Aaron Smith

(COO, Hello Pvt. Ltd.)

In works of fiction, there are broadly two kinds of conversations that happen over the phone. One is when we hear both sides of a conversation and the other is when only one side of a conversation is revealed to us. Why? Why does it happen that we get to know only one side of a conversation? Is it only because writers want to create curiosity and build tension? Or there’s something wrong with the phone the characters use?

We spoke to Mr Smith, COO of Hello Pvt. Ltd.

Tell us a bit about Hello Pvt. Ltd.?

Hello is the largest and the only call-repair service provider in the world of fiction. We specialise in resolving phone-related queries but are open to offer help on queries related to letters, birds or any magical devices used for communication.

Is curiosity the only reason why sometimes readers get to know only one side of a conversation made over the phone?

No, I don’t think so. In all such scenes it is always our Customer Care Operator who is on the other side of the phone, explaining the consequences of keeping the phone dead for too long. You don’t want your readers to know that your character hasn’t paid his/her telephone bill, do you?

Writers should check their character’s phone bills before hiring them.

But how can you be so sure it’s you operator on the other side of the phone? Maybe it’s not. Maybe it’s the writer who doesn’t want to reveal any more than just the character’s expression in that particular scene.

One is free to think whatever one wants to. But do notice that such calls often surprise the character so much so that he/she cuts the call and rushes out of the scene. It’s the nearest Hello outlet they rush to in order to save themselves from paying the penalty.

Do you think writers of fiction are aware of this?

If they are not, then they should be. Writers should check their character’s phone bills before hiring them. I’m sure writers have a better way to build curiosity than to depend on their character’s inability of paying a telephone bill.

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If you want to know whether the characters in your work of fiction have paid their telephone bills, or want to confirm the telephone bill details submitted to you by your characters, then feel free to get in touch with Mr Smith at mykingdomofsmiles@gmail.com