Shreya

"Okay... you all go back and get some rest. After all, we still have to perform the rituals for Uncle Verma's death. But what about Sister Shreya? Have you sent her the news about Uncle Verma's passing?"

As soon as Surya asked this of Uncle Rajan, the room fell silent.

*Sigh...* Rajan sighed deeply, then looked at Surya and said, "To be honest, I informed her three months ago that Verma Ji had been arrested by the British, and that there was a chance of execution. I used the teleprinters, and when she replied, she said she was returning to India. However, I don't know exactly when she'll be back."

After hearing this, Surya nodded and left the room.

It was already evening, and the silence was different from the world Surya was used to.

Gazing up at the sky, countless bright stars lit up the night, twinkling above. Surya couldn't help but sigh. However, something else was going on his mind—Shreya.

She was the daughter of Uncle Verma. In fact, she was his second daughter, who fled to America after her brother and mother were killed by the British when she was just fifteen. Her father, being a freedom fighter, had put their family in danger, and that tragedy shattered her dream of a happy family. She ran to America with her aunt and pursued her studies there. She hadn't returned since—it's been almost three years.

"However, as Uncle Rajan said, she might be returning home soon. Although commercial flights are available, the post-war situation makes travel risky, especially with the British still around. She may be traveling by boat."

Thinking of Shreya's childhood smile brought a small, satisfied grin to Surya's face. After all, he was engaged to her, and they had played together since childhood. Surya's father, Divesh Yadav, had once ruled a part of Bengal (now Bihar-Jharkhand-Bengal region), and Anand Verma had ruled a region in Uttar Pradesh. Both had fought for freedom. Surya's father was killed when Surya was only 14, but before that, Divesh had entrusted Anand with Surya's care. As a loyal friend, Anand took Surya under his wing, and thanks to Surya's mindset, he eventually became the leader of the Bharat Swatantra Sangh (Indian Freedom Union).

Without dwelling on it too much, Surya returned to his room and lit a kerosene candle.

However, he quickly grew bored. As someone from the future, he found it hard to adjust to this simpler life. Back in his time, he had spent most of his days conducting research. By the age of twenty, he had joined ISRO, but later, for certain reasons, he was transferred to DRDO when HAL (hindustan aeronautics limited). and DRDO were working together, where he worked on developing nuclear weapons capable of being launched from space.

Surya sat quietly on a wooden chair, the soft glow of a kerosene candle lighting up the room.

Others were preparing for Uncle Verma's funeral, but Surya's mind was elsewhere, he remembered his life as a scientist in 2024, working on advanced defense technology for India.

"So can I create something extraordinary?"

Thinking of this, took out a blank sheet of paper and placed it on the table. His hand reached for the ink bottle, dipping the pen into it.

Surya had the knowledge—blueprints, designs, and even simple tricks he'd picked up over the years. All of it was still fresh in his mind.

In his past life, Surya worked at ISRO, then moved to DRDO, where he helped create weapons far more advanced than anything the British knew about currently. The thought made him smile. He had the power to change things.

After pausing for a moment, Surya started drawing. He sketched a simple gun, nothing too advanced for now, but much more effective than the ones currently used by the freedom fighters. A bolt-action rifle? No, too outdated. His mind flashed back to videos he had seen on YouTube, showing gun designs and how they worked. His photographic memory, a result of his rebirth, allowed him to recall everything as if he'd just seen it.

He sketched a semi-automatic rifle, something small, reliable, and easy to make. The goal was to design a weapon that local blacksmiths could build with the materials they had, but powerful enough to help them fight back against the British. His pen moved quickly, drawing the barrel, the firing mechanism, and the magazine.

Soon few hours later.

When the sketch was done and dried, Surya leaned back to study it. It wasn't perfect, but it was a start. The design could be made with the tools and metalworking skills available in 1945, and even though it wasn't as precise as future technology, it was far better than what they had now.

He tapped the pen against his lips, thinking about how to introduce this idea. "How do I show this to the others?" he wondered. He couldn't just hand them the design without explaining. But if they saw how well it worked in battle, they'd listen.

This gun was only the beginning. He knew could create more complex designs later—explosives, artillery, even the basics for missiles. But for now, he had to start small, gain the trust of his comrades, and slowly introduce new technology. Maybe not space weapons just yet, but enough to change the course of the war for independence.

The candle flickered again, casting shadows across the room. Surya smiled to himself. In the past lives , he had been surrounded by blueprints and high-tech labs, but here, with just a piece of paper and a pen, he felt more alive than ever.

He carefully folded the paper and slipped it into his pocket. Tomorrow, he would meet with Uncle Rajan and the other leaders. He would present this new weapon as something he had been working on for years.

This plan is quite feasible.

As he blew out the candle, Surya lay back on his cot, staring at the ceiling. His mind buzzed with ideas—this gun, the next design, and many more.

[A/N : Well, today only thausand words, because the online delivery not only wasted by time of five hours but also the loss of around $20 ]