Amit leaned back against his counter, observing Rohan's receding back as he set off on his crazy milk escapade.
He let out a breath.
"That fool's going to get caught."
His thoughts weren't on Rohan's situation, however.
They were still on something else—his secret.
The coin in his palm was genuine. Evidence that time-travel business was viable.
And now another idea churned in his mind.
> What else can I bring from the past?
Amit stared at the door suspended in mid-air at the rear of his shop.
No matter how many times he saw it, it always seemed. unnatural.
He approached it, putting his hand flat on the surface.
Cold. Smooth. Like glass.
And then, just like before—
─── [Timeless Door Activated] ───
The air distorted. The door groaned open.
And he walked through.
---
Back to 1100 C
The smell of the past hit him immediately—earthy, rich, with a hint of livestock and fresh spices.
The streets were alive with the same hustle and bustle as before—traders shouting, horses trotting, women carrying baskets of goods on their heads.
Amit adjusted his clothes.
> Alright. Today, I'm going to test something bigger.
He needed something valuable but practical.
Something he could buy here and sell for a profit in the modern world.
His mind wandered back to gold, spices, herbs, relics.
But something struck him.
Livestock.
Milk. Dairies.
It was a huge business in India. If only he knew a way to bring something back.
Would it be worth it?
His head pounded with curiosity.
The Quest for a Trade
Amit strolled further into the market, searching for something valuable.
The goats' bleating and cows' mooing led him into an open space, where buyers negotiated over livestock.
He observed as a well-nourished cow was traded by a person for a small pile of silver coins.
His mind did the arithmetic in less than a second.
> An adult cow in 1100 CE is 10 silver coins… that would be approximately ₹80,000 today.
In our times? A cow can cost anywhere from ₹50,000 to ₹2,00,000 based on the breed.
Amit frowned.
> Margins aren't good… what about milk products?
His attention turned to a smaller stall next to him, where a hawker was selling blocks of dried butter and cheese.
Amit walked over.
The hawker, a thin elderly man with a long gray beard, eyed him with interest. "Young traveler, what do you want?"
Amit waved his hand over the blocks of cheese. "What is this?"
The old man smiled. "Ah, this? This is dried paneer. We dry it so that it doesn't spoil for a longer period."
Amit's mind ticked.
Long shelf life. Easy to ship. Staple food.
> Now this. this could work.
"This is how much," Amit said, taking out two copper coins from his pocket.
"How much?" Amit asked.
"Two copper coins per block," the vendor replied.
Amit performed the mental conversion with ease.
─── [System Conversion Rate] ───
1 Copper Coin = ₹100
1 Silver Coin = ₹8,000
1 Gold Coin = ₹60,000
So two copper coins would only cost ₹200.
If he bought ten blocks, that would only be ₹2,000.
> Organic paneer, aged these days, costs ₹500 per 100g.
Amit's heart was racing.
If he got away with it, he would be making a paltry ₹10,000 or more.
"Okay," Amit said. "Give me ten blocks."
The old man grinned, toothless grin revealing his happiness. "Good choice, young man."
Amit paid the coins in exchange for the wrapped pieces of cheese.
They were light, rugged, and pleasant to have.
He turned, prepared to leave
Until he saw something.
His eyes caught something at the corner of the market, down a dark alleyway.
There was an unusual stall.
Unlike all the others, this stall was quiet.
No yelling. No negotiating.
Just an old man sitting quietly behind a table.
With some small glass vials.
Amit's senses tingled.
There was something about it that. wasn't right.
He walked over.
"What are these?" Amit asked, gesturing towards the vials.
The old man's gaze rose to greet him, sharp despite the age that creased his face.
"This, young traveler… is something special."
He picked one up and held it up to the light.
There was a deep, golden liquid inside.
Amit furrowed. "What is it?"
The old man smiled faintly.
"Pure cow ghee. From milk of the best Gir cows, aged to perfection."
Amit's imagination went into overdrive.
> Pure, traditionally produced ghee from 1100 CE?
A century ago!
> No chemicals, no industrial processing… plain, historical goodness?
This would be priceless today!
"How much?" Amit asked, making an attempt at being nonchalant.
The old man stroked his beard. "One silver coin per vial."
Amit did not even bat an eyelid.
It was costly for this age, but in today's India, organic A2 cow ghee would cost between ₹3,000 to ₹5,000 a liter.
This was worth every penny.
"I'll take two vials," Amit announced.
The old man nodded, wrapping the vials in soft cloth with care.
Amit paid in silver and shoved the package into his bag.
> Cheese. Ghee. Two products. Inexpensive to transport. High demand in today's world.
----
He couldn't help but smile.
This was going to work.
----
Return to the Present
Amit stepped back out through the Timeless Door.
As soon as he returned to his shop—
─── [Timeless Trade Complete!] ───
[You have acquired:]
10 Blocks of Old Paneer
2 Vials of Pure A2 Cow Ghee
─── [Do you want to convert earnings to contemporary currency?] ----
Amit clicked NO.
This time, he wasn't converting.
This time, he was selling straight.
As he closed the shop for the night, his phone beeped.
ROHAN: BRO! I BEGGED, BORROWED, AND STOLE! BUT WE HAVE 200 LITERS OF MILK!
ROHAN: IF WE MAKE IT THROUGH TOMORROW, I'M BUYING YOU A PIZZA.
Amit laughed, ruffling his hair.
> Tomorrow was going to be fun.
But just when he turned off the lights—
─── [Warning! System Notification] ───
[A fresh opportunity has arisen in 1100 CE…]
[A wealthy merchant has watched your business. He'd like to speak to you.]
Amit's eyes widened.
> Wait… what?!
Who had seen him?
And why?
[To Be Continued.]