Chapter 17: The Neon God and The Silent Blade
December 2004. Narita International Airport, Tokyo.
The Gulfstream G550 touched down on the tarmac with a gentle thud, the engines whining down into a low whistle.
Aarav Pathak unbuckled his seatbelt. He hadn't slept during the nine-hour flight. He had spent the entire time staring at the script for Don 2: The Asian Conquest, making notes in the margins with a red fountain pen.
"Sir," the flight attendant whispered, fearful of disturbing him. "We have arrived. The cars are waiting."
Aarav stood up. He adjusted his collar. He was wearing a midnight-blue trench coat over a black turtleneck. His hair, now shoulder-length, was tied in a severe bun, giving him the look of a modern-day samurai.
He walked down the stairs.
The cold Japanese winter air hit him. But it wasn't the cold that froze him; it was the sight beyond the VIP fence.
Silence.
Usually, fans screamed. In India, it was a cacophony. In London, it was a roar.
Here, five thousand Japanese fans stood in absolute, disciplined silence. They held placards. "WELCOME DON-SAMA.""KING OF ASIA."
When Aarav's foot touched the ground, they bowed. Five thousand people bowing in unison.
It was terrifying. It was religious.
Aarav stopped. He bowed back, deep and respectful.
Then, the silence broke. A collective, high-pitched scream erupted that shook the glass windows of the terminal.
Aarav smiled. The conquest had begun.
January 2005. Kabukichō, Shinjuku (The Red Light District).
Don 2 was not a fun movie. Don 1 had swagger. Don 2 had menace.
The plot revolved around Don establishing his monopoly over the Asian black market, fighting the Triads in Hong Kong and the Yakuza in Tokyo.
They were filming in the heart of the Red Light District. Neon signs flashed in pink, blue, and violent red. The streets were wet with rain (real rain this time).
"Cut!" Farhan Akhtar yelled. "Aarav, that was... cold. I loved it."
In the scene, Don had just executed a rival gang lord in the middle of a crowded street. Aarav didn't use a gun. He used a chopstick. It was brutal, efficient, and horrifying.
Aarav wiped his hands on a napkin. "Is the location secured for tomorrow?"
Ritesh Sidhwani walked up, looking pale. "We have a problem."
"What problem?"
"The real owners of this street," Ritesh lowered his voice. "The Yamaguchi-gumi. The local Yakuza clan. They say we didn't ask for permission."
"We have permits from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government," Farhan argued.
"The Government controls the day," Ritesh whispered. "The Yakuza controls the night. They want 50 Million Yen (approx $500,000) by midnight, or they burn the generators."
Aarav looked at the neon lights reflecting in the puddles.
[System Alert]
[Threat Detected: Organized Crime (Yakuza)]
[Quest: The Real Don]
[Objective: Secure the location without paying extortion money.]
[Strategy: Show strength. Respect culture.]
"Set up a meeting," Aarav said calmly.
"Are you crazy?" Ritesh hissed. "We call the embassy! We call the police!"
"If you call the police, we never shoot in Tokyo again," Aarav said, checking his reflection in a shop window. "I'll talk to them."
The Tea House, Roppongi.
It was a private room. Tatami mats. Sliding doors.
Aarav sat on his knees across from a man who looked like a grandfather but had missing fingers on his left hand—the mark of Yubitsume (ritual atonement). This was Tanaka-san, the local boss.
Two massive bodyguards stood behind him. Aarav was alone. He had forbidden his security from entering.
Tanaka sipped his tea. "You are the actor," he said in broken English. "The Indian who thinks he is a gangster."
Aarav didn't touch his tea. He sat with a posture of absolute stillness.
"I am an actor, Tanaka-san," Aarav replied, keeping his voice low. "But I am also a businessman. And in business, disruption is costly."
"You disrupt my street," Tanaka said. "My girls cannot work. My bars are empty because of your cameras. 50 Million Yen is a fair compensation."
Aarav reached into his coat pocket. The bodyguards tensed, hands moving to their holsters.
Aarav pulled out a small, velvet box. He slid it across the table.
Tanaka frowned. He opened it.
Inside was a vintage watch. A Patek Philippe Ref. 1518. In 2005, it was worth easily over $1 Million.
"I don't pay extortion, Tanaka-san," Aarav said, his eyes locking with the old man's. "Extortion implies I am weak. This... this is a gift. A gift from one King to another, for the inconvenience caused to his territory."
Tanaka looked at the watch. He knew its value. He looked at Aarav.
He saw the lack of fear. He saw the calculated respect.
Tanaka closed the box. He smiled, revealing gold-capped teeth.
"You have style, Indian," Tanaka said. "The street is yours for three nights. But do not break anything."
"I only break records," Aarav stood up and bowed.
As he walked out, the System pinged.
[Quest Complete: The Real Don]
[Reward: +50 Reputation in Underworld Circles]
[Asset Lost: Vintage Patek Philippe (Value: ₹4.5 Crores)]
Aarav shrugged. ₹4.5 Crores was a cheap price to pay for uninterrupted filming.
March 2005. The Bullet Train Sequence.
If the Petronas jump was about height, the Shinkansen sequence was about speed.
The climax of Don 2. A fight on top of a moving train.
Obviously, they couldn't shoot on a real moving Shinkansen (physics and laws forbade it). They built a replica train roof in a massive wind tunnel facility in Osaka.
