A Company of Dreams
Here is the revised and expanded version of C.
Chapter 23: A Company of Dreams
The morning sun rose gently over Lucknow, casting a warm golden hue across the city's tiled rooftops and sleepy alleys. Ajay Singh turned the key to his newly acquired Yezdi motorcycle—a reward to himself after months of hard work and quiet sacrifice. The engine growled to life, steady and strong, just like the thoughts pacing in his mind.
Bharat's sketches were still folded in his coat pocket, softening the fabric against his chest. Each line drawn by his son held the pulse of a future—no, a futureS—painted not with crayons but with conviction. Ajay had barely slept. The echoes of his family's ideas—his mother's quiet determination, his father's vision, his siblings' relentless dreams—clung to his shoulders as he rode through the broad boulevards of the city.
He reached the red-brick building that housed his private company's new office in the Gomti Nagar extension—still developing, still untamed. The walls smelled faintly of fresh paint and ambition.
Inside, his long-time friend and colleague Anil Sinha was already waiting at the meeting table, flipping through last quarter's design plans.
"Ajay," Anil greeted, looking up with a smile, "You're early for a change. Something cooking?"
Ajay placed his leather bag on the table and pulled out a brown folder labeled in clean handwriting: Team Bharat – Vision 1982. He sat across from Anil, his fingers briefly grazing the sketches inside.
"I want to form a new division," he said.
Anil raised an eyebrow. "Another one? We're barely keeping up with the automation arm and rural tech team."
Ajay smiled faintly. "This one's different. It's not just one project—it's a family of departments."
He paused, then began unfolding the plans. "My mother wants better farming tools—tractors that don't collapse after two monsoons. My father sees the need for smart infrastructure and rural communication systems. Arjun wants lighter, affordable tech for soldiers in the field. Pooja needs real-time diagnostic tools that can scan for illness before it's too late. Raghav dreams of looms that think for themselves—producing better designs at less cost."
He looked Anil in the eye. "And Bharat... My son wants to create games that teach and thrill, for children and adults, and eventually… reshape the industry."
Anil leaned back, whistling low. "That's not a department. That's a revolution."
Ajay chuckled. "Then help me start it."
Anil tapped his pen thoughtfully. "Alright. Let's break it down. We'll need R&D for each sector, yes?"
Ajay nodded. "Here's how I see it. Tell me if I'm mad."
He began sketching boxes on a fresh sheet of paper:
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1. Rural Engineering and Agriculture Division
Goal: Create durable, affordable, locally repairable tools.
Lead Idea: Dadi's tractors, solar irrigation pumps, pest repellers, and village-based silos.
Local manufacturing hubs with mobile demonstration vans.
2. Public Infrastructure and Emergency Communication Unit
Goal: Tools for road tracking, smart post office equipment, emergency village boxes.
Lead Idea: Dadaji's vision—devices that let villagers report broken roads, poor service, or danger without needing a full network.
3. Medical Innovation Cell
Goal: Diagnostic machines for early disease detection, pregnancy tracking, and mobile clinics.
Lead: Pooja and field doctors in UP and Bihar.
Partnerships with BHU, AIIMS, and medical colleges.
4. Textile and Creative Design Lab
Goal: Smarter, faster, culturally-rooted fashion machines.
Lead: Raghav, with Nirmala as cultural design head.
Integration with small-scale weavers and city boutiques.
5. Film & Music Equipment Tech
Goal: Reduce cost of cameras, mics, mixers; create village-level studios.
Lead: Kavita and regional musicians.
Potential tie-ups with Doordarshan and new independent filmmakers.
6. EdTech and Learning Platform Team
Goal: Learning that repeats, revises, and supports home-based study.
Lead: Vandana's dream—students learning at their pace, not just in class.
7. Games and Entertainment Studio – Bharat Games
Goal: Create games by category: fun, educational, strategic.
Arcade models, home console-style units, and later, PC-based games.
First target: schools and small-town arcades.
Vision: A proud Indian gaming industry.
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Anil stared at the chart, then at Ajay. "This will take a dozen managers. A few crores in investment."
"I've been saving," Ajay said calmly. "We've had a good year. The automation projects brought in good clients. I want to use that money to fund these dreams."
Anil was quiet for a long moment. Then he leaned forward. "Alright, I'll help you draft the roadmap. But… which one starts first?"
Ajay thought about it. Then he opened Bharat's folded sketch again—the one with a simple console drawn by pencil and labeled: 'Learn & Laugh'—Games for Everyone.
"We'll start with the game studio," Ajay said. "That's Bharat's dream. And children… they deserve to see their ideas live."
Anil grinned. "Then let's build your company of dreams."
Outside the office window, the sun had risen fully over Lucknow. The city shimmered with dust and ambition, as if the streets themselves were eager to move forward.
And so was Ajay.