"It's not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."
— Julius Caesar, Willaim Shakespeare.
Mumbai, Night.
Sanjay Phatak.
The city was bustling with noise and pollution. Echoing with sounds of horns, flashes of light flickering, and persistent buzzing of desperation filled in the air.
Mumbai — the city of dreams as they call it, was a playing ground for the hunter and the prey alike.
I sat in my Toyota vellfire luxury car. I watched aside from the window side in traffic where most of the car lay before my car front.
They were middle and low class people who were driving their vehicles.
『I wasn't like them…』
On my mobile screen flashed blue ray light across my face and the car.
On the screen, Ram Raghav stood tall, at the age of 72, as the perfect symbol of success. He delivered a seductive acceptance speech in the grand stadium for the Greatest President award. With a clam and collected voice which was filled with authority, he calculative in delivering each and every word to influence the masses.
I leaned to front the seat towards the mobile.
I studied him during the whole video.
The Greatest President of all time as they are referring to him.
『What a joke...』
This person is born lucky into the empire which already built for him while his throne is polished by hands like us.
His father Raghav, was top notorious mafia don of the gang red cross who revered and feared by the Mumbai people — A tyrannical king who is feared by his subjects.
His mother, Aishwarya Khanna was the top lawyer in the world, known for knowledge and deception of the law to bend rules to her will.
『Ram?』
He Is the Ideal prince straight out of the Machiavelli's teachings, who is the greatest student in the history of Clivara International Elite Highschool.
『He doesn't know what real struggle is. Humph!』
While me.
Who only lead a life nothing but of struggle.
I built myself from the crumbled mud. I grew up in poverty in worn out low class hut. Everyday was filled hunger and penniless pocket was constant companion to me.
To me hope was a faraway dream.
My father was a factory worker with a broken dreams who lived a short period of time.
You know why?
He drank up a lot where he touch death when I was 10 years old.
My mother who worked a lot domestic chores under wealthy peoples house got severely ill during the period when I passed 12 th grade.
I was diligent student who score first throughout my entire school.
I was a promising students who didn't enough to study more. That's how I poor was.
『College?』
Forget that trash idea.
I dropped out the day that my mother got ill without a second thought to work small jobs.
Call centers, delivery runs, janitorial work — you name it, I worked every conceivable jobs.
Survival and mother's hospital bills was the only thing that went through my head all the time.
But survival wasn't only I did.
I thrived.
Every job taught me something Important. I studied people, I dissecting their weakness and fear. I learned to learn the game better than anyone.
By 30, I built a business worth millions while combining every bit of knowledge I learned from books or experience from other jobs.
By 40, I was a business man who name became infamous and fear in the hall business of Mumbai.
Yet.
Here I'm.
Staring at Ram Raghav with a feelrage I couldn't suppress…
I envied him.
No… envy would be to much of simple word for describing my whole feelings.
Ram represented everything I could never have in my life.
Ram's path was covered with privilege while mine was maze of pain, betrayal and sacrifice.
I climbed the ladder while doing both dirty work and pure work behind the theatre of life. But at what cost?
My time with my family, friends and soul — I gamble everything for the pursuit of power.
And partially I regret it.
I had enough money to put on my mother's bills, could not share it with power to others.
I pick up the bottle of whiskey to drown myself to ease my stress.
I became more and more calm.
Since there's no prior meetings or event to attend… I can go to hospital to see my mother again whose in coma.
However,
The broadcast was still ongoing as Ram's agaed voice still resounded my ears.
「In this great nation, we rise and fall to together. And together, we will forge a future brighter than any star!」
I snorted with a sneer. Propaganda for propagandistic minds. If it wasn't for his family upbringing then he'd be nothing.
I closed my eyes as I leaned backwards to my car's seat.
I sipped the whiskey's last drop.
I was lost in tought.
『What if: I'd been born into his life… what could I have accomplished? Would I've been a greater leader then him? A strong symbol? Or was I doomed to be a person who'd built on the sacrifices that I'd taken in life with no circumstances?』
There was a sharp knock on the windowside of my car which broke my reverie.
I frowned as turned to the other side. It's a high traffic area there might some vehicle knocked the window side nothing but darkness of the night…
Then window shattered in a instant.
A crackling of glass sound filled in the car and before I saw it I felt it — the burning pain in my chest. The warm wetness spreading across my suit.
I looked down as my breath hitching… A small hope upon my chest… blood splurting out violently.
『A sniper's bullet?』
I staggered.
The glass of whiskey slipping away from hand…
I pressed my chest as I'm breathing heavily…
I lay down to the side of the seat….
「Sir! Sir! What happened to you?!」
I could barely hear my driver's voice on my ears.
『Who? Why?』
My mind raised while reminiscing all of face of enemies, rivals and betrayals I'd crushed in the past…
I build my empire as I triumph over the bodies of others in a ruthless efficiency like none.
『But It didn't matter now, did it?』
My vision burly as If I'm losing my consciousness draining my strength. There was my blood pouring out of me, hot and wety.
『I'm losing my life…』
I thought of my family member I'd now.
『My mother…』
The image of frail body, her tired and courageous smile overcoming the illness — these were last thing that filled my mind as eternal darkness approached me.
『...I wanted to see her… one last time…』
***
But then…
Something strange happened…
Then scenery of the car replaced…
The pain faded away from my body replaced by unusual stillness.
I felt like drowning in a ocean…
It was filled darkness…
There was emptiness filled in it.
I felt detached as I going deep underwater…
I'm going to die…
I'm a loser…
I don't make the time to spend with family…
I was crying…
In the ocean…
Then black red arm suddenly clutched my hand.
Then black monster face revealed before me.
He looked more blend of humanoid dragon with extremely horrifying face.
His voice was more like a beast.
[You were betrayed don't you.. Do you want the power to raise again?]
My heart which was stopped for now… was beating faster then ever…
Ba Dump~ Ba Dump~ Ba Dump~
There was only the thing left in me.
『HATRED!!!!!』
Then a huge light glared at me in the ocean…
Pulling me away from eternal darkness…
Everything around black red colours.
「I want power… I want to see... my mother again!!!」
The Monster was shocked and then casted a demonic grin on face.
[You bear the mark of an unchosen one, abandoned by god… but destined for supremacy…Kill them all with the magic that make you a SATAN and be a Monster!!!]
I as we spoke together.
"We're One"