he had instructed. When Aniket returned from his office, he noticed something strange—the package had a hole in it.
“Mummy, when did you receive this? Did you notice any damage?” he asked.
Madhuri shook her head. “It was completely sealed when I got it. Maybe a rat chewed through it?”
Aniket frowned. Something felt off, but he let it go. However, his mother had been complaining for weeks that she often heard whispers and noises coming from the lab when he wasn’t around. He dismissed it, assuming she was still mentally disturbed after his father’s sudden passing during the pandemic.
That Sunday, they decided to clean the lab together. The lab was originally the study of Aniket’s great-grandfather, a Sanskrit scholar and philosopher. His presence still lingered in the stacks of ancient books, dusty scrolls, and fragile manuscripts in the old wooden almirah. Aniket, curious, opened the almirah and sifted through the pages. His eyes widened in shock. Among the old scriptures, he found something unimaginable—complex robotic theories written in Sanskrit.
“Mummy, this… this is incredible! Our great-grandfather was working on robotics!”
Madhuri’s face lit up. “Your father always said that you were destined to be a great scientist, just like your ancestor.”
As they cleaned, Madhuri found a small doll—a charming boy with delicate features, almost like an idol of Lord Krishna. She smiled, feeling an inexplicable attachment to it. “Can I keep this?” she asked Aniket.
Lost in his newfound treasure of knowledge, Aniket absentmindedly nodded. Madhuri took the doll to the puja room, dressed it as her beloved Gopal, and placed it beside her other deity.
From that day, strange things started happening. When Madhuri offered food to Gopal, she felt as if the little idol was truly accepting it. She even noticed a faint smile forming on its face when she sang bhajans. Meanwhile, Aniket was too absorbed in decoding the ancient manuscripts, working day and night on a breakthrough project.
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But the mysteries deepened.
Each afternoon, while Madhuri rested, the whispers in the lab grew clearer—soft, mechanical murmurs. One day, she distinctly heard someone chanting Hanuman Chalisa inside. Heart pounding, she pushed the door open, but the room was empty. The next day, she found her beloved Gopal idol lying on the lab table.
“How did you get here?” she whispered, her hands trembling as she placed it back in the puja room.
Meanwhile, Aniket’s research had started attracting dangerous attention. He began receiving threats—calls warning him to share his discoveries or face dire consequences. He suspected corporate espionage, but he never imagined that danger lurked much closer.
One night, he stayed up late analyzing his data. His mother was fast asleep. As he stared at his computer screen, his fingers froze—files were being transferred from his system, but he wasn’t doing it.
“What the hell?” he muttered, frantically trying to trace the source.
To his horror, the breach was coming from inside the house. Someone—or something—was leaking his research.
Then, the power flickered. A shadow moved in the lab. Aniket turned, his heart pounding. And there, standing on the workbench, was Gopal.
But this wasn’t just a doll. It blinked. It moved.
Aniket’s blood ran cold. He grabbed the figure and rushed to analyze it. His hands shook as he connected it to his system, scanning its programming. What he found was beyond belief.
Gopal was a sophisticated spy robot. Someone had planted it to steal his research. But something was different—its code had changed. The malicious programming had been overwritten with sacred chants, Vedic mantras, and protective codes.
It had purified itself.
Aniket sat back, stunned. This tiny, seemingly lifeless doll had protected his secrets, blocking the data theft. It had saved him.
And then, for the first time, Gopal spoke.
"Rakhe Hari, mare ke?"
Aniket’s breath caught. He felt an overwhelming gratitude and awe. Gopal had not only shielded his research but had also saved his mother’s life. The day Madhuri had fallen sick and collapsed alone at home, someone had called an ambulance. But there had been no one else in the house.
It was Gopal.
When Madhuri returned from the hospital, she celebrated Janmashtami with great joy, unaware of the truth. As she sang and offered sweets to her Gopal, Aniket stood watching. And then, just for a second, he saw it—Gopal blinked at him and smiled.
Aniket smiled back and gave him a silent thumbs-up.
The little protector had found his place.
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