Year: 1983
Location: Varanasi / Trinity Home Office
Nine-year-old Ashutosh Pathak sat in a room that looked less like a child's bedroom and more like a high-tech war room. Shelves that once held toys were now packed with international law journals, thick architectural binders, and sketchbooks filled with characters that the world wouldn't see for decades.
His physique had reached [Stage 2: Very Very Little Enhancement], giving him a height and stamina that made him look like a lean twelve-year-old. His eyes, however, remained his most striking feature—calm, deep, and unnervingly observant.
Across from him sat Vivek-mama, now a rising star in the legal world, though few knew his best "arguments" were whispered to him by his nephew.
"I've done it, Ashu," Vivek said, wiping sweat from his brow as he laid out a thick stack of papers. "The Global Intellectual Property filings. We've registered the 'Trilogy' trademark in 40 countries. And these... 'Core Frameworks' you gave me? The ones about the boy with the arrow on his head and the yellow sponge?"
Ashutosh nodded, his fingers tracing a drawing of Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender. "And the others? The 'Courtroom Talk Show' and the 'Millionaire Quiz'?"
"Registered as 'Concept Trademarks' and 'Format Rights'," Vivek said, still looking bewildered. "I don't know why you're hoarding these, Ashu. No one in India even has a color TV yet, let alone a cartoon channel."
"The color is coming, Mama. And when it does, the world will find that Trinity already owns the door," Ashutosh replied.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[Time-Skip Accumulation: 4 Years of Consistency]
[Skill Points Earned (Academic Excellence + Business Growth suggestions): 12,000 Points]
[Current Balance: 14,300 Skill Points]
'System,' Ashutosh thought, 'It's time to start. To make these shows better than the originals, I can't just copy them. I need to perfect them.'
'Unlock [Scriptwriting] and [Drawing/Illustration].'
[DING! Scriptwriting Lv 1 (0/500) Unlocked!]
[DING! Drawing Lv 1 (0/500) Unlocked!]
'Now, upgrade both to Level 4.'
[CALCULATING COST...]
Lv 1 to 2: 500
Lv 2 to 3: 1,000
Lv 3 to 4: 5,000
Total per skill: 6,500 pts x 2 = 13,000 Points.
[DING! Scriptwriting & Drawing are now Lv 4 (Expert-Beginner)!]
[REMAINING BALANCE: 1,100 Points.]
Immediately, a flood of structural knowledge hit Ashutosh. He didn't just remember Avatar: The Last Airbender; he suddenly understood the pacing of a 22-minute episode. He understood how to heighten the stakes of Zuko's redemption arc. In his drawings, his lines became fluid, professional, and full of life.
"Ashu? You've gone quiet again," Vivek said, checking on him.
"I'm fine, Mama. I was just thinking about the script for our first horror serial. We'll call it Aahat... or perhaps something even darker."
Just then, the door burst open. Ananya, now seven and a total firecracker, stormed in. "Ashu-bhaiya! Papa says the new color-film rolls from Bombay have arrived! And... and Auntie Padma is on the phone! She says Krushna is finally walking and won't stop dancing to the radio!"
Ashutosh's lips curved into a smile. Krushna Abhishek was a toddler now. The bridge to Bombay was strengthening.
"Tell Papa to keep the rolls in the cold room," Ashutosh instructed, standing up. "And tell Auntie Padma that I'm sending a gift for Krushna—a set of small ghungroos and a tape of the latest disco hits."
"You're weird, Bhaiya," Ananya huffed, but she ran off to relay the message.
Ashutosh turned back to his desk. He picked up a pen. With his Lv 4 Scriptwriting, he began to write the core framework for a show that would change Indian television: Aap Ki Adalat.
But he wasn't making it for a news anchor. He was designing it for his Nana, Janardhan Mishra.
'A retired Chief Justice of India as the judge of the nation's celebrities...' Ashutosh mused. 'The credibility will be untouchable. The ratings will be astronomical.'
He looked at his sketches of SpongeBob. He had changed the humor slightly, making it more surreal and witty to appeal to both kids and adults, ensuring it would be a "Global Sensation" that he owned entirely.
[NEW QUEST: THE BOMBAY VOYAGE]
Objective: Travel to Bombay to meet the Sharma family and scout a 'Young Hero' (Potential: SRK).
Reward: 5,000 Skill Points + [Item: First Cinema Studio Permit].
"Mama," Ashutosh said, looking at Vivek. "Pack your bags. We need to go to Bombay. It's time to show the film industry that the 'Trinity' isn't just a spice brand."
Vivek laughed. "You're nine, Ashu. You have school."
"I've already finished the Class 10 syllabus, Mama. I think I can handle a 'sick leave' for a week."