Ali Parker, the son of the richest man in Mumbai, the heir of the Parker family and the prince in the hearts of many girls living in this city of dreams, which was the heart of India.
Anything that he needs in life and wants to get for himself, would be handed to him on a silver platter, and he wouldn't even need to mention it or ask for it.
His whole childhood, his whole life he had never suffered a loss and never felt the lack of power that many live their whole life through.
In his house dozens of servants and maids lined up for whole day and night to please him. When he left his home and went to school for his education, teachers would come and flatter him at every chance they got. Kids his age would run and surround him hoping to be his friends, making him the most popular kid and the center of attention for everyone.
Teachers didn't dare shout at him, bullies never dare go anywhere near him, and the girls never left him alone. One could say he lived the most perfect life - anyone could ever hope for.
Yet he himself always felt bored in his life.
Giving out orders, having people rushing to his call and back, felt powerful and good for a while. But it all became boring soon enough.
After all, he never had someone say no to him. Whatever unreasonable demands he put up, there'll be people in lines competing to fulfill it.
While kids his age were playing games and giving their all in everything. He would beat them with no efforts simply relying on his name.
There was a time when he left his exams with nothing but his name written on the answer sheet, and he still got the first rank. When he blindfolded himself and he still beat the champions of the school at their games.
After all, whoever dared to challenge him or make him sad for a moment, was disappeared and never to be seen again in this city.
"It's all so boring."
That was what kid Ali thought by the time he didn't even hit his puberty yet.
What fun could he get in life when he didn't face any challenges at all? What could he try and enjoy, that didn't make him feel like it was all so rigged and uninspiring?
Studying, he didn't like it one bit. After all, with the amount of money and power his family had, was it even necessary for him to work hard. He could lie down and eat and enjoy all his life. And he wouldn't make a dent in the vast resources his family had collected for their future generations.
They say when you're loved by everyone around you, you start to neglect them, and pay more attention to the one who doesn't.
Ali's life was a living proof of that fact.
Since the moment he was born he had been the brightest star of his family, who'd been loved by all. And that's why when in his life came someone who didn't love him, or acted like everyone else around him - all his attention turned to that one person.
Aarvi Andrews, the daughter of the Andrews family. Who had been friends and business partners of the Parker family for decades.
The first time Ali met her when they were both children, and her parents came to his house for some festival celebration. While the adults were talking with each other, his father told Ali to show Aarvi around and keep her company.
He could still remember the chubby girl wearing a pink frock jumping around happily in his room, going through all his toys.
Getting bored, they both started playing, and that game was first in his life that Ali actually lost. But he wasn't angry over the loss, or threw any drama or anything, he smiled genuinely and started arranging pieces to play again.
"What a loser!!" The little Aarvi said, as she put her hands on her waist and made a proud expression, while looking at Ali. "Come, I'll give you a handicap this time."
She said while looking down at him. That day they both played together various games for hours and Ali lost in all of them. Some of these games he had been playing for years and he didn't even know the rules of.
Like chess, he had been playing this board game with his servants and they always let him put his pieces wherever he wanted, and whatever move he made was the rule for that game.
It was only today that he learned so much stuff and found that he wasn't good, the others were just scared of him.
"The pawn can't become a king just because they reached the end of the game."
Aarvi said to Ali when he picked a separate piece of king from another box to replace his pawn.
From that day on she had become the most important and interesting person in his otherwise boring life.
The challenge he always asked for was her. The more she looked down on him, the more she defeated him in his games, studies and everywhere else, the more determined he became to win over her.
Maybe he never felt a challenge in his life and never felt what indifference was, even though he asked for it, it annoyed him a little. So he did everything to gain her approval, to get her to like him too.
And just like this, Ali's fixation on Aarvi began. Her indifference became his obsession, and he pursued her approval relentlessly. The more she resisted, the more determined he became to win her over, evolving from childhood stubbornness to adolescent passion, and eventually, deep-seated love.
Years passed as Ali followed Aarvi through the same schools, colleges, and workplace, hoping to earn her respect and affection. Yet, she remained elusive, resisting all his advances with a smile or a silent nod.
As online literature might phrase it, the more she refused, the more he "licked" her, metaphorically speaking.
June 7th, 2023 --- 16:30pm
"I really was a licking dog till the end, wasn't I, brother?" Ali said as he remembered about his best friend.
Despite lying on the ground covered in blood, a subtle smile came to Ali's face when he remembered about his buddy.
-thup thump-
Feeling the tremors on the ground, Ali turned his face sideways. Staring at the hordes of zombies coming towards his direction, attracted by the sound of the loud music and the smell of blood around him.
He tried to stand up with difficulties, hoping to get away from there. Yet the injuries he suffered previously didn't allow it.
A tear trickled down his bloody face when he found himself unable to handle the pain. Yet no one was there this time to comfort him, no lines of servants waiting for his orders, and no parents to fight for him, and ask for his troubles.
All those privileges were gone, just as his parents and servants likely were. And soon enough he'd join them on the other side too.
"But not before I kill that bastard." Ali sweared and stood up with difficulty, and started walking towards the building opposite to him.
-Sky Ultima-
The place where he used to work for years, where he licked his love for hours and then played around with his friends.
This place held so many happy memories for him, that even now when half of the building was destroyed and it had become empty and ruined, he could still feel the familiarity within him.
He looked upwards and at the window of the third floor, he could see a man and woman standing together looking in his direction.
'Aarvi Andrews & Kevin Wells.'
The bitch and the bastard responsible for everything.
"Just wait a little, brother. Once I kill that motherfucker, I'll join you in the afterlife."
Ali muttered under his breath, with bitterness in his heart. And with the knife he was holding tightly in his hand, he started walking forward.
As he moved forward, several zombies trailed behind him, their grotesque forms eager to deliver the final, fatal bite, the moment they closed in. But Ali didn't even look back and ignored their existence.
After all, he was already bitten and was just moving on a countdown.
One bite kills and two bites also kill, so what was left there to be scared of.
"A pawn may never become a king himself, but he can very well force the king into a corner and kill him."
Ali's rugged voice resonated through the desolation, as he looked at the silhouette of Aarvi standing behind a glass window
"Let's play our final game, my love," he declared. "And this time, I won't lose, so you can win."
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A/N - So this is my second novel. And I just want to appreciate you all for every bit of love and support you guys have shown in my first work. I really hope you'll come to like and enjoy this one as well.
As for other new readers, do check out my other book called - "Life of a Nobody - as a villain."
You can read the first 10 chapters of that book to get a better understanding of this story. As they're both linked from the beginning. And this book is the consequences of that book's first 10 chapters. In that book the mc shiva dies in ch10 and gets isekai'd in a new world. This story's mc is Ali, shiva's best friend - who vowed to kill shiva's killer as revenge… . And that's how this story starts.
Though you'll understand it even without it, but you might have to think or ask some doubts in some chapters. So just check it out, they're quite short chapters.
(Ohh also in the future there'll be a crossover events so you better think again before ignoring my first book.)