"Hurray! Congratulations, Chhotte — you've completed five kilometers. You are awarded +20 KP," J.A.D.E. announced teasingly.
Aarav barely heard it. His vision blurred; his lungs burned. The moment the words reached his ears, his legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground — too tired even to breathe properly.
==============================
KP : 10 -> 30
life span: 1 D
[100KP = 1Day]
==============================
"Pathetic," J.A.D.E. laughed lightly. "Your body's volatile, your muscles barely awake. Two hours for five kilometers — and you call that running? You were crawling."
"Ha… shut up," Aarav muttered between gasps.
After a few minutes of rest, he forced himself to stand. The sun was already dipping low, staining the pavement in gold and shadow. "Let's go home," he whispered, exhausted.
....
When he reached the gates of his mansion, he saw Ramu Dadu in the garden, instructing a few workers with his usual precision. Aarav didn't interrupt — just offered a tired smile and went straight inside.
He collapsed onto the bed. His hands trembled. His legs ached. His body shivered uncontrollably. Muscle fatigue, he thought. I'm just out of shape.
Aarav wanted time to think about his next actions, regarding the offers Prakash uncle gave him.
But then came the pain — deep, clawing pain in his stomach and a strange restlessness in his head, like a storm he couldn't stop. His heartbeat raced. His mind screamed for something he couldn't name.
"Relax, Aarav," J.A.D.E. said suddenly, her voice firmer than usual. "Don't panic. Breathe. Inhale slowly… exhale, control your heart rate."
"What's happening to me?" Aarav rasped.
"Withdrawal Symptoms," she said.
"What?" Aarav didn't understand the issue yet.
"These are withdrawal symptoms. Your body didn't consume alcohol and drugs today. Your body's rebelling — it's been dependent, and now it's fighting back."
Aarav's eyes widened. "But I— I wasn't addicted. And its me not him now, so why?"
"Costly habits aren't erased with a single choice," J.A.D.E. said gently. "Addiction begins with indulgence and ends with chains. But I know you — you rose from the streets of slums to a Assistant manager's chair. That willpower hasn't left you. You can endure this."
The pain worsened. His body screamed for escape. His thoughts spiraled — rage, regret, shame, flashes of laughter that turned to echoes of loss.
"Why is this happening?" he gasped.
"It will pass," J.A.D.E. replied softly. "Cool your body. Shower. Meditate. The only cure now is calm."
He dragged himself to the bathroom, barely steady. The cold marble floor stung his feet. He turned the tap, filling the bathtub with water, and slipped in as the level rose, embracing the chill. His body shivered violently.
The pain inside his head pulsed. His thoughts turned dark — What if I just stop fighting? What if I let it all go?
But beneath the chaos, a spark remained — that same stubborn spark that had once lifted him from the gutter to dignity.
No, he thought. Not again.
A sudden banging at the door jolted him.
"Aarav baba!" Ramu Dadu's voice boomed, half-scolding, half-worried. "You've been in there too long! Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Dadu," Aarav replied weakly.
"Do you need anything specific for dinner?"
"Just… a glass of milk," he said after a pause. "No hard stuff. Please. And tell everyone not to disturb me."
Ramu Dadu hesitated, then softened. "All right, baba. I'll make arrangements now."
For some more time, which felt like eternity, Aarnav stayed locked up in the bathroom.
Finally, as Aarav calmed down and felt that his energy was drained, he forced himself out of the tub, wrapped a towel around his waist, and stumbled back to bed. The tremors had eased slightly. He drank the milk Ramu Dadu left — three full glasses. Then he lay down and closed his eyes.
"Sleep," J.A.D.E. whispered. "Tonight will be long. You'll need strength for the war inside."
Aarav mumbled something indistinct, already fading into unconsciousness.
His dreams twisted into nightmares — flashes of his past, warped and broken. Laughter turned to screams. Faces he loved distorted into mockery. Every joy was rewritten into pain.
J.A.D.E. didn't speak. She simply watched, silently praying to whatever code or spirit she possessed that he would wake — and fight again.
....
When dawn came, the light struck Aarav's face like mercy itself.
He stirred, drenched in sweat but breathing steadily.
"Morning, Chhotte," J.A.D.E. said softly. "You survived one night."
He smiled faintly. "One down… a lifetime to go."
