Part 1: The Heat, The Debt, and The Drain
It was 2 PM. In the narrow, congested lanes of Govindpuri, New Delhi, Rudra Sharma felt like he was suffocating. The small rooftop cell he rented was less a room and more a Fired Tandoor (clay oven). The ancient, rusted fan overhead sputtered a Slow, Exhausted Hum, doing nothing to alleviate the heat; in fact, it seemed to amplify it.
Rudra (18 years old) slowly peeled off the loose, threadbare clothes clinging to his sweat-soaked body. His physique was unusually thin for a boy his age, as if some invisible force constantly drained his Prana (Vital Energy). Deep, dark blue shadows circled his eyes, suggesting that his sleep—or perhaps his luck—was being perpetually stolen.
"Only ten days left for the fees," Rudra muttered. He was crushed under the weight of ₹30,000 in college fees and a small, overdue ₹2,000 debt owed to his grandmother's Kirana Store (local grocery shop).
Rudra's poverty was not a mere lack of funds; it was the Side-Effect of his secret power—the Karmic Drain. His unique ability, Kala-Chhaya (Time-Shadow), instantly sucked away his present Achhi Kismat (Good Fortune) whenever he formed a strong Sankalp (Resolution) for a positive future outcome.
He vividly recalled the incident from the previous week. He had purchased a cheap, used Mobile Phone. The moment he resolved to use it to search for an online job, the phone's battery was permanently ruined within 48 hours.
Rudra lived in constant fear. He had learned that taking no decisive action was his best strategy for survival.
Part 2: Resolution, The Pain, and The Second Life
Today, however, he had no options left. He forced himself to summon a final burst of zor (strength) for the college's Data Entry job application.
Rudra placed his finger on an old accounting ledger before him. He forced a powerful Sankalp (mental focus): "I will take this job and pay the first installment!"
The instant he made that Nischay (Determination), a Sharp, Burning Pain—like Hot Metal pressing against his skull—seared his forehead. It was no ordinary headache; it was the violent Drainage of his Present Energy being pulled toward the Future.
Though his eyes were open, for a single terrifying moment, he saw his Doosri Zindagi (Second Life) flash before him—the Kala-Chhaya (Time-Shadow):
Vision: Rudra was sitting at the college Data Entry desk. All was calm. The next moment, the Huge Monitor on his desk suddenly emitted sharp smoke and exploded. A massive Ball of Fire erupted, and in that flame, Rudra saw his own face burning. It lasted less than two seconds, yet Rudra felt as though he had lived the entire fate.
Shrieking, Rudra fell off the chair. A cold torrent of sweat poured down his forehead.
"It's over... It's all over," he gasped. "If I took that job, I wouldn't have the luck to pay the fees, and in exchange, I would have lost my eyesight."
Rudra finally understood. His Kala-Chhaya power, which allowed him to glimpse his Future Niyati (Destiny), demanded the sacrifice of his Current Good Fortune every single time.
Part 3: The Locket's Secret and The
Ominous Scroll
He instinctively clutched the Metal Locket hanging around his neck. It was not silver or gold, but Plain Dhaatu (Metal), featuring Three Hollow Circles. This was his Nani's (maternal grandmother's) locket. When she died, she had told him: "Never lose this locket. It is not ordinary. It holds back your heat."
The locket was an anchor for Rudra's power. It was always cold to the touch, regardless of the scorching Delhi heat—a constant Anomaly.
Suddenly, a sharp, cold gust of wind burst through the sealed window of Rudra's room. The wind carried a biting chill amidst the suffocating heat.
Tucked into the wind, a Purana, Fatka-hua Kagaz (Tattered Paper) floated down, striking Rudra's face. The ink on the paper was a mixture of Red and Black, like blood and ash.
Rudra's hands trembled as he picked up the paper.
Karmic Rinn (Loan/Debt) Notice: Shri Rudra Sharma
(The Last Heir of the Kala-Samvedana Lineage)
The Summons: Rudra, your Karmic Rinn (Debt) has now reached 10,000 Bindu (Points).
The Consequence (Dushparinaam): Your power, Kala-Chhaya (Time-Shadow), is consuming your luck like a silent theft. If you continue to exert your Sankalp (Will), your Prana-Chakra (Life Cycle) will break. You will die by the age of 20, as all your energy will be drained to pay the Rinn.
The Only Path to Balance: You must gain admission to VVK (Vishwa-Vidya Kula), specifically the Viprit-Kula (The Opposite/Asura Clan). Only there can you use Asura-Bhuti (Asura Energy/Currency) to settle your Rinn.
Final Command (Aakhri Nirdesh): Tomorrow morning, 4:00 AM, at the Pashchimi (West) Gate of the Red Fort (Lal Qila). Use your Metal Locket to create the Asura-Key.
Rudra read the scroll. His eyes were not filled with tears, but with raw anger. His poverty was now explained as a Karmic Debt, and his death was set at 20 years of age.
Rudra (in his mind): "What do I have to lose? Poverty, Debt, or Death. If I don't go to the Red Fort, I'll die anyway. This is a promise of Andhkaar (Darkness), but I have no Prakash (Light) left."
He clenched the Metal Locket in his fist. The locket's coldness brought a sharp pain to his palm, but his resolve to go was solidified.
Rudra's journey to pay off his Karmic Rinn and stabilize his Kala-Chhaya power had begun.