The Game Before the World

Chapter 27 – The Game Before the World

Lucknow, December 1982

The winter sun cast long slanting beams across the tiled floor of Ajay's office. The slow whir of ceiling fans blended with the soft strains of Vividh Bharati playing on the radio—an old Lata Mangeshkar melody that floated like memory.

Inside the adjoining lab, the scent of flux mixed with the faint tang of solder. Wires snaked from breadboards to screens, and the occasional flicker of light buzzed from the first assembled arcade prototypes.

Bharat stood at the center of it all—eyes narrowed, fingers moving quickly over a hand-drawn interface plan. His small hands traced circuitry like it was a familiar language.

Ajay watched from the doorway, quietly stunned.

He's not just drawing—he's orchestrating. This isn't child's play anymore. It's vision in motion. This boy... he sees further than I ever did at that age.

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New Ground, New Questions

The morning had started with a milestone—their patent application had been filed.

But this was no ordinary filing.

Under Bharat's careful guidance, they'd broken the concept into multiple patentable components: the game's visual layout, the sound triggers, the outfit design of the pixel characters, the game's reward mechanism, and even the code logic for enemy behavior.

> "They'll try to copy everything—just change the outer shell," Bharat had explained earlier. "So let's lock down every bone, not just the skin."

Anil, their legal advisor, had raised an eyebrow but agreed. "It's bold—and it might just protect us better than any traditional route."

Ajay had smiled. This boy doesn't just build games. He builds shields for his ideas.

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Setting the Game in Motion

Later, the two prototypes were set for live testing.

One would be installed in an arcade in Hazratganj—a smoky hall with blinking bulbs and rows of imported Japanese machines. The other was going to a school in Aliganj, where feedback from students of varied age groups would be collected.

Ramesh, the workshop head, confirmed the details. "Arcade owner is excited. Says if it works, he'll replace two older machines with ours."

Ajay nodded. "Make sure the sound output is refined. No distortion."

"And keep video brightness on medium. Some kids have sensitive eyes."

Bharat added, "Also check button response lag. That could break immersion."

Ramesh grinned. "Haan haan, beta. It'll run smooth."

Outside the office, a chaiwala passed by yelling "Chana jor garam!", and a delivery boy entered with samosas wrapped in yesterday's Dainik Jagran. The scent of fried dough and printing ink filled the room—tangible reminders of the city outside their tech bubble.

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A Moment at Home

That evening, Bharat returned home to find the family gathered near the angithi for warmth. Dadi was serving hot puris with sabzi as the Doordarshan anchor read the news.

Rohan came bounding in.

"Bhaiya! I told Ramesh uncle your game will be more fun than the ones in Bombay!"

Dadi paused, ladle in hand. "Game? Bombay? What are you children talking about?"

Vandana chuckled. "Your grandson's invention, Amma. It's going for testing."

"Testing?" Dadi frowned. "Hum toh gehu chakki pe test karte the."

Bharat gently responded, "Dadi, this is a different kind of food. For the mind. For joy. If people taste it and like it... they'll come back for more."

She shook her head, half smiling. "Kya zamaana aa gaya hai... mitti ke bartan se digital khilaune tak."

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In the War Room: Ajay's Leadership

Back in the main office, Ajay gathered the team—Anil, Ramesh, two engineers, and the young designer from JJ School of Arts.

Ajay pulled out a marker and pointed at the whiteboard.

"This is our trial phase—but I want us to think bigger. Once this works, we scale up."

Anil leaned forward. "What's our contingency if some foreign company contests the design?"

"We're covered for now. But if someone files abroad, we'll need international registration. Bharat's breakdown patent strategy might buy us time."

One of the engineers asked, "And if feedback is poor?"

Ajay answered firmly, "Then we improve. We won't disappear—we'll evolve."

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Ajay's Inner Mission

After the meeting, Ajay walked through the quiet corridor alone. The hum of the generator echoed faintly.

He paused outside the design room where Bharat sat scribbling.

My company once ran on numbers, flowcharts, binary code. But now—it's running on stories. On imagination. And somehow... on love.

Ajay felt the weight of both pride and purpose.

What began with one boy's question has become a family movement.

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Closing Scene: Bharat's Notebook

That night, Bharat sat at his study table, flipping through his notes. He was quiet—unusually so. The evening wind rattled the old windows.

He wrote carefully on a fresh page:

> "Games are not just toys. They're stories, puzzles, mirrors. They teach, test, and transport."

> "Tomorrow we test. And the world will answer."

He underlined the last word.

Then paused.

And below that, in a smaller line:

> "What Ramayan did to television… our game might do to another world."