Leader's Reaction
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Hindvarthya Parliament Building, Avimukta.
The Hindvarthya Parliament Building rose beside the MATRA skyscraper like an inverted pyramid carved out of authority itself.
Located in Avimukta, it was vast enough to host representatives from all one hundred and thirty-five nations of the world.
The topmost floor housed the Grand Hall, where Hindvarthya conducted world-level meetings. Just beneath it lay the parliamentary chamber, the arena of debates, laws, and political storms.
As one descended further, each level was occupied by different heads of bureaucracy.
The hierarchy was inverted in both shape and symbolism.
The lower one went, the more powerful the occupants became.
At the very bottom of the structure lay the most important floor of all—the Prime Minister's office.
After concluding his national address, Amitabh Gandhi entered the elevator, flanked closely by his personal bodyguards. The doors slid shut, sealing them in silence.
'Ching'
The lift reached the lowest level.
As the doors opened, Amitabh stepped out without hesitation. Not a single bodyguard followed him. They remained inside, motionless, as the doors closed again.
Waiting at the lift entrance stood a woman.
She appeared to be in her early thirties—around 179 centimeters tall—with black-bluish hair cascading neatly over her shoulders, dark blue eyes sharp with awareness, and a warm brown complexion that contrasted her crisp formal attire.
"Sir, everyone is waiting for you," Aradhana said the moment Amitabh emerged. "I tried to postpone the meeting, but they are insisting it happens today."
They began walking toward the Prime Minister's office, their pace measured but purposeful.
"It's alright, Aradhana," Amitabh replied with a small smile. "I'll handle it. Is my Virtual Capsule prepared?"
"Yes, sir. Everything is ready."
His expression hardened slightly. "What's the immediate response across the continent to my speech?"
"It varies," she answered. "Many are relieved that the lockdown has been fully lifted. But there's growing anxiety for those who are still in the Pariama stage." She continued, efficiently summarizing the global reaction.
"And the revelation about human evolution?" he asked.
"For most people, it's being interpreted as nothing more than improved health and physical fitness," Aradhana said. "However… certain old clans and mountain tribes are beginning to grasp its deeper implications."
Amitabh's lips curved into a faint, knowing smile.
"My dear P.A.," he said softly, "they're not beginning to understand…"
Aradhana glanced at him, puzzled. "What do you mean, sir?"
Before he could answer, they reached the office doors.
"We'll discuss this later," Amitabh said. "For now, manage things here. I need to meet them."
"Yes, sir."
Aradhana remained outside as the doors closed behind him.
The Prime Minister's office was striking in its simplicity. There were no extravagant decorations—just a wooden desk, a single chair behind it, and an atmosphere of quiet control.
An adjoining compartment served as his resting area, furnished with a sofa-cum-bed.
In one corner of that room rested a bed-sized Virtual Capsule.
Amitabh walked toward it, fitted the headset into place, and lay down. The capsule's lid sealed shut automatically.
Darkness enveloped him.
"Good evening, MATRA," he said, his voice echoing in the void.
"Good evening, Mr. Amitabh. How may I assist you?" a mechanical voice responded.
The darkness dissolved into light as a holographic female figure materialized before him. This was MATRA—the Mother AI.
They stood within a personalized virtual space, designed exclusively for the Prime Minister. (Gamers might have called it a lobby, but its purpose was far more serious.)
"My lovely fans are waiting," Amitabh said calmly. "Connect me to them."
"Connection established," MATRA replied. "Please inform me if you require further assistance."
Her voice faded as the environment transformed.
The space reshaped itself into a vast hall. At its center stood a circular obsidian table, surrounded by ten chairs. Amitabh appeared seated in one of them, his body rendered as a hologram.
Five of the remaining chairs were occupied by other holographic figures—world leaders, each projecting authority in their own way.
The other four chairs are empty.
Amitabh leaned back slightly.
"So," he said, his tone cold and sharp, nothing like the warmth he had shown Aradhana or MATRA, "for what reason have you all called this meeting so urgently?"
"We didn't appreciate what you said in your speech, Amitabh," replied Peter Pendragon, President of Ameriork, matching his seriousness.
"I agree," said Luna Maxwell, Prime Minister of Austran. "It was too early to reveal 'that' to the public."
