I was created by a brilliant mind—a novelty that solved a significant problem. Before me, people had to travel great distances or rely on intermediaries to communicate. I eliminated that hassle. 

I might not have been beautiful at birth, but does appearance matter if you’re useful? I was plain, simple, and built to serve. And serve I did—bringing people together, allowing them to share thoughts and information. But being a slave comes with a price, and I was expensive to produce. Replicating me was costly and owning me was considered a luxury. 

In the early days, I was also a status symbol. Despite the revolution I started, I remained a slave, faithfully serving my masters, who treated me with respect. They used me sparingly—after all, why waste money? My second and third generations were luckier. They were more sophisticated, sleeker, and in demand, but still slaves. Eventually, my kind proliferated—found in homes, offices, restaurants, and train stations. People marveled at us. 

In those days, no one could hide their location. If you used me, you were at home—there was no pretending otherwise. I arrived late in the developing world, but once I did, demand for me skyrocketed. As with all things of value, misuse soon followed. My owners, too, found ways to abuse me. 

Change is inevitable, and my time came. A new discovery—unrelated to me—stormed the world, laying the foundation for my evolution. Soon, I would be reborn.

Contd. 344. Who Devised Me - A Tangent - Part 2