A nine year old boy in Navi Mumbai has driven his parents into a state of panic after he shunned all electronic gadgets five days ago and is showing no signs of plugging back in.
The incident came to light yesterday, when an a young boy Vashi was found standing with his arms outstretched in the open area outside the station with a smile and a unique glow on his pale face. Upon investigating further, the reporter found that the subject was Aryan Kamat, a boy born and brought up in Mumbai, who was, until a week ago, a normal kid by all means, with a healthy appetite for the Internet and e-games.
“Out of the blue, Aryan decided to forsake his IPad and PS4 for the walking track and dilapidated park in the neighborhood,” said Aryan’s distraught father, Vinod. “He seemed hell-bent on getting out of his cushy couch and into the open without any provocation or electrical calamity. We checked the Wi-Fi connectivity, but the connection seemed excellent. We have no idea what is happening!”
Aryan’s worried mother, Arti, says that her son has refused to communicate with them through either WhatsApp or chat. “Aryan hasn’t come online for almost 5 days and I can’t bear to see his ‘Last Seen’ time. My boy was so regular in his chat before,” Arti said tearfully. “He notices me looking at my phone over and over again, but continues to shun his phone. He insists on talking the unnatural way – face to face. I don’t know what to do!”
Aryan’s grandparents have rushed from Karwar to see their most connected grandchild in distress. “I was shocked to discover that the new Skylander box is still unopened. And today morning, Aryan put on his shoes and invited us out for a walk in the park!” said Aryan’s bewildered grandfather.
According to the appalled family members, Aryan has begun writing his school work by hand instead of getting them printed, and has actually asked for some books in place of apps. “The other day I caught him climbing up on a chair to reach behind the top shelf of the cupboard for an ancient copy of the Oxford English dictionary. Can you believe it?” asked his slack-jawed father.
The neighbors too are a worried lot. “I just hope Aryan doesn’t contaminate our kids,” said Mrs. Verma, as she nudged her son indoors where he could be safe with iPhones and iPads firmly by the side.
Last we heard, Aryan is undergoing counseling and is being closely observed for further unnatural behavior patterns.
