MALVIKA MOHAN
Dr. Shilpa Das
malvika_m@nid.edu
An old man and a boy are in an open white space with a chessboard. They bond over the game. Old man makes an offer - Regardless of the match’s outcome, he'll let the kid win if the boy solves a riddle before the game ends. ‘There once lived a man in a big house which got Roach infested. Frustrated, he kills them all. But soon, he is on his deathbed. Why?’ It's all light-hearted for the pair until the kid figures the house is a metaphor for a kingdom. Conversation darkens as he unwinds the story, exposing events of genocide and discrimination of the king. The boy and the old man slowly figure how they are personally connected with the riddle.