Then, quieter, to himself, "I didn't know change could hurt this much. Even when you want it… shedding your old skin still burns."
He rose slowly, body aching but spirit steady, slipped on his sneakers, and stepped outside. The early Mumbai air was cool and soft, the sky streaked with pale blue.
"Another run?" J.A.D.E. asked.
"Yeah," he said, determination flickering behind tired eyes. "Pain means I'm still alive."
And so he stepped out, toward the nearby park, to face another day's trial.
....
It was nearing mid-morning when the household fell into quiet panic.
At the mansion's entrance, Ramu Dadu stood surrounded by anxious staff.
He had gone to Aarav's room at eight to wake him, only to find the bed empty. The car was still in the garage, no note, no sign of movement. And this was Aarav Rao—they all knew he hated walking even ten steps outside without a car.
Worry creased the old man's forehead. "Where could he have gone at this hour?" he muttered.
Just as unease began spreading, a tired figure appeared at the gate—sweat-soaked, trembling, but upright. Aarav struggled to open the latch when the watchmen rushed forward, relief flooding their faces. Their search duty was over.
"Sir!" one called, helping him through. Aarav simply nodded, breathless.
Ramu Dadu hurried forward, a hundred questions dying on his tongue the moment he saw the boy's exhausted face. He waved off the servants.
"Everyone, back to work. Prepare breakfast."
Aarav went straight to his room, silent. After a quick shower, the sound of running water faded, and moments later he emerged, his expression calmer—until he saw Ramu Dadu.
Ramu Dadu sat quietly near the table, the breakfast tray untouched. His eyes followed Aarav as he stepped out of the bathroom, towel slung over his shoulder, hair still dripping.
"Will you answer my questions first," the old man said softly, "or should I wait till you've eaten?"
Aarav froze mid-step. That voice — calm, tired, filled with affection and worry all at once — hit him harder than any scolding could. He sighed, tossed the towel onto the bed, and turned to face him.
"I know what you're thinking, Dadu," Aarav began, his tone low. "That I went missing again… that I'm back to my old habits. But this time… it's not that."
Ramu Dadu didn't interrupt. He just stared at him, eyes searching, hands trembling slightly on his knees.
"I want to change," Aarav continued. "I am changing. The boy who wasted nights in clubs, who threw away money like it meant nothing — he's gone. I know I've hurt everyone, maybe even made you regret raising me like your own. But I don't want to be that shame anymore."
He stepped closer, voice cracking a little. "After everything that happened… after losing them… I realized I have nothing left except this name — our name. And I can't keep running from it. I want to make it mean something again. For them… and for you."
Ramu Dadu's lips quivered. "You stopped taking that... drugs?" he asked quietly, as though afraid of the answer.
Aarav nodded. "I did. I won't touch that poison again. Not after what it almost turned me into."
The old man's eyes welled up instantly. He rose slowly, the weight of years in his movement, and reached out with trembling hands to cup Aarav's face.
"Chhote…" his voice broke, He wanted to say more, but words didn't come out at all.
Aarav's throat tightened. He didn't know when his own tears began to fall.
"Dadu…" he whispered.
Ramu Dadu pulled him into a fierce embrace, the kind only a father figure could give — full of worry, love, and silent forgiveness.
"Just don't stop now. Keep walking this path, and maybe one day, your parents will smile again."
When he finally let go, his face was streaked with tears. He turned abruptly toward the door, muttering, "Breakfast's getting cold," and left before Aarav could see the full storm in his eyes.
Aarav stood there, motionless. Then, wiping his face, he murmured to J.A.D.E.,"Let's eat quick and head to the Study."
"Now that's the spirit, Chhotte," J.A.D.E. said softly.
================================================================================================================================================================================================
KP : 30 -> 80
life span: 3H
[100KP = 1Day]
==============================
DAILY MISSIONS
==============================
Failure to complete within time reduces -0.5 Life Day
"A sound mind demands a stronger vessel" (3/3)
• Run 5 KM +20 KP
• 100 Pushups +20 KP
• 100 Squats +10 KP
"Knowledge sharpens justice as a blade sharpens truth." (0/3)
• Review one case of injustice today +20 KP
• Study one page of Law Acts / Statutes +10 KP
• Write any legal or social ethics article +20 KP
==============================