The reality of his return weighed heavily on Ankit's mind. He knew he couldn't speak of this bizarre turn of events—no one would believe him, and worse, they might think he was losing his grip on reality. So, he settled into his morning routine, rousing his sleepy younger sister with gentle persistence, before joining his mother and father for breakfast. At twelve years old, he might have been expected at school, but today was Sunday—a small mercy amidst the chaos in his thoughts.
Sitting alone in his bedroom after breakfast, Ankit tried to come to terms with what had happened. The facts were unavoidable: he was ten years in the past, young again, in a world before smartphones and smooth connections. He considered his options, and as much as money was tempting, his first thought was always Free Fire—the game that had defined him. The story's narrator appears here, noting that earning money by playing and uploading Free Fire gameplay to YouTube could be the key.
Yet Ankit faced a practical problem. In 2017, his middle-class family didn't own a smartphone suited for Free Fire. His father's device was guarded, and his mother's phone was a basic keypad model. Even when he borrowed his father's phone, it was only for short periods—hardly enough for gaming, let alone recording and uploading YouTube content. His savings, a mere 900 rupees, wouldn't buy a new mobile, and purchasing one required his parents' permission.
With two choices before him—convince his parents to buy him a phone, or reveal the truth of his return—Ankit quickly dismissed the second, knowing how ridiculous it would sound. The first option, he joked, might earn him a comfortable hospital bed.
Determined, Ankit launched his plan. Catching his parents together in the kitchen, he confessed, "Dad, I don't want to go to school anymore. I want to stay home, play games, and upload videos on YouTube."
His father brushed him off, suspecting another childish ploy for attention, but Ankit pushed further. "I came from the future this morning. I need a phone for something important."His father began leaving until Ankit made a risky move: "Dad, if you don't want me to reveal your secret in front of mom, you have to give me a phone." That got his father's attention. After a moment's reflection, he replied, "Let's hear it, my boy."
Ankit revealed knowledge only the future could hold, referencing a secret his father shared with his mother on his deathbed. His parents froze, disbelief warring with fear. "Do you want a beating, Ankit?" his mother warned, but his father studied him carefully and asked for more.
Looking them both in the eyes, Ankit said, "You're going to die in 2021, Dad, and you said this to Mom the day you passed." A minute of silence followed before his father finally admitted, "I guess he is telling the truth." Shaken but curious, his parents listened, as Ankit's remarkable story began to reshape their sense of reality.
His mother, skeptical, challenged Ankit further—if he could reveal one of her secrets, perhaps she would believe. Cautiously, Ankit delivered, and the family sat together, their world quietly transformed. His father tried to change the subject, but Ankit knew this was just the beginning. They would soon hear what he needed from them—and face the possibilities of a new future together.