The year 1983 wasn't just about business for Ashutosh; it was about preventing the tragedies he remembered from the future. In the original timeline, Padma Sharma—Govinda's beloved sister—would have faced a tragic end in 1984 due to complications with cancer, leaving her children, including a newborn Krushna, behind.
Ashutosh couldn't let that happen. Using the "Full Body Checkup" as a cover, he had insisted on the family and their closest friends undergoing rigorous screening in Delhi.
[FLASHBACK: Six Months Ago]
The hallway of the private clinic was deathly silent. Atmaprakash Sharma sat with his head in his hands, while a young Govinda—not yet the superstar the world knew—paced the floor like a caged tiger.
"The biopsy is positive," the doctor had said, looking at Ashutosh with a mixture of confusion and awe. "It's a miracle we caught it at this stage. It's nearly undetectable, but it is malignant."
Govinda had stopped mid-stride, his face turning pale. "My sister... Padma... she's going to be okay, right?"
"In India, the precision for this specific surgery isn't quite there yet," the doctor admitted. "London is her best chance."
Raghunath Pathak didn't hesitate. He looked at his son, Ashutosh, who gave a sharp, determined nod. "We have the Trinity reserves, Papa," Ashutosh whispered. "Use the Railway contract dividends. Send her immediately."
[PRESENT DAY: 1983 - BOMBAY]
Padma had returned from London a month ago, thin but healthy, her life saved by a surgery that wouldn't have been possible even a year later. Because of this, the bond between the Pathaks and the Sharmas had shifted. It wasn't just friendship anymore; Ashutosh was now the boy who had saved the heart of their family.
As the Ambassador car pulled up to the Sharma bungalow in Juhu, a young man practically leaped toward the door. It was Govinda. At 19, he was lean, brimming with energy, and his eyes were bright with a mixture of relief and ambition.
"Ashu!" Govinda shouted, picking up the nine-year-old and swinging him around. "My sister is alive because of you. From today, you aren't my nephew—you're my boss! Tell me to jump, and I'll ask how high!"
"I don't need you to jump, Govinda-bhaiya," Ashutosh said, adjusting his collar with a small smile as he was set down.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[Hidden Quest Completed: SAVE PADMA SHARMA]
[REWARD: 5,000 Skill Points]
[CURRENT BALANCE: 6,100 Skill Points]
"Come inside," Atmaprakash said, leading the group onto the veranda. "We have a guest staying in the quarters. A theatre actor from Delhi. He's been helping Govind with his expressions."
"Shah Rukh?" Ashutosh asked, his Business Negotiation (Lv 2) ears catching the name he had been waiting for.
"Yes, that's the one. Persistent fellow. Intense eyes," Atmaprakash laughed.
They walked onto the veranda, where a lanky, slightly awkward teenager with a thick mop of hair was sitting on the steps, reading a script. When he saw the group, he stood up politely, his gaze landing on Ashutosh.
[TARGET: SHAH RUKH KHAN (Age 18)]
[POTENTIAL: SSS-RANK (THE KING OF ROMANCE)]
[STATUS: HUNGRY / UNKNOWN]
Ashutosh locked eyes with the future 'King Khan.' In this timeline, the King wasn't going to struggle for years in bit roles. Trinity was going to build his throne from day one.
"Govinda-bhaiya," Ashutosh said, turning to the future 'Hero No. 1'. "Get your shoes on. And you—Shah Rukh, is it? Put down that script. I want to see what the two of you can do when a director actually gives you a vision."
The elders laughed, thinking it was a child's game, but Govinda and Shah Rukh saw something in Ashutosh's eyes—a "Fiery" authority that didn't belong to a nine-year-old.
"Whatever the boss says!" Govinda grinned, ready to perform.
Ashutosh opened his sketchbook, revealing the Lv 4 Drawing of a man standing on a bridge in Europe. 'Let's see if I can spark the magic of DDLJ a decade early,' he thought.