But they saw it as a human frailty, an error that needed to be rectified. These robots! Damn efficient, but damn unimaginative creatures. And although some of them were equipped with biochips and had artificial intelligence installed into them, they still lacked what we humans possessed: feeling, imagination and desire.

 It had become my daily routine to pick a rose from my garden full of genetically engineered flowers and move around the city in search of my lady love. But even after a year of searching, I hadn’t been able to find one.

One day, while roaming around in the city, I came across an unusual species of rose. It had carmine-coloured petals on the outside, and inside, it was all bright yellow. It was a rare species nowhere to be found in the city. So I brought it back to my laboratory.

My android friend, Jelly, de-coded its genetic structure while I beaded up the amino acids according to its genetic code and joined them together in my laboratory to create its replica. Days later, the species was growing in my garden. Weeks later, my garden was filled with the vibrant colours of carmine and yellow.  

That morning, as I walked out of my garden with the rare flower in my hand, I felt that the city was much more crowded. Humans and androids were rushing towards their respective destinations. I too was in a rush to find my dream girl. My eyes were popping, pondering over each and every female figure I came across.

 No sooner had I started wandering, I saw a girl whose appearance made me fall for her immediately. Such a lovely lady. Her looks, her gait, they all spoke of true humanness. “No she must be human,” I thought. I felt chained by her. I started following her.

She swiftly walked into a café; I followed her inside it. She sat by the window, put her bag on the table, took out her mobile, and swiped it at the machine before sighing with relief. I took my seat two tables next to her.

One android waiter went towards her table and asked her what she needed. She was busy fiddling with her mobile. “No, I don’t need anything,” she said.

“Are you sure ma’m?” the robot again asked her politely.

 “Don’t you understand? I said no.”

The robot silently moved towards another table. I was watching each and every action of her attentively. Her every move, every utterance, seemed electric. I was hopelessly gravitating towards her.

Suddenly, a robot, the same one that had asked her earlier, came towards my table to take my order.  I asked for coffee and cake. It wrote it on its e-sheet and walked to the next table.

I could no longer praise her from the distance. I stood up and walked towards her, gently feeling the rose in my pocket. “Hello.”

She looked around as if she was searching for someone. I smiled and said hello again.

 “Hey,” she said.

Her voice stabbed my heart like a dagger. Sweat started rolling down my forehead. I felt as if I was going to faint. But then I regained my composure and mustered all the energy and power and asked her, “Shall I sit here with you?”

 “Yes, of course. Why not?” she spoke confidently.

Oh my God, that was it. The moment to act upon my dreams had finally come. I pulled the chair, and sat down next to her smiling innocently. We stayed silently unable to strike a conversation. I couldn’t remove my eyes off her while she busied herself with her mobile. I think she felt quite uncomfortable with the silence. So I asked her, “Why do you always play with your mobile?” “We are synced,” she said.

 I was surprised, but I thought it was her metaphor to explain how close she was with her device.

“Where are you from?” she asked inquisitively.

“The 5th Avenue,” I said.

It was after this that we started talking casually. And a few minutes later, we were chatting like old friends. Although she skirted my questions about her

family and love life, she readily answered things pertaining to her work and interests.

 I was surprised that she was interested in computer languages and programming. And whenever I asked her questions related to technology, she answered them joyously and involved herself in a healthy discussion.

But all that talk was just my way of making her stay a little longer. It must have been about an hour later when she suddenly got up from her seat and said, “I am getting late. I have to move.”

I was in no mood to let her go. And before she could reach for her bag on the table, I took out the rose that was in my pocket, gently kneeled down in front of her, and said, “I think I have found my love. My search is over now.”

She was astonished to hear this, but she smiled, took the rose and stood still. I waited for her reply. But she didn’t say  anything. She stood motionless. Her face had lost its expression. She wasn’t even blinking. She just stared at the rose.

My surprise was changing into fear. I felt helpless kneeling down in front of the statue. I went real close and looked deep into her eyes. There it was written, “BATTERY LOW, NEEDS TO BE RECHARGED IMMEDIATELY.”