CHAPTER-5
When Jihan woke up, the car was near a motel, in the outskirts of Delhi. Jihan paid the driver and then left for the motel. He was satisfied with the cleanliness and booked a room there. The first thing he did was to take a shower. After that he dropped his clothes for laundry.
Jihan then proceeded to go downstairs and had a sumptuous Chinese cuisine meal and then he chewed on saunf as he went back into his room. He took a look at his phone.
3 hours
There were only hours left for the rift.
Precisely speaking, Rift has already been made, but the effects of it will start right after 3 hours.
Jihan sighed.
He then picked his bags collected his laundered clothes and packed them in his bag. After that took a ride to the nearest metro station. He got himself a new metro card and entered all the money he was left with in that school bag in that metro card.
The metro employee and everyone around him looked at him like he was crazy.
He then looked at the slip they gave him and was satisfied with the balance,
2,03,19,00/-
Satisfied, he threw the bag in a dustbin nearby and pocketed 3 of 1000 bill in his pocket which was last of the cash he had. Then he entered the station and prayed for the security guard at check point not to notice the ax and daggers in his bag. Thankfully the guard was having his lunch so he was distracted.
Thanking God for his grace he went inside a convenience store and brought packets of saunf, one he pocketed them inside his bag and another one he opened and ate some from. He also brought a small container, in which he poured saunf and then pocketed it in his shorts pocket. He then brought a pack of wet wipes, one time use gloves and some pocket lip balm for his chapped lips. He bought the cheapest hand soap and a container to keep it and packed it inside his bag. Lastly he also bought a bottle of water and a can of coca cola.
The store keeper returned him exactly with a 1 coin.
"...."
Jihan decided to keep this coin in his pocket as a sign of good luck. Then he thanked the store employee and left the store while drinking coke. In his hand was a metro card and in another was his phone attached to it was his headphones. Jihan checked his battery percentage and was satisfied with the 91% battery. He then boarded the metro at the station Noida electronic city to Dwarka sec 21. The metro was close to empty and Jihan chose a corner seat.
He pushed the headphone inside his ears and played troye sivan's playlist on shuffle.
Little by little he watched as the metro started filling up. Jihan had often felt that people avoided him. In the past he thought that maybe it was because he was a mixed nationality person that people avoided him. But later people who gradually grew close with told him that was not the case. And today he was in a different world, in a different nation, people were still avoiding. Just like right now.
"...."
The metro was completely crowded but he was still able to maintain his personal boundary. Even the person sitting right next to him was not touching him much.
"...."
Although it was a good thing Jihan strangely felt insulted.
He looked at the time in his phone.
11:00 am
11 minutes left. Jihan sighed then paused the music and stuffed the earphones in his bag. He then stood up went towards the exit and leaned on the door. He chewed on saunf to calm his nerves as he waited. Once he reached the next station he wore a black mask and a black hat, zipped up his bomber jacket and the pocket zips of his shorts. He also put his phone and metro card in his jacket pocket and then zipped it. The gate opened and he walked out on the station.
He looked at the digital clock on the station.
11:07
Jihan sighed and then waited for the next metro and boarded it. Of course he did this to hide his identity since he forgot to do that before.
Suddenly getting diagnosed as someone with 'eight grader syndrome' by his own subconscious, Jihan blushed with shame. He then again chewed on some saunf and took out his phone.
11:09
Jihan calmly put down his phone and waited. Suddenly he felt scared.
'What is he was wrong?'
'What if this was not a novel?'
He currently had 0 money on him and a stingy, gangster like person chasing him for stealing his money.
What should he do?
He felt a chill spread in heart when he thought that, but then suddenly a loud deafening sounded making him flinch. He watched people were groaning in pain as they desperately covered their ears, some were even bleeding because of it. Jihan was surprised and immediately kneeled on the floor like everyone. He swallowed his cringe when he saw the dusty floor but nonetheless acted like everyone around him.
And suddenly the sound stopped. The metro then came to a stop jerkily.
"What was this nonsense?"
"Is it the metro driver?"
"Was there some fault with the speaker?"
"Is this a prank? I swear to god influencers these days have crossed limits."
Jihan took his sweet time to stand up and patted dust off his tights and straightened his clothes.
"Should we move towar- waah that scared me what is this red screen?"
Jihan looked at the blue screen calmly.
'Would you like help from the Universal Justice system?'
And soon after that a pressure that could bend one's knees enveloped the whole earth. Jihan swallowed a sigh and kneeled along with the people around him. And then like ants he could feel eyes on him. Countless eyes scrutinizing him making him itch. He had the urge to gauge eyes of whoever was looking at him. But suddenly the feeling vanished.
Jihan watched as everyone looked at the screen, countless stars and cloud were showing in it. Everyone around him were lost in the feeling of awe at what they saw. They could feel it instinctively, the immense power these stars had.
Jihan heard at the gasps and sounds of wonder from everyone around him. He then watched words on the screen changed and everyone around him gasped in horror.
'Their aim is earth.'
"WHAT IS THIS NONSENSE?"
"FUCK! These geeks have gone really far with their pranks"
"HEY this is happening everywhere!"
"You mean to say that this is not a prank?"
"Are you telling me this is real?"
"I am seriously scared now."
The screen voiced his thoughts again.
'Do you want to leave or stay?'
"OBVIOUSLY WE WANNA STAY WHAT KINDA BULL-"
'Then, Would you like help from the Universal Justice system?'
"....."
There was suddenly a pin drop silence in the metro.
"Hey what should we do?"
"Should we accept"
"This sound really weird."
"I know right, we can't just take a decision on our own."
"Yes! the ruling political party should take decision."
"I know right? What else are they there for? To eat from our hard earned money."
Suddenly people around him looked at Jihan as if waiting for his comment.
"....."
'Did he stare too much? So much that they felt that he wanted to say something?'
'What should he say now?"
"Ah the name of this system sounds very much like a con artist."
He didn't know if it was just his illusion but he felt like the blue screen flinched.
Everyone fell silent at his words.
Then slowly they all turned to another topic.
Jihan sighed.
'Ai, He really is a buzzkill.'
"Oi blue screen or whatever, tell your people to ask this from the world leaders."
"Hey why is this not replying"
Suddenly the screen turned red and a huge timer formed in the air.
10 .
They had 10 seconds to choose.
'Your time starts now'
An announcement was heard.
"Shit I don't know, No help is better than some!"
First person chose yes.
9
"Oi?! How dare you!"
"But the lad is right! we know nothing about this situation we need help!"
8
"Are we going to take help from an unknown person?"
"Shit I don't know the internet has suddenly turned off there is no way to connect outside!"
7
"Fuck this shit!"
6
"Mommy I am scared."
5
"Everyone is choosing YES"
4
"Hey! the net is back on the President has tweeted YES!"
3
"Nothing to think about anymore."
2
"What will happen if I choose NO though?"
"Why don't you try it yourself Idiot."
1
Jihan calmly pressed the button.
0
With that the red screen turned blue for everyone.
A pin drop silence spread everywhere as a message on bold was displayed on screen for everyone.
WELCOME TO THE ENTRANCE CEREMONY.
............................
Jihan: Stingy Gangster like person
The 'Stingy Gangster like person': "....."
'Googles how to make the second impression perfect'