We had all been sitting inside the cave for an hour or so. We talked about each of our

ideas and about what we want life to be like individually. Jeter, the poet. Nin, the

writer and the artist. Harris, the doctor. And myself.

'The funny part is, I thought I wouldn't like medicine. Tried real hard to obfuscate my

understanding but just couldn't exhaust my mental stamina, 'Harris said while playing

with his stethoscope, 'I am actually happy doing what I was born with - for me it's

important to be the half the great doctor abu is'.

'So you're a true eliteratti', I observed, 'you're happy the way you've been born.'

'Look, it's supremacy through birth that I don't agree with. To be in love with what

you do, or feel a sense of purpose through your craft is what I advocate. Feel free to

be the greatest in it, 'he replied coolly.

'Harris is a fine example of a hard working brown,' Nin added cheekily. She chucked

her hand on his back and gave him her finest Harley Quinn smirk ever.

'Well, along with being supremely charismatic, Pakistanis are devoted, hard working

people. Our reputation shines throughout the subcontinent, and now in Silverns, 'he

remarked casually, with his nose up in the air for dramatic effect.

'Oh yeah, completely,' Jeter propped his arm around Harris, 'so totally true.'

Harris gave his friend 'the look' with narrow eyes and a one sided smile.

'Why can't your parents be pleased with the way you are?' I persisted.

Of course I wouldn't let it go because there were so many unanswered questions.

'Why is it so hard to let them know that biology can't stop you,' I continued, 'and to

think you are from the eliteratti and yet so powerless ... what of the poor

miscellaneous who you have ostracised for no reason at all?’

It felt like I had really struck some chord because immediately that light mood

transformed into something dark.

‘It will create an open war,’ Jeter spoke finally with furrowed brows, ‘you can’t go

against the system. It’s in isolation.’

‘Yeah, how do I expect change in the system when the eliteratti themselves are in a

hideaway.’

It was really hard not to be cynical what with all the notions of fighting for change,

or the strong using their influence to campaign for the greater good that everyone

knows as a generality. But of its application? Well, that’s as sketchy as hope itself.

‘You know, I understand your concerns about change because we ourselves can’t

stand our parents’ regime. We founded this cave club two years ago – and tomorrow

marks its anniversary – in revolt. That in itself is a movement – when the next

generation is unwilling to see the ways of its forefathers, the ways of the past,’ Nin

answered back in perhaps the most sombre tone I had ever heard from her.

‘We come here,’ she continued, ‘to find our strengths, expand and increase our

refusal to be coloured grey. Once we’ve done that, our next step is to demolish the

barrier separating the eliteratti from the miscellaneous. So don’t think we aren’t

thinking about revolution.’

It was certainly enlivening watching some sense of purpose emerge from all this. It

was cool watching them leave their comfortable lifestyles with disrespect towards

what the eliteratti stand for, but not ingratitude for what hard work brought them.

‘So…why a cave?’ I asked next, trying to inculcate a lighter tone as Nin really shut

it down. ‘Is it because no one in their right minds would ever picture the eliteratti

here?’

‘Well, kinda,’ Harris spoke while adjusting his long lab coat, which was really just

his stretched skin. ‘Jeter thought it would be poetic since we have such radical

progressive thoughts and yet ironically we discuss them in a prehistoric shroud

because it’s like a cocoon for our butterfly effect to happen and catalyse our evolution

or some really advanced philosophical shizz like that.’

‘Man, you really do suit literature,’ I added to some relaxed laughter.

Suddenly Jeter’s watch started beeping and flickering a blue light.

‘C’mon guys, time to move. Our parents are back.’

‘Right then,’ Nin got up from her stump and started rummaging through her things in

her backpack, until she finally took out a flashlight, ‘let’s get back to the real middle

ages.’