Chapter 3 - Solo Mangoing (Only I Get Mangoes)

Hari sat on a bench that definitely wasn't his. Actually, nothing around here was his. Not the buildings, not the sky, not the air—and certainly not the suspiciously mango-free juice he had just spat out after realizing it was made from... papayas. Papayas. The betrayal was personal.

"Okay," he muttered, eyes narrowed as he stared at the neon sign of the juice shop. "If this is hell, it's not even the spicy kind. It's just... disappointing."

Ding!A notification rang out inside his head, like a cheerful microwave had taken residence in his skull.

[MANGO SYSTEM BOOT COMPLETE.]Installing Language Pack: Arabic (Gulf dialect) – 100%

Suddenly, his brain did a backflip.

"Ai—ow—what in the chutney was that?!" Hari yelled, clutching his head. His eyes widened as understanding bloomed in his mind, like a fresh Alphonso mango ripening in the sun.

He could... read the street signs. He could understand the people walking past. He could comprehend the strange angry man yelling on a phone nearby about shawarma being too dry.

He blinked. "Wait a second… Did I just learn Arabic? Instantly?!"

"Yes," the voice from earlier replied smoothly in his mind. "You're welcome. Mango System Premium includes one complimentary language pack. You're now fluent in Arabic. Please don't ask for a refund."

Hari stood up slowly, his jaw still slightly open. "Okay, that's... insane. What are you? Are you Siri's cousin? Are you ChatGPT's fruity brother? What even is this system? And why am I here?!"

"You're dead."

Hari froze. "I'm what."

"Dead. Expired. Mango chutney on the cosmic shelf of existence. Kaput."

"…Are you serious?"

"Yup. You swerved, your car flipped, and you hit a billboard for vitamin supplements. Very dramatic. On the bright side, the kid lived."

Hari sat back down.

"Also, and this is the part that's really funny," the voice added, "you wouldn't have hit the kid either way. He wasn't even on the road. You just… panicked."

Hari groaned, burying his face in his hands. "I died doing a full dramatic Bollywood swerve for no reason?!"

"Technically, yes. But hey, it looked heroic."

"…Please don't talk to me."

"Anyway," the voice continued, completely ignoring his plea, "the gods noticed your selfless stupidity and gave you another chance. Welcome to this parallel Dubai—a world astonishingly similar to your own, except it has zero mangoes. Not one. Not even a dried sliver."

Hari gasped. "Monsters…"

"That's where you come in."

"What do you mean?"

"You, Hari, have been chosen to bring the joy of mangoes to this mango-less world. To cultivate paradise from pulp. To plant seeds of hope in this barren soil of despair. You must complete a series of tasks the Mango System provides. Succeed, and you shall create your very own Mango Empire™."

Hari blinked. "Wait, wait, wait. You're saying... I died, got isekai'd to No-Mango Dubai, and now I'm supposed to... bring mangoes back?"

"Yes. And before you ask, no, you're not hallucinating. Yes, this is really happening. And no, there's still no refund policy."

Hari stood up dramatically, placing his hands on his hips. "Fine. If the gods want mangoes, then I'll give them mangoes! I'll make this city bloom with orchards so luscious the clouds will smell like mango nectar!"

"That's the spirit!"

"...Also, how do I get food? And money? And housing? I currently have the financial stability of a ripe banana left in the sun for three days."

"One task at a time, Mango Man."

Hari grumbled. "I better get a juice stand or something."

"In time. For now, your first task is simple: Find a place to sleep that isn't the sidewalk."

"…That's your task?"

"Yes. Complete it, and you'll unlock your first mango-related perk."

Hari stared at the sky.

So this was it. A new life. A new world. No money. No mangoes. No clue.

But he had a system.He had a mission.And by the gods, he would bring mangoes back—even if he had to sleep in a dumpster first.

He clenched his fists. "Alright. Let's do this."

And thus, the legend of Mango Man began.