Chapter 28 Photo
12th, Shravana, 1965
Friday Morning, Ortson is commuting toward Alchemy Association on foot for work as always.
Ortson has started shaving his shaggy beard because now he has the daily necessities needed by any self-respecting man.
Here in this world, most men don't care about shaving their facial hair not because they are lazy but because they need to look tough.
Only aristocrats and people with high social position cares about keeping their visage neat and tidy.
Women keep their hair on their headlong because of aesthetics and their desire to look beautiful, men keep their hair long because they don't care about beautifying their image.
Men who work dangerous jobs like explorers like to keep their hairstyles short only Aristocratic men keep their hairstyles long because they want to look beautiful.
But Ortson has standards of the 22nd century, not keeping himself neat and tidy does not bode well with him, it goes against his code of aesthetics.
Well, there were exceptions like those who lived life like rock and punk or were from minor ethnic groups.
Even Ortson has a dark history of accepting the punk and Rockstar lifestyle in his teenage years but it was curbed by his esteemed father and mother in his previous life from them being neat and tidy style are ingrained in his soul.
Ortson reaches his office on time.
John, Daisy, Tia, Oswal, and Rose were also present, and seated on their respective desk they noticed Ortson.
Tia was touching up her makeup with the help of a small hand mirror.
John and Daisy were arguing with each other.
Oswal was trying to separate the two of them.
Rose was seated on a seat and reading a book.
Ortson walks near Rose's desk and greets her.
"Miss Rose good morning."
"Good morning Ortson, you look better with shaving."
Ortson holds his chin and replies.
"Thank you for noticing and here is the photograph I promised."
Ortson puts down a brown envelope on the top desk.
"May I?"
Ortson gives his affirmation.
"Of course."
Rose picks up the envelope and takes out the photographs from Inside.
John, Daisy and Co. surround the desk to see what is going on.
From inside the envelope many photographs depicting various sceneries and portraits fell out.
Among them there was also a photo of Rose which he had captured on the first day.
"Hey it's amazing."
Everyone was amazed by the life-like colourful photo spread on top of the desk.
Vendors honking and selling in market marketplace, children running on the road playing tag, pictures taken from the top of his apartment building, and the moment of the rising sun, there were many such photographs taken and developed by Ortson.
John, Daisy, and Tia start asking questions due to curiosity.
"Did you paint them Ort? You can paint so fine detailed painting it's amazing."
Daisy cuts him off.
"Idiot, it's not a painting there is no way it can be drawn by hand and so detailed."
Among them, there were even photos of Ortson's acquaintances.
Ortson singles out two photographs from the bunch and gives them to Rose.
"Miss Rose here is your photo."
"Is that our Rose? She looks beautiful."
Rose's photo with the red moon in the background gives her a mysterious atmosphere.
"The Miss. Rose as per promise, I had delivered your photograph to you. Can I keep the second copy of it?"
"Why, am I not in front of you everyday, that you want a low quality copy of me too."
Ortson almost blushed at Rose provocative words which can elicit embarrassment from men.
But Ortson can't say he knows women, one of the unresolved mysteries of the universe but he knows enough so that he won't embarrass himself.
"Of course not Miss Rose how can a camera capture your beauty and elegance on a piece of paper, it was just the first photo ever captured was yours Miss Rose."
Rose got a blooming smile on her face on hearing Ortson's answer.
"If that's the reason of course you can keep it, but don't give it to someone else."
"Of course, Miss Rose."
After that every one also asked Ortson to capture their Photo, and Ortson complied to their request.