Raghav Sharma considered himself a fortunate man.
At forty-two, he had everything society told him a man should want. A stable corporate job, a modest apartment in the busy streets of Bhopal, a caring wife, and two energetic children who filled the house with noise every evening.
His life followed a predictable rhythm.
Wake up at 7.
Rush through breakfast.
Drive through chaotic traffic.
Sit in an office cubicle answering emails and attending meetings that could have been messages.
Day after day.
Month after month.
Year after year.
And yet… Raghav never complained.
Not really.
After all, wasn't this what everyone worked for? Stability. Security. A peaceful family life.
Still, there was a small corner of his mind that occasionally whispered.
Is this all there is?
Raghav leaned back in his office chair as the clock struck 6:30 PM.
Most of the office had already emptied. The fluorescent lights hummed quietly above him.
His computer screen glowed with a spreadsheet he had stopped reading ten minutes ago.
Instead, his phone was open to the familiar page of an online novel platform.
Another chapter update.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Isekai stories had become his little secret escape.
Ordinary people dying and waking up in magical worlds.
Kings rising from nothing.
Weak men gaining mysterious powers.
Adventurers battling monsters and shaping their destinies.
Raghav knew it was childish.
At his age, most men were reading finance books or news articles.
But when life became too routine, too predictable…
He opened another chapter.
He scrolled slowly, reading with quiet excitement.
The hero of the novel had just defeated a dragon and unlocked a legendary skill.
Raghav chuckled softly.
"If only life worked like that."
No office politics.
No performance reviews.
No traffic jams.
Just adventure.
Just freedom.
Just a new world waiting to be explored.
Outside the office building, rain had started to fall.
The city lights reflected across the wet streets.
Raghav finally closed the novel and stretched.
"Alright," he muttered to himself.
"Back to reality."
He grabbed his bag, turned off his computer, and headed toward the elevator.
The building lobby was almost empty when he stepped outside.
Thunder rolled across the sky.
The rain had grown heavier.
Raghav sighed and opened his umbrella.
"Perfect timing," he said.