India's capital — Delhi. A city where theft, assault, rape, and kidnappings had become part of the daily news. People had learned to live in fear...
But then, amidst that darkness, a ray of light appeared.
A superhero was born.
This man could fly through the air and possessed strength far beyond that of any ordinary human. Whenever a robbery occurred, he'd appear at the scene like lightning. Whenever a woman was in danger, he'd be there before she could scream. Wherever children were in trouble, their hero would already be standing beside them.
People worshipped him like a god. Children idolized him. And women? They were smitten.
His name—Super Ayaan.
Once just an ordinary man working at the Trinity Foundation, he had become nothing less than an angel in the eyes of the world. Always ready. Always there. Always protecting. News channels across the globe aired his interviews. Comic books were written in his name. Children in schools dreamt of becoming like him.
Now 30 years old, Super Ayaan was the epitome of strength—tall, powerful, and awe-inspiring.
He wore a bold red costume, with a shimmering cape flowing behind him. Standing nearly 6 feet 8 inches tall, his long windswept hair only added to his charm.
To the world, he was a guardian. A celestial being. A hero from dreams made real.
He was living a picture-perfect life. His sister, Anya, had become a successful doctor, now serving as the head of a major hospital.
And Ayaan? He was the hero of a perfect family.
A proud husband. Father to two beautiful children—a boy and a girl and married to a smiling, graceful woman named Priyanshi.
They lived on the top floor of the tallest glass tower in the city—high above the chaos he had once fought to protect.
That day, Ayaan soared through the sky and gently landed on the balcony of his home.
"Papa!"
"Papa's home!!"
Both kids came running and leapt into his arms. Ayaan smiled warmly and, without a word, lifted them onto his shoulders.
His smile—pure, radiant—was the very image of a dream come true.
Just then, Priyanshi emerged from inside. She was wearing a soft apron, her hair tied up in a messy bun, yet her eyes sparkled with the unmistakable light of a loving wife.
She wrapped her arms around Ayaan. "Welcome home," she said with affection.
Ayaan brushed a lock of her hair gently. "Wow… you're looking even more beautiful than usual today," he teased.
"Oh please, it's just a new hairstyle—didn't even bother with makeup," Priyanshi replied, blushing.
That's when their younger daughter, Anjali, jumped in. "Papa, papa! Did you know? Yesterday bhaiya got a zero on his test, so mummy smacked his butt!"
"Heh? Really?" Ayaan turned to look at Surya, who now looked slightly embarrassed.
"No papa! Not zero—I got five marks! She's lying!" Surya quickly defended himself.
"Son… five isn't exactly a huge improvement either. Why are you slacking in your studies lately?" Ayaan asked.
"It's not my fault! The teacher has a personal grudge against me!" Surya answered flatly.
"Well, if you keep skipping class, of course the teacher will be angry," Priyanshi chimed in, her tone strict.
Ayaan rested his hand on Surya's shoulder. "Listen, beta—if you want to become a superhero like me, then never skip your classes."
"But papa… what does studying have to do with being a superhero?"
"Haha! You can't become anything—not even a superhero—without studying. Always remember that."
Surya pouted at that.
"Okay, how about this—if you score well on your next test, I'll teach you how to fly."
"WHAT?! Really?!"
"Of course."
"Papa! My marks are already good! You have to teach me too!" Anjali said, her eyes lighting up with excitement.
Ayaan set them both down and pointed playfully. "Alright then—whoever scores the highest gets to learn flying first!"
Their eyes gleamed with determination. A spark of healthy competition flared between them.
"Just wait and watch—I'm going to beat you so bad!" Surya declared.
"I'm way smarter than you! Don't think you can win!" Anjali shot back.
"Okay okay, enough of that," Ayaan laughed. "Now tell me—who's ready to wrestle with me on the bed?"
"Me! Me!" both kids shouted, raising their hands into the air.
From the kitchen, Priyanshi called out, "What? You're going already? Dinner's almost ready!"
Ayaan smiled softly and replied, "I want to spend some time with them today. It's been a while since we played together."
"Hm… fair enough," Priyanshi smiled gently in return.
The kids tugged at Ayaan's hands and pulled him along. "Bye, mummy!!"
Ayaan looked back, smiling at them. Their faces were glowing with joy and excitement.
