The city was alive that morning, chaotic as always, like any Delhi morning:
Rickshaws honking, cars weaving through the streets,
Vendors shouting over the crowd, selling chai, samosas, and newspapers.
But I… I was in a hospital room.
White walls, sterile smell, monitors beeping.
The sheet on the bed folded slightly over my chest.
And me… staring at the flatline monitor.
No hero moment.
No cinematic soundtrack.
Just a fatigue so heavy, it almost felt comforting.
"If I had died today… would it even matter?"
The thought didn't scare me.
It didn't feel wrong.
It felt… strangely calm.
Then, right before my eyes, the monitor flickered—an unusual glow.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
Cause of Death: ACCEPTED
I let out a dry laugh.
"Wow… even hospital dramas are going full HD today."
Then—
[Do you wish to proceed?]
▶ YES
▶ NO
My hand trembled slightly.
But my heart… was oddly calm.
I pressed YES.
Instantly:
The monitors went silent
The ventilator paused mid-hiss
Nurses and doctors froze, confused
The air in the room turned slightly colder
And far beyond, the city seemed to pause—India Gate standing in quiet silence
Everything… stopped.
And then it hit me—
I wasn't dead.
I wasn't alive.
I wasn't even entirely here.
Then came the weight, the stillness, the truth settling in.
This hospital, this life… this chaos,
It was no longer mine.
It belonged to something else.
Something unseen.
Something that had been waiting.
Then, at the corner of the room, the monitor blinked again, a new pop-up appearing:
[SYSTEM MESSAGE — FEMALE VOICE]
"Bua… she's waiting for you…"
I raised my eyebrows and muttered, a small smirk forming:
"Bua… my bua… Chill, bro, the world hasn't killed me, why are you freaking out?"
And then, the screen's glow faded.
The room returned to normal.
But inside… something had changed.
And just like that, Chapter 1 ended. To Be Continued