When Vikram woke up, he found himself in a gentle embrace with Aisha. She had a short, curly brown hair framing her face, and a contented smile playing on her cherry-like lips, as if she was immersed in a delightful dream. Vikram couldn't help but marvel at the scene, deciding that it was okay to savor this lazy moment and appreciate the warmth of the bond they shared. The soft glow of dawn added a touch of serenity to the room, creating a tranquil atmosphere.
Vikram playfully decided to wake Aisha up with a tease, "Good morning, darling~" Aisha, still half-asleep, trembled at the sound of his voice, trying to comprehend what was happening. Vikram continued by stroking her cheek, taunting, "Are you gonna keep holding me till noon, darling~?" Aisha, now more awake, felt a mix of confusion and embarrassment, her mind struggling to process the situation.
Vikram, in a teasing manner, extended the invitation for more cuddles, mimicking their earlier embrace. Aisha, catching up to the situation, kicked him in response, her face flushing with embarrassment. "You scum! How dare you take advantage of me?" she exclaimed, a mixture of anger and embarrassment evident in her voice.
Vikram, finding amusement in the situation, laughed as he endured her playful hits. Aisha, fueled by both frustration and embarrassment, started hitting him with a bit more strength. Amidst the teasing, something deep within Aisha began to unlock, a subtle shift in her emotions.
Refuting her accusation, Vikram argued that she was the one taking advantage by hugging him. This declaration hit a nerve, and blue veins began to pop on Aisha's forehead. She glared at Vikram, her expression transforming into one of sheer disdain, as if he were no better than garbage in that moment.
Vikram's mother, Meera, heard the bricking of their children as she shouted at them to keep quiet and come out of their room and have breakfast. Aisha got out of her room, not even looking at Vikram. He looked at her, who was mad decided not to tease her.
Over the morning chai, Vikram and Meera engaged in a gentle exchange of stories around the neighbor, his mother was the one who talking while he was just humming The conversation carried a comforting cadence, a symphony of voices that resonated through the walls of their home.
After having a shower, Vikram decided to head out to the internet cafe to look for information about this world, as it seemed to have no changes. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had reincarnated into his old world.
...
When he arrived at the cafe, the absence of the Tekken arcade machine, a game he had enjoyed in the past, puzzled him. Vikram noticed many kids and students lining up for Donkey Kong and Mario games, but the Tekken arcade machine, a favorite of his, was nowhere to be found. Perplexed, he decided to ask the boss sitting near the cashier about the missing game. "Boss, why is there not any Tekken arcade machine?" The boss looked at him weirdly and replied, "Tekken arcade game? What is that? We have Mario and Donkey Kong arcade machines here." Perplexed by this response, Vikram decided to use a computer for two hours, paying the required 200 rupees. Seated in front of the computer, he began his search for information. Aware that Tekken had gained popularity by 1998 in India, as he explored the history of Bandai Namco Entertainment, the producer of the game.
However, his search led him to shocking revelations. While Bandai Namco Entertainment had produced iconic games like Pac-Man, Gundam, and Dragon Ball, after the release of Dragon Ball, the company seemed to struggle in creating successful games. Vikram tried to unearth the reasons behind this decline but found no conclusive answers.
Increasingly perplexed, Vikram hastily went to the counter, pulled out a 500 rupee note, and insisted on adding extra time for his computer usage. The boss scrutinized the note in sunlight to ensure its authenticity before nodding in agreement.
Returning to his desk, Vikram redirected his search towards classic and massively successful games. However, his quest proved futile as he couldn't find information on games like GTA, Doom, Final Fantasy VII, Street Fighter II, SimCity 2000, Monkey Island 2, and Sonic the Hedgehog.
To his surprise, games like Final Fight, Adventure, Donkey Kong, and Space Invaders, released before 1990, not only got released but also achieved massive success. The baffling absence of information about more recent classics deepened Vikram's confusion.
Frustrated by the lack of answers, Vikram began to entertain the idea that perhaps he had entered a parallel world. Lost in thought, he contemplated how he could amass more money to purchase a laptop. Disliking the idea of taking out an loan mostly the interest rate is not the best, he pondered alternative ways to acquire funds, scanning his surroundings for inspiration.
To his surprise, he noticed a skinny guy sitting nearby, engrossed in browsing the web while listening to music on a discman. An idea struck Vikram selling MP3 players. Given the increasing popularity of MP3 players among students and universities in his previous world, he saw a potential business opportunity. Eager to explore this avenue, he decided to look up contacts for MP3 player sellers on the internet.
However, to his bewilderment, the search yielded no results. It seemed like MP3 players did not exist in this world. Undeterred, Vikram delved deeper into his investigation, even visiting the website of SaeHan Information Systems, a prominent MP3 player manufacturer, only to find no information about MP3 products. The notion that MP3 players didn't exist in this world left him puzzled and intrigued.
Author's Note:
Dear readers, your support and engagement mean the world to me. As we dive deeper into Vikram's journey, I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas for the upcoming chapters. Your creativity and input can add exciting twists and turns to the narrative. Don't hesitate to share your suggestions, and let's make this story even more captivating together! Thank you for being a part of this adventure. 📖💡
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