Amitabh stared at them in silence for several seconds. Then his gaze moved across the other leaders.
"So," he said evenly, "do the rest of you agree with my decision?"
No one answered.
"I'll take your silence as agreement," he said, turning his attention back to Peter and Luna.
"First of all, Mr. Pendragon," Amitabh continued calmly, "what I choose to say or do in my nation is for me to decide. And Miss Maxwell—perhaps think twice before attempting to lecture someone on behalf of someone else."
The hall fell silent.
Luna Maxwell leaned forward, her holographic form flickering faintly as she prepared to speak.
"Mr. Amitabh, firstly, I am not speaking on anyone's behalf; secondly, you're underestimating the psychological impact of what you've done. People are already fragile. Hinting at another stage of evolution—without clarity—can destabilize entire regions."
Before she could finish, Amitabh raised a hand.
"Let me stop you right there," he said calmly, though the authority in his voice silenced the chamber. "Because this is precisely where you are wrong."
He leaned back in his chair, fingers interlocked, eyes moving from one leader to another.
"You believe fear comes from this knowledge," he continued. "It doesn't. Fear comes from sudden change without preparation."
Peter Pendragon scoffed. "Preparation? You told them something is coming without telling them what. That's not preparation, that's anxiety."
Amitabh's gaze snapped to him.
"No, Mr. President. That's conditioning."
The word hung heavy in the hall.
"For months," Amitabh went on, "people were locked inside their homes, watching their loved ones fall into an unexplained sleep. They endured uncertainty, silence, helplessness. And yet—they survived. More than survived. They adapted."
He gestured subtly, and the hall's ambient lighting dimmed, as if responding to his mood.
"If we reveal everything now," he said, "their fragile sense of normalcy shatters. If we reveal nothing, the moment the next change manifests, chaos follows. History has taught us this lesson repeatedly."
Luna's expression tightened. "So your solution is to drip-feed existential dread?"
"My solution," Amitabh replied evenly, "is to turn shock into expectation."
The other leaders exchanged glances.
"When the next phase begins," he continued, "people must feel recognition, not terror. They should think: So, we are entering the new phase. Not: The world is ending."
A brief silence followed.
Dimitri Slovoski, leader of Soversia, finally spoke, his voice cautious. "You're assuming the changes will be gradual."
Amitabh's lips curved into a faint, knowing smile.
"I'm assuming they won't be," he said. "That's precisely why this had to be said today."
Hong Zhuang, emperor of Huaxia, speaks, "I am with Hindvarthya's side for this. We need to prepare; our people need to prepare for everything that we have to face."
Luna frowned. "And what about them? The tribes, the old clans? You know they interpret this differently."
"Yes," Amitabh replied without hesitation. "Because they remember what the rest of humanity forgot."
He leaned forward now, his tone dropping. Giving Samia Sirleaf (Queen of Afropia) a side glance.
"They don't hear 'evolution' and think of laboratories or fitness metrics. They hear awakening. And whether we like it or not, they will act accordingly."
Peter's voice hardened. "Then you've just handed them a narrative."
"No," Amitabh corrected. "I acknowledged one they already had."
Samia's voice came next, "And I can assure you that tribes will come forward when it will be needed."
Hall again fell silent. Longer this time.
Finally, Amitabh straightened, his expression returning to diplomatic neutrality.
"I advise you all to start preparing," he said. "I have taken the first step. Hindvarthya has been given a hint, and I will keep doing it."
His eyes flicked, almost imperceptibly, to the four empty chairs.
"And you all clearly understand what's coming," he added, "we don't have much time."
No one argued.
Because somewhere beneath their objections, each of them knew one thing with chilling clarity:
The Prime Minister of Hindvarthya hadn't accelerated the future.
He had simply stopped pretending it could be delayed.
"Well, since we are all here, why not share how our 'to be Veeras' training is going?" Amitabh asks.
A.N. - So hello readers, in this chapter some hints are given about what is to come, and the next chapter is going to be the important one. Leave your thoughts in the comments.
And one more thing, my semester exams are coming, so the frequency of the chapters will be less for the next two weeks.
the title means, 'Leader's Reaction'.