In the ancient city of Varanasi, where time folds into silence and chaos walks hand-in-hand with devotion, a new fire was about to rise—not in the form of myth, but metal.
VARANASI, INDIA – YEAR 2032
The Ganges flowed steadily, its sacred waters shimmering in the early dawn. Priests chanted mantras on the ghats, and smoke from the incense swirled like ancient whispers. But not far from the chants and bells, another rhythm echoed—clang, buzz, spark.
Deep inside a worn-down warehouse at the city's edge, Aarav Sharma, a 29-year-old genius inventor, stood hunched over a metal torso glowing faintly blue at its core. His face was rough with sleepless nights, eyes gleaming with obsession, and fingers streaked with grease and burns.
He had no time for prayers.
Aarav was not a soldier. He was not a hero. Not yet.
But he had seen what war did.
Two years ago, his father, a decorated Army engineer, was killed in a border ambush while protecting a group of villagers. The government said "protocol failure." Aarav said injustice.
And injustice needed armor.
"Status report," Aarav murmured to SHAKT-I, his AI assistant built from scratch using salvaged DRDO drone circuits and a repurposed language model.
"Arc reactor output stable. Exoskeletal support at 87% functionality. Warning: Chest plate integrity below threshold."
He sighed. "We'll get there, buddy."
Every rupee, every drop of sweat, every risk—Aarav had poured it into this project: Project Vajra. A fully autonomous, flight-capable, energy-shielded combat suit that could give a single human the strength of a battalion. It wasn't just tech.
It was vengeance shaped into virtue.
That morning, the suit stood tall, seven feet of sleek dark steel with golden accents inspired by ancient Indian armor—kavach. Engraved into the shoulder: a trident and lotus, symbolizing strength and wisdom.
But before it could rise, destiny had a different plan.
BOOM!
The door of the warehouse exploded inward. Armed men in black stormed in—mercenaries with no flag, but purpose written in greed.
A voice echoed from behind the smoke. "Dr. Sharma, the world will pay billions for what you're hiding. Don't make this difficult."
Aarav didn't flinch. He stepped slowly toward the suit.
"I didn't build this for the world. I built it to protect it."
They opened fire.
And in that split second—he leapt into the armor.
The world outside had seen warriors with weapons.
But today, for the first time, it witnessed a weapon with a soul.
And the age of Bharat: The Iron Soul had begun.
[To Be Continued…]