At midnight, when most of the people slept comfortably, a man was still sitting in front of his computer desk typing away his life. Even though he was just sitting and working on his computer, he was still somehow sweating profusely for some reason.
'Why is it so freaking hot today for some reason?' he asked himself, as he tried to wipe away the sweat that covered his forehead.
'Ahhhh sigh…. What has my life become? Where did I go wrong to end up in this situation? I was just looking for a job that paid well and was enjoyable, was that too much to ask for?' he asked himself as he leaned back on his chair. He started reminiscing about the times when he was happy and content with his life.
His name is Rudra, and he turned 28 years old this year. Unlike people his age, he was very different; he had no friends and no social life to speak of. His life after he started working just revolved around eat, sleep, and work.
'Why am I even working so hard for? I don't even have a family, I have no one I need to provide for, so why punish myself by working here?' Rudra pondered as he started seeing visions of his past, where he had a loving family and friends. As he saw the faces of his family who had passed away many years ago in a horrible plane crash, a few drops of tears fell from his eyes.
'How many more years do I need to work to pay off my loan? How many more years do I have to work in this hell?' Rudra pondered as he thought back to the time when he first joined his current company. Back then, he thought working this job would help him clear his family debt faster.
However, he was very wrong in thinking that, because not long after joining this company, Rudra finally saw the true colors of the company. Although from the outside it seemed like this job was just a normal 9-5 job, he knew the truth, as he had been working for a few years now. In a normal day, Rudra would have to work for around 16-17 hours a day, just to meet the deadlines. If he didn't meet the deadline on time, he would not be paid. Several times he tried to leave, but each time he ended up with a broken bone. Even though he has had his bones broken a lot of times, deep down he knows he was a lucky one, as many have even vanished to be never seen again.
' Sigh…..Sigh… oh how I wish I could go back in time; I would have only made myself not join this company.' Rudra thought back, as for some reason, he started breathing heavily. As Rudra started feeling suffocated, he tried to loosen his tie, but when he tried to lift his left arm, he felt sudden pain in his arm and chest area.
'Aughhhh.. what is happening?' With a loud bang, Rudra fell to the ground. While grasping for air, he extended his hand towards his phone that was on the desk he was working at. Alas, there was nothing he could do before he became unresponsive. Just like that, his suffering had come to an end even before he got to enjoy his life.
...............….
On a breezy morning, as the market of a slum was busy with many people, a boy was seen buying bags full of rations. He was haggling for price with every shopkeeper he visited. The boy, who didn't even look a day older than 12, had dark black eyes, black hair, pale skin; everything about his appearance was very ordinary. He was neither handsome nor was he ugly, but one thing was for certain about the boy that he looked and behaved way beyond his age.
'With this much ration, we should be good for another week. Sister Maria will have one less thing to worry about. Hopefully, I will start earning more soon, or else I wouldn't be able to help the orphanage in trouble.' Pondered the boy as he began exiting the market. The boy was Rudra.
Rudra, who had died back on earth from overworking, somehow found himself in an unfamiliar world. This world was very different from Earth; it was as if he were in a fantasy world. None of the common knowledge he had of Earth worked here when he compared it to this world.
'Has it been 4 years since I first regained all my memories and came to my senses?' thought Rudra when he remembered the past. Even though he was reborn here, he didn't have any of his memories of Earth until he turned 8.
After walking a few minutes, Rudra finally reached his destination. He was standing in front of the most beautiful place in the entire slum area. Above him was the entrance of the place, and there were words written on the entrance, although the language was unfamiliar to any language back on earth. Rudra didn't have any problem reading it as he had grown up learning this language.
"Saint Dolores Orphanage," muttered Rudra as he looked at the beautiful entrance of the place he called home in this unfamiliar world. He doesn't remember much of his childhood, but he knew that he was brought here from a war-torn region; he figured his parents must have been dead when he was just an infant. So, this is the only place he has that he could call home.
As Rudra made his way inside the entrance, he was greeted with the view of a huge garden filled with flowers and fruit trees. Many children were running around as they played together. Rudra was walking slowly, intentionally, as he wanted to look at the beautiful garden that he tended to every day. Rudra had always wished to have a garden that he could tend to every day back on earth; thankfully, that wish came true in this world.
"Oh, Rudra darling, you are back? What do you have in those bags? Don't tell me you wasted all your allowance you earned on rations. I have told you countless times that you should keep your allowance for yourself, and you should use that money for your needs. What will I do with you, my silly boy, sigh…" Sister Maria lovingly reprimanded Rudra as she looked at him with doting eyes.
Although Sister Maria was questioning his decision to spend all his money on rations, Rudra didn't say anything back. He knew what the condition of the orphanage was, as he had overheard something about funds. Two years earlier, when performing his duties, Rudra overheard a conversation between two sisters of the orphanage, who mentioned that the orphanage was going to receive fewer funds due to an ongoing war that the church was overseeing. This had given the orphanage a huge headache as they were already running low on funds. From then on, Rudra started working in the slums for money, and whatever he had earned, he would use it for the orphanage. This was his way of showing appreciation to the orphanage.