Chapter 4 "Good and Bad"

Entering his bathroom, he took a cold shower to remove the black stains from his body.

Afterwards, he felt a sense of relief and a renewed sense of cleanliness.

He was finally ready to face the truth and confront his future, as he had gained a new profound power that was continuously breathing him vital energy.

His previous burned wounds, which were all over his body, were not to be found, and while his spirit and bodily energy were doubled, he felt that his strength was much greater than before.

After cleaning himself, he felt refreshed with vigor, as if he didn't have any physical or mental exhaustion at all, by doing the task given by the Dark Web.

He couldn't help but wonder if this was real.

To get this kind of stuff through the Dark Web, he was intrigued but also frightened, because when you dive into darkness, you never know what you might find lurking in the shadows.

But to his surprise, the item he got as a reward wasn't anything awful that would harm him, but rather it was helping his body gain strength.

(But Shivam was unaware of the intrinsic value of the item's powers and its reaction, which was yet to occur, not because of the item but because of his chakras, as the reward is directly linked to his spiritual energy, which is related to the spiritual realm that the Red Band had yet to disclose.)

He got out of the bathtub in a different mood.

He was certain that with the aid of this stone, he would be able to alter his life, but he was determined to perform the tasks assigned to him by the Dark Web in order to receive new rewards, which he desperately desired and is positive about it's potential to change his circumstances.

Shivam was in a good mood now because he had discovered an unexpected opportunity in his life that could lead to a successful life if he played his cards correctly.

So he had a smile on his face, which hadn't been there for many years. He felt a sense of hope and excitement for the future.

(Shivam didn't know that the rewards were random and that the rewards held the potential to bring both good and evil into his life, but to his great luck, he received a unique item with good potential.)

He got out of the room from the window and returned to the family house with a decent smile, like he was happy today.

His house was large, with an outer garden attached, adding to its overall attractiveness.

There were several rooms in the house, each tastefully decorated and furnished with high-quality furniture.

His family is business-oriented.

The family business is fishing, and they own 25 enormous deep-sea trawlers.

His family is a reputed family in the fish business in Mumbai.

There are 22 members in the family, including him: his parents, his grandparents, his siblings, and several aunts, uncles, and cousins.

His grandfather is the family head and takes all the decisions for the family.

Only 11 members were looking after the family business, while his father was also providing lawful support to the family business as he was in a senior position in the government agricultural department. while the rest pursued other careers.

Shivam wasn't going to be late for dinner because he wanted to eat the tasty fish meal that his mother had made, and he had been hungry since the morning.

However, when he entered the house, there were maids who saw him but ignored him like he was not a respected person in the family while continuing to do their work.

But on the other side, the maids were surprised to see the smile on Shivam's face as he walked further into the house, unfazed by their indifference.

This was the first time they had seen a happy Shivam for years.

They couldn't help but wonder what had changed.

These maids seemed to have no regard for his presence at all, as they were influenced by the negative attitude of his aunts, especially aunt Pushpa, which doesn't give him any importance or value in the household; she would always criticize him in front of the elders and would always badmouth him to the maids and neighbors, which resulted in this situation.

Pushpa was really very jealous of his mother, Ankita, even though she is her own blood sister, and resented her for being more successful and loved by everyone, as she is currently successfully doing business with more authority and respect while she is currently a housewife with no authority and respect struggling with the other aunts in the house.

As for the maids in the family, they didn't like Shivam, as they felt he was a wasteful brat who only knew to waste the money of his parents as he wasn't earning even after completing his studies and achieving a degree.

What's the use of his studies if he cannot even apply them to earn money but wastes the time and money of his family?

(In the end, it appeared that his entire education had been a waste, with no genuine rewards for him or his family.

This was what the worker and some aunts and uncles believed, but when they encountered Shivam, they would degrade his accomplishments and belittle his efforts.

Many family members did not appreciate him and even disrespected him, as his parents were hoarding great authority and responsibility with higher status in the family while their child was a source of degrading their own status and reputation, which the members of the family didn't want to miss the chance to do so as this was a way for them to assert their power and dominance in the family and assist their sons and daughters to gain more authority in the family business and secure their position as important figures in the family hierarchy.

And these opposing members of the family targeted Shivam rather than his parents, as they hold the higher position in the family hierarchy.

Through him, they targeted Shivam's parents while laughing, questioning his future, and mocking his potential.

Shivam found himself at the center of unwarranted scrutiny, his every move scrutinized and criticized by those around him.

Despite having completed his studies, the weight of expectations burdened his shoulders, leaving him feeling suffocated under the weight of familial pressure.

Each passing day brought with it a barrage of complaints and accusations, all aimed squarely at him for not conforming to the traditional path of success.

These grievances, whispered in hushed tones and carried on the wings of familial gossip, found their way back to Shivam's ears, painting a bleak picture of his worth in the eyes of his family.

The disapproving glances and disdainful stares only served to deepen the wounds already festering within him.

Yet, amidst the turmoil, Shivam remained stoic about getting a job, which would be done from home with less social interaction; his outward demeanor was a facade masking the turmoil raging within.

While he bore the brunt of the accusations in silence, a storm brewed beneath the surface, a tempest of emotions yearning for release.

After finishing his Masters degree, his parents and some friendly members of the family continually encouraged him to apply for a good career.

They also tried to give him some solid job interview prospects through their networks, but he ignored them, instead squandering more than a year or two performing work-from-home jobs that were neither fulfilling nor stable, which damaged his worth in the family as they felt the wrong in him while observing his behavior.

His family members started to disrespect him, as he wasn't earning much with no respect or authority in society, which led to his parents feeling bad for him.

But only his mother, Ankita, stood by his side, offering unwavering support and love throughout his struggles.

Shivam was really grateful for the support his mother provided, as she knew and his family members knew about his stumbling block, which was his bald spot, and that was the core reason for not attending any interview or having a lack of confidence to crack it.

So some family members also took this block into consideration and made sure to always target it.

Shivam was afraid of it; that's why he pretends to move out while locking his room and hiding in it.

While trying to obtain a new job or a platform to earn more online, in his room, he is finding jobs.

To his astonishment, he discovered a hidden website that could help him grow in terms of both wealth and strength.

He was really happy today for gaining this discovery with a reward that was consistently filling his inner body with a cool sensation, which is the outer vitality, with the help of the red stone.

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