The Plain Ring

  Characters: Character A(Aayan), Character B(Esha).

  EXT. OPEN-FIELD – SUNSET

  Aayan sits atop a rocky outcropping, rolling a plain ring between his fingers. A stranger woman approaches him.

  ESHA

  You look like a man who is struggling to decide something.

  Aayan looks up at her and shrugs.

  ESHA

  You aren’t much of a conversationalist, are you?

  AAYAN

  I have found that staying quiet serves you better than indulging in frivolous conversations.

  Esha laughs.

  ESHA

  Perhaps you are right, but I have always enjoyed talking to people. (She points at the rock.) May I see it?

  AAYAN

  I don’t see why not.

  Aayan scoots over and Esha sits next to him.

  AAYAN (cont.)

  So what do I call you? A stranger woman who talks to random people does not work for me.

  ESHA

  I thought you did not like frivolous conversations.

  AAYAN

  I could learn.

  She chuckles.

  ESHA

  I am Esha.

  AAYAN

  Aayan.

  ESHA

  So what are you struggling to decide?

  Aayan gives her a side long glance.

  AAYAN

  Are all women like this or are you the only one who asks personal questions to random strangers?

  ESHA

  Are you calling me nosy, Mr Aayan?

  AAYAN

  You are not?

  ESHA

  I never said that. Are you going to tell me, or do you wish me to leave you alone?

  Aayan sighs.

  AAYAN

  Telling you won’t change anything, so I don’t see why not. I have two desires, but to fulfil one I must abandon the other. I don’t know what to do.

  ESHA

  What kind of desires?

  AAYAN

  To understand that, you must first believe in the impossible.

  ESHA

  Why, are you the Flash?

  Aayan laughs.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  AAYAN

  I deserved that. I did sound like Barry Allen from the CW Flash there, didn’t I? But I was kidding about it.

  ESHA.

  Oh?

  Aayan shows her the plain ring in his hand.

  ESHA

  It’s a ring. I don’t see anything impossible about it.

  AAYAN

  This rings grant me any wish I desire.

  ESHA

  And my hair clip lets me fly like a bird.

  AAYAN

  I did tell you, you have to believe in the impossible.

  ESHA

  Hmm, let’s say I believe you. What was your first wish?

  AAYAN

  Eternal life.

  ESHA

  Why am I not surprised?

  AAYAN

  But eternal life did not give me pain tolerance or the ability to regenerate severed limbs.

  ESHA

  Let me guess, someone found out about the ring, captured you, lopped off your hand and took the ring.

  AAYAN

  No, they severed my head and then took the ring. It was 5 millennia ago and many knew of the ring back then. What they did not know was that I was immortal and the ring is bound to me till death. So the ring was useless to them. And over the centuries, the ring found its way back to me, to a place where a sycophant noble kept my undying head as a trophy.

  ESHA

  That sound horrible.

  AAYAN

  Yes, I wasn’t the greatest fan of century long pain and I could not even escape to death.

  ESHA

  What did you do when you got your body back?

  AAYAN

  I wished my body back. And trust me, I wouldn’t wish the pain of growing their body like that to anyone. After that, I wished to become indestructible, and wished for immunity against all diseases. The list goes on. Now nothing can harm me.

  ESHA

  What did you do after that? Did you take revenge?

  Aayan shakes his head.

  AAYAN

  What would be the point? People who stole my ring were long since dead.

  ESHA

  Then what did you do?

  AAYAN.

  I watched from the shadows as the world moved, history repeating itself over and over again. Same stories playing out in different variations.

  ESHA

  That sounds tiring.

  AAYAN

  I am tired, Esha. I am so tired.

  ESHA

  And now you want to end it all.

  AAYAN

  Yes.

  ESHA

  Why don’t you then. You have lived for 5 thousand years. Isn’t that enough?

  AAYAN

  It is for me. But once I die, the ring will be free. I don’t want it to end up in wrong hands. Can you imagine the damage it can do? I want to destroy the damn thing.

  ESHA

  Then do both. Wish to die in the next however long it will take you to set your affair in order and wish the ring to self-destruct.

  Aayan laughs.

  AAYAN

  If only it were that simple, but the ring does not work like that.

  ESHA

  Oh?

  AAYAN

  I can’t add condition to the wishes and it is fulfilled almost immediately. I can’t even merge the wishes.

  ESHA

  Ah, that is unfortunate.

  AAYAN

  I don’t know what to do.

  ESHA

  Well, if you want my advice, why don’t you hold of destroying the ring or dying and travel the world. See what it has to offer.

  AAYAN

  I am 5 millennia old, Esha. And that is a long time to be alive. I have seen everything this world has to offer.

  Esha sighs.

  ESHA

  I am certain you haven’t seen everything this world has to offer, no matter how old you are. Have you visited every hill, every river, every cave, every depth in the ocean this planet has to offer. Have you read every book, every poem, every story every published. Aren’t you surprised by every new invention the people of this world brings

  Aayan shook his head.

  AAYAN

  No, but I have seen enough of it that it gets tiring now.

  ESHA

  What about the entirety of the universe? Scientists can only dream of exploring it, but you can with your unending life. You can visit every planet, every stars, every galaxies. You could even go inside the black hole and survive or maybe you will die in there and destroy the ring at the same time. Who knows? But there is a universe to explore with its strange and beautiful mechanics. So there are still things you can do.

  AAYAN

  That sounds nice. But I don’t want to be alone.

  ESHA.

  You won’t have to be. Find people who would be willing to go with you in this journey, those who you would trust. And keep give the same immortality and invulnerability they have. And you can travel the universe together.

  AAYAN

  Thank you Esha, you have given me a lot to think about. Perhaps I will take your advice, perhaps not. I will need time to think on it.

  Esha smiles and stands up.

  ESHA

  Now that my job is done, I will take my leave.

  AAYAN

  Wait. What are you?

  She looks back.

  ESHA

  I am the manifestation of your wish for some advice. But I am also the personification of the ring you hold.

  AAYAN

  And what is this ring and what does it want? What do you want?

  ESHA

  To live.

  AAYAN

  I don’t understand.

  ESHA

  I am all powerful but I cannot experience life as mortals do. That was my one wish. I became the ring, so that I could experience life through the lens of my hosts. In a way, every time a human is bonded to me, I become a part of them. I become them. And live through them.

  Aayan Stands up.

  AAYAN

  Have you any idea how many problems the ring caused has this world?

  Esha laughs.

  ESHA

  Those problems were not caused by Ring. They were caused by evil men and their selfish desires. Their decision was their own, not mine. You cannot fault the uranium for being used as a nuclear weapon. I am like that uranium, a natural resource that can bring both light and destruction. What you do with it is your choice. You cannot accuse the ring for your mistakes. Own up to the consequences of your own actions.

  Esha vanishes.