It was a moment so pure, so warm—it felt more real than any dream.
But suddenly—
As both kids were pulling at Ayaan playfully, he felt a strange stinging sensation in his leg. Something unusual. Something unfamiliar. Pain—an emotion long forgotten in his perfect life—had crept back in… quietly threading itself through his happiness.
The three of them laid out soft bedding on the floor, laughing and tumbling over one another, ready to start their favorite family game—wrestling.
"You two are a team," Ayaan said with a playful smirk. "If you manage to bring me down, I'll treat you both to ice cream. But if I win… you'll have to massage my feet, deal?"
"Deal, papa! Get ready to lose!" Surya shouted with enthusiasm and leapt toward Ayaan with full force.
He tried to push his father down… but Ayaan didn't budge an inch. The smile on Ayaan's face deepened, unwavering.
Then Anjali joined her brother. Together, they struggled with all their might to topple him, but Ayaan stood there like a rock.
He laughed heartily… and then, deliberately, he let himself fall—just to make his children feel like they had truly defeated their superhero dad.
The kids burst into cheers. Anjali clutched his foot and gave it a gentle, playful bite.
"Aahh! That tickles!" Ayaan laughed aloud.
But—
Just then, something else bit down on his leg.
It wasn't Anjali.
Another set of teeth—long, jagged, monstrous—sank into his flesh. These were not the teeth of a child… they were unnatural, serrated, built to pierce flesh and crack bone.
The laughter of dream-Ayaan twisted violently into a real-life scream.
"Stop! That tickles—hahaha!" he shouted out again.
But his laughter echoed not through a home full of warmth and love… but through a dark, cold, horrifying cave.
Brahmarakshas stared at him, eyes glinting with lifeless calm, his blood-soaked lips curling into a lizard-like grin. There was no rage on his face—just cruel contentment.
He sneered, "Fool…"
And in the dream—Anjali's voice echoed the same words: "Fool, papa…"
But her eyes, once filled with innocence, now held only darkness.
Then, in the dream, Surya pounced on his father's chest.
But in reality, Brahmarakshas was feasting—tearing into Ayaan's abdomen, consuming his organs.
Ayaan's voice became a strange hybrid of agony and hollow laughter.
In the dream, he embraced his children lovingly.
In reality, he was embracing Brahmarakshas like a deranged parent—laughing softly as the beast gorged itself on his body.
At the dinner table, dream-Ayaan was sipping apple juice with his smiling wife and children.
But in the cave…
That was not apple juice.
It was his own warm blood.
Brahmarakshas was forcefully pouring it into his mouth. And yet—Ayaan smiled.
A smile that masked his pain. A smile that defied death.
When a human experiences pain beyond their body's capacity, the body begins to shut down. It trembles. It sweats. The heart races. Eyes bulge. Breath burns like fire.
That's what was happening to Ayaan.
His eyes had turned deep red, blood pooling into his sockets. His pupils, no longer round, had elongated into thin lines. His heart was racing at ten beats a second. Sweat fell like rain from his skin, as though he'd been thrown into boiling water. His limbs shook violently, each nerve spasming.
And yet…
He laughed.
No human could laugh in such pain. But he wasn't laughing from joy. It was as though his brain had flipped the switch—choosing to enjoy agony rather than scream from it.
Brahmarakshas stood up and slowly walked toward him, still sniffing the scent of fresh blood.
He spoke coldly, "I've devoured both his legs… both his arms… even his liver is gone."
He spat on the ground.
"And still… you're alive."
There was no anger in his voice—only confusion. He leaned closer, staring directly into Ayaan's eyes.
"I've never seen someone like you before…"
Ayaan lay there silently, smiling and crying at the same time.
Brahmarakshas finally turned away and walked out of the cave.
The cave—soaked in darkness, loneliness, and the kind of silence that drives men insane.
Ayaan remained there, whisper-laughing, the echoes of his broken voice bouncing off the damp, blood-stained walls.
Chunks of torn flesh hung from his body. Blood continued to pour from his eyes. Worms and insects had already begun to feed on him.
And yet…
There was a smile on his lips. It wasn't the smile of victory. Nor was it defeat.
It was just… the smile of someone who had learned to live in darkness.
"…heh… heh…"
He kept smiling. And let the shadows consume him.