Z - ZERO

Zero stood on the shore, nonchalant, unassuming, looking out over the sea and gazing at the horizon. He didn't seem to have a care in the world.

Unknown to Zero, One had been watching him closely for quite some time. He sneaked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. As soon as Zero turned to look back, One shoved him aside and stood right in front of him.

One: "There...we're a perfect 10 now. I'm sorry to have surprised you like this. But as you can see, it's in our best interests that I am allowed to take the lead. As for you, I'm afraid you're going to have to stay out of the limelight." (*winks at Zero).

Zero: (*nodding in agreement) "You're right...you're in charge."

One: (*beaming with pride) "You had no choice here anyway, mate!"

Zero: (*raises his eyebrows) "What do you mean?"

One: (*grinning) "Well, you zeros have no value by yourselves. Clearly, it only makes sense for you guys to join forces with the rest of the numbers. It adds value to your existence, no? Admit it then, without the rest of us, you are absolutely nothing!"

Zero: (*closing his eyes and smiling) "Hmm...you're right again...we zeros are nothing by ourselves."

One: (*nodding) "Exactly...Nothing!"

Zero: (*now grinning) "Let's think about this...what happens when more than one of us rally behind you, with you guys in the lead? What happens then?"

One: "We're BIG, of course!"

Zero: (*now grinning) "Let's think about this...what happens when more than one of us rally behind you, with you guys in the lead? What happens then?"

One: "We're BIG, of course!"

Zero: "Absolutely...you guys gain a great deal of value when my kind rallies behind you. So let's say me and five other of my kind had to come together and let you lead, we'd be a million. Isn't that right now?"

One: "Hmm..."

Zero: "But now, imagine if one day we would suddenly decide to pick up our stuff and walk away...where, my friend, would that leave you?"

One: "Huh...?"

Zero: "You heard me...where would that leave you?"

One: (*feeling a lump in his throat) "At...square one?..."

Zero: "Perfect...we have no value and we have nothing to lose. But hey! We are the ones who make you look good. Without us, you guys are hardly anything yourselves. Don’t ever forget that!

And saying so,  Zero left One standing dazed on the shore, and walked away.

Please feel free to leave comments, whether or not you liked what you read. It's a great way to start a conversation or a dialogue. I might be pretty boring in real life, but I promise I'm a lot more fun in this avatar.

With this, my friends, we have come to the end of an extremely long, yet extremely satisfying A to Z Challenge 2017. It was supposed to be completed by 30th April, and although I tried my best to finish it in time, deadlines at the workplace and lack of sufficient time during the weekends due to family commitments played spoilsport.

Nevertheless, I have no regrets. In fact, this time around I had a plethora of positives - both on the creative as well as personal front. I managed to surprise myself (pleasantly) this time around, in terms of my ability to think quickly and to come up with some write-ups that I would definitely count among my best posts till date. I also managed to make some wonderful friends and collaborations on Instagram. Looking forward to working with them in the future as well.

See you next year then...hopefully.

Amen to that!

Previous posts in the A to Z Challenge - April 2017:-

A - All Apologies (Poem)

B - Baptism (Poem)
C - Chains (Short Story)
D - Door To My House (Short Story / Sentimental / Philosophy / Wisdom)
E - Evil Eye Deliverance (Short Story)
F - Flight of the Lonely Raven (Poem)
G - Girl With The Rings (Weird Story)
H - Hills Beckon (Poem)
I - Idyllic Sky (Short Story)
J - Judging Yasmin (Short Story)
K - Kiss of Death (Poem)
L - Lady of a Perpetual Sucker (Poem)
M - Mosaic You (Poem)
N - Nevermind (Weird Story / Short Story)
O - Office-ial Stance (Short Story)

P - Pretender (Poem)

Q - Queen (Poem)

R - Ramparts (Poem)

S - Standing In The Midst Of Clouds (Short Story)
T - Tiptoe (Poem)
U - Unguarded (Poem / Sentimental / Philosophical)
V - Voila Gypsy Girl (Poem)
W - What If.. (Musings / Poem / Short Story / Sentimental / Philosophy / Wisdom)
X - X-treme Encounter (Short Story / Weird Story)
Y - Your Stare (Poem)