The victory in the city market had changed the Pathak household, but at Ashutosh's silent insistence, life appeared to return to normal. To the neighbors in the narrow lanes of Varanasi, he was still just the "blessed child" who had recovered from a fever.
He didn't go to the factory anymore. Instead, he spent his afternoons in the sprawling courtyard, tucked between the knees of his Dadi, Kailashi Devi, as she sorted through dried chilies.
"Careful, Ashu," Dadi warned, her voice raspy but kind. "Don't touch your eyes after touching these. They have the fire of the sun in them."
"Dadi," Ashutosh said, looking up from his drawing book—which was actually filled with 1990s business structures. "Why does Nana always argue with Dada about the law? Isn't the law just a set of rules?"
From across the courtyard, Nani Gayatri, who was meticulously folding a silk saree, chuckled. "Your Nana thinks the law is a sword, Ashu. Your Dada thinks it's a nuisance that gets in the way of honest trade."
"And what does Vivek-mama think?" Ashutosh asked, shifting his gaze to his uncle, Vivek Mishra, who was slumped in a chair with a thick volume of 'Tort Law,' looking utterly exhausted.
Vivek groaned. "Vivek-mama thinks his brain is going to explode, Ashu. These books talk about things that happened in England a hundred years ago. How does this help me in Varanasi?"
Ashutosh closed his sketchbook. He saw his opportunity. He crawled over to Vivek and sat on the arm of his chair. Through the System, he saw Vivek's potential: [Potential: S-Rank Legal Strategist (Locked)].
"Mama," Ashutosh whispered, leaning in. "What if you didn't study the law to follow it? What if you studied it to protect things that don't exist yet?"
Vivek blinked, looking at his nephew. "Things that don't exist? Like what?"
"Like... an idea," Ashutosh said. "If I tell you a story today, and tomorrow you tell that same story and take money for it, you've stolen from me. But the law doesn't have a fence for stories, does it?"
Vivek sat up a little straighter. "You're talking about Copyright, Ashu. It exists, but it's weak in India. No one cares about 'ideas' here."
"They will," Ashutosh said, his eyes turning "Fiery" for a split second. "The world is going to change. Music, films, characters... they will be worth more than gold. Mama, if you become the only lawyer in India who knows how to protect an idea across the whole world—America, England, Japan—you won't just be a lawyer. You'll be the gatekeeper of the Trinity."
Vivek stared at the five-year-old. For a moment, he forgot he was talking to a child. The logic was so sharp, so futuristic, it made the dry text in his lap seem relevant for the first time.
"The gatekeeper..." Vivek muttered. "Where do you get these thoughts, Ashu?"
"I hear the adults talk, Mama," Ashutosh lied smoothly, jumping down from the chair. "And Nana's library has interesting books if you look at the pictures."
[DING! Sibling/Relative Grooming Initiated!]
[Vivek Mishra's 'IP Law' Interest: Awakened.]
[Reward: 200 Skill Points.]
A Short Time Skip: Six Months Later (Late 1979)
The "Red-Gold" packets were now a common sight in the higher-end stores of Varanasi and on the dining cars of the Northern Railways. Raghunath had handled the expansion well, guided by "innocent" suggestions Ashutosh made over breakfast.
Ashutosh himself was now a regular in Class 3. He had intentionally dialed back his "prodigy" act at school to avoid the local newspapers. He wanted to be a ghost—a shadow that directed the light.
One evening, Padma Sharma arrived for a visit, looking more radiant than usual. She sat with Savitri and Nani Gayatri in the inner hall.
"Savitri, I have news," Padma said, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and excitement. "I'm... I'm expecting. Atmaprakash and I are going to have a child."
Savitri let out a cry of joy, hugging her friend. Ashutosh, sitting nearby with a comic book, froze.
'It's happening,' he thought. 'The timeline is moving. Krushna is on the way.'
"That's wonderful, Padma!" Nani Gayatri said, already calling for sweets. "A new soul for the family."
"I want him to be like Ashu," Padma said, looking over at the boy. "I want him to have that spark. Atmaprakash says the family is already talking about the baby's future in the industry."
Ashutosh walked over and placed a hand on Padma's arm. "He will be very funny, Auntie. He will make the whole of India laugh. But make sure he learns to dance—it's in his blood."
Padma laughed, wiping a tear. "How do you know it's a 'he', Ashu?"
"A director always knows his lead actor, Auntie," Ashutosh said with a wink.
Later that night, Ashutosh sat on the roof of the Haveli, looking out over the Ganges. The river reflected the moon, a shimmering path of silver.
'System,' he thought. 'Status.'
[HOST: ASHUTOSH PATHAK]
[EMPIRE: TRINITY GROUP (Infancy Stage)]
[BALANCE: 2,300 Skill Points]
'It's time to start the 'Paper Trail',' Ashutosh decided. 'Before the baby is born, I need the global trademarks for 'Trilogy' and the 'Avatar' concepts. I can't do it myself. I need Vivek-mama to think it's his 'Grand Legal Theory'.'
He began to sketch out a map—not of Varanasi, but of a global media network. He knew he had to wait. He had to grow. But the seeds were being planted in the minds of everyone around him.
"Ashu!" his sister Ananya shouted from the stairs, her voice echoing. "Maa says come down! We're making laddoos because Auntie Padma is going to have a baby!"
"Coming, Choti!" Ashutosh called back.
He took one last look at the stars. 'Enjoy the quiet while it lasts, world. Trinity is coming.'