Chapter 5: Laying the Foundations
Delhi – February 18, 2009 – 5:00 AM
The cold morning breeze whistled through the half-open window, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and the distant clang of a vegetable seller's cart. Shiva awoke naturally, no alarm needed. The energy within him had long overtaken any need for an external push.
He washed quickly, pulled on a hoodie, and sat cross-legged at his small study table—his "command center." His mining rig was still purring contentedly, solving blocks silently in the background.
Today's mission was clear: produce, create, and expand.
He booted up his battered laptop and began work immediately.
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5:30 AM – The First Freelance Submission
He opened the article he had written late last night about solar energy. Re-reading it carefully, Shiva made minor edits—tightened sentences, improved flow, polished grammar. He wanted even this humble $3 gig to be perfect.
Satisfied, he uploaded the file to the freelancing portal and clicked "Submit."
Almost instantly, a message popped up from the client:
"Excellent work! Payment released. I have more articles if you're interested."
Shiva grinned.
First blood drawn.
He responded politely, expressing interest. Momentum mattered more than the money.
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6:30 AM – The Domain Hunt Begins
He switched gears, opening a list of domain registrars—Namecheap, GoDaddy, others.
In 2009, valuable domains were still within reach for those who knew where to look.
He brainstormed:
FutureEcommerce.in
StudySmart.in
CryptoBuzz.in
SolarGenius.com
Most were either available or dirt cheap.
He bookmarked dozens of promising names, intending to purchase a few once he had accumulated enough freelance earnings.
Each domain was like a plot of virtual land—one day to be developed, flipped, or monetized.
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8:00 AM – School – The Underground Network
At school, Shiva began building a different kind of empire.
He approached classmates with subtle offers: "If you need help with essays or science projects, I can do it—small charge."
At first, there was skepticism. But when he helped Priya Jain—one of the class toppers—polish her science fair project overnight, the word spread fast.
By lunchtime, Shiva had three students offering small payments for tutoring and assignments.
It wasn't about greed; it was about establishing leverage. Network effect.
He was becoming indispensable.
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2:00 PM – First Coding Session
After school, Rohit came over for the first "official" development session for Rickshaw Rush.
They sat cramped in Shiva's tiny room, the old ceiling fan spinning lazily above them, papers and rough sketches strewn around.
Rohit handled the basic game physics, while Shiva designed sprites—a colorful rickshaw, obstacles like potholes and cows, power-ups like turbo boosts.
They laughed at the absurdity of their designs, but both understood the truth:
Simple. Addictive. Viral potential.
They agreed to complete a working prototype within a month.
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6:00 PM – Parental Questions
That evening, Shiva's father noticed the extra hours he spent at the computer.
"Kya kar raha hai itne time se? Homework?"
"Haan Papa, thoda extra research. Science competition ke liye," Shiva replied smoothly.
Half-truths, he mused, were the currency of revolutionaries.
His father grumbled but let it pass. As long as Shiva's grades remained excellent, he wouldn't interfere.
Perfect, Shiva thought. Stealth mode engaged.
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9:00 PM – Deep Research
At night, after the family slept, Shiva indulged in his true passion: deep dives into the future.
He read obscure forums about mobile application development trends, studied the upcoming launch of Android devices, and skimmed through tech investment forums where whispers of "crypto" and "blockchain" were beginning to appear.
He made a list of early trends to capitalize on:
Mobile-first websites
Digital payment wallets
Educational apps
Health monitoring wearables
Renewable energy solutions
He also learned the basics of SEO (Search Engine Optimization), realizing that whoever could master Google's algorithms would own the internet.
Knowledge hoarded was power delayed. Knowledge applied was power unleashed.
Shiva had no intention of hoarding.
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11:00 PM – The Promise
Before sleeping, he opened his journal.
Daily Summary:
Completed first freelance job
Bookmarked valuable domain names
Secured small tutoring deals
Progressed Rickshaw Rush prototype
Researched mobile future
Tomorrow's Plan:
Find free online Java courses
Buy prepaid internet dongle (invest in independence)
Begin first anonymous blog post: "The Future of Mobile Commerce in India"
Sketch 5 more game ideas
He paused, staring at the last empty line.
Then he wrote a promise:
"I will not waste this second chance. I will build a future so bright it will blind fate itself."
The city outside slept on, unaware of the boy quietly, steadily, rewriting destiny in a room lit only by dreams and a flickering computer screen.
The empire had not yet risen.
But its foundations were being laid, brick by brilliant brick.
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[End of Chapter 5]