The wind fans were generated to simulate 300 km/h.
Aarav was fighting Kane Kosugi, a martial arts expert playing the antagonist's enforcer.
"Action!"
The wind was deafening. Aarav was wired, but the physical toll was immense. He had to lean into the wind, fight, block, and act cool simultaneously.
They fought for six hours.
By the 20th take, Aarav's shoulder popped.
A sickening crack echoed in his ear. He had dislocated his left shoulder.
"Cut!" Farhan screamed, seeing Aarav drop to his knees.
Medics rushed in.
"It's out," the medic said, touching Aarav's shoulder. "We need to go to the hospital."
"No," Aarav gritted his teeth, sweat mixing with the fake rain. "Pop it back in."
"Sir, that requires anesthesia! The pain will be—"
"I said pop it back in!" Aarav roared. "We lose the wind tunnel tomorrow! Do it!"
The medic looked terrified. He grabbed Aarav's arm.
"One... two... three."
CRACK.
Aarav screamed. A raw, guttural sound that tore through his throat. His vision went white.
He breathed heavily, gasping for air. He moved his arm. It hurt like hell, but it moved.
He stood up. He looked at the camera.
"Reset," Aarav whispered. "Let's finish this."
The crew looked at him with a mix of awe and horror. He wasn't doing this for money anymore. He was possessed.
July 2005. The Editing Room.
The film was dark.
Farhan was worried. "Aarav, it's too grim. Don kills the girl in this one. He betrays his own team. There is no redemption. Will the families watch this?"
"Families watched The Godfather, Farhan," Aarav said, watching the screen where Don watches a building explode with a cold, dead stare. "They don't want a hero. They want a monster who wins."
"But the distribution..."
"I'm doubling the marketing budget," Aarav said. "We are selling it as a Horror-Thriller. 'Evil Prevails'. That's the tagline."
October 2005. The Release.
Don 2: The Asian Conquest.
Simultaneous release in India, China, Japan, South Korea, and the Middle East.
Day 1:
Long queues in Beijing. (Aarav had personally flown to Beijing to meet officials and secure a wide release, a first for an Indian star).
Riots in Chennai (Rajinikanth's voiceover narrated the prologue).
The Movie:
It was slicker, faster, and crueler than Part 1. The Shinkansen fight became legendary instantly. The scene where Don speaks fluent Japanese to intimidate the Yakuza boss drew gasps in Tokyo theatres.
The Verdict:
India:₹200 Crores (First film to cross the double century mark comfortably).
China:$60 Million (The Chinese loved the anti-hero).
Japan:$40 Million.
Rest of World:$150 Million.
Total Worldwide Gross:$450 Million (approx ₹2,000 Crores).
The franchise had doubled its value.
Aarav Pathak was now responsible for a standalone economy within Bollywood.
November 2005. The Lonely Peak.
Aarav stood on the balcony of a penthouse in Shanghai. He had just attended the success party.
Champagne, caviar, models, billionaires. They all wanted a piece of him.
He held his phone.
He searched for a name. Preity.
He dialed.
It rang. Once. Twice. Three times.
"Hello?"
Her voice was different. Lighter. Happy.
"Hi," Aarav said. "It's me."
"Aarav," she sounded surprised, but not longing. "Congratulations. I heard the numbers. You broke the world record."
"Yeah," Aarav looked at the glittering Shanghai skyline. "I did. How are you?"
"I'm good, Aarav. I'm... happy."
"Are you seeing someone?"
Silence.
"Yes," she said softly. "His name is Ness. He's... he's present, Aarav. He's here."
The words hit him harder than the dislocated shoulder.
"Good," Aarav choked out. "That's good. You deserve presence."
"Aarav," she hesitated. "Stop running. You've won. You can stop now."
"I can't," Aarav whispered. "There is one more left. The Endgame."
"Goodbye, Aarav."
"Goodbye, Preity."
He hung up.
He felt a tear slide down his cheek. He wiped it away furiously.
"System," he said out loud.
[System Ready]
"Show me the next objective."
[Quest: Don 3 - The European Endgame]
[Target: $600 Million Gross]
[Requirement: The Death of the Don.]
Aarav stared at the screen.
"Death?"
[To create a legend, the man must die. The Myth must live.]
Aarav smiled. A cold, empty smile.
"Fine," he said. "If I have to die, I'll take the world with me."
He threw the phone off the balcony. It plummeted fifty stories down into the Shanghai night.
He turned back to the party. He put on his sunglasses, even though it was night.
Don was back.
The Industry Reaction.
Back in Mumbai, the Khans were huddled.
Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan. They met at a private dinner at Galaxy Apartments.
"He's unstoppable," Salman said, eating biryani. "He's doing numbers that Hollywood does."
"He's hollow," Aamir observed quietly. "Look at his eyes in the interviews. There is nothing there. He is burning himself as fuel."
SRK swirled his drink. "He's playing a dangerous game. He's built a monopoly. But monopolies crumble when the product stops working. We don't need to beat him at scale. We need to beat him at Heart."
"I have Rang De Basanti," Aamir said. "It will wake the youth up."
"I have Chak De! India," SRK said. "It will bring the pride back."
"I have... well, I have No Entry," Salman grinned. "People need to laugh."
The three titans clinked glasses.
"Let the Emperor fly," SRK said. "We will wait for him to land."
But Aarav had no intention of landing.
[End of Chapter 17]