Chapter 22: The Birth of the Inner Circle
Delhi — March 14, 2009 — 7:00 AM
The morning after Ajay's betrayal felt... different.
The city was the same —
buzzing rickshaws
honking horns
dusty sunlight slanting through the grey haze
But inside Shiva,
something fundamental had shifted.
He wasn't just building a game anymore.
He was building an army.
And the first step?
Create a core team he could truly trust.
Not friends out of convenience.
Not classmates who half-cared.
Real believers.
Real warriors.
Real visionaries.
An Inner Circle.
---
9:00 AM – Selecting the Few
Sitting cross-legged on his mattress, Shiva began making a list.
He thought hard about every name.
Not based on friendship.
Not based on popularity.
Based on one question:
> "When things fall apart, who still stands with you?"
Candidates:
Kunal — Marketer. Loud, brash, but fiercely loyal.
Abhishek (ZeroDay) — Hacker genius. Could build or break anything.
Riya — A shy design student Shiva had met at a college seminar. She had quietly sent him fan-art of Rickshaw Rush rickshaws drawn in different styles.
(Talent hidden under silence.)
Mohit — Senior year coder, obsessed with mobile gaming physics.
Farhan — A guy from the cybercafe who ran underground LAN tournaments.
Each one brought something unique:
Creativity
Code
Hustle
Street smarts
Diversity.
Skill.
Trust.
That would be the DNA of the Inner Circle.
---
11:00 AM – Private Invitations
Shiva didn't send mass invites.
He messaged each person individually.
Simple, direct:
> "Private project in development.
Top secret.
Potential to change everything.
You in? Meet today 5 PM, Old Library Hall.
No questions till then. — S"
No further details.
No explanations.
If they trusted him, they'd come.
If they didn't... good riddance.
---
5:00 PM – The Gathering
The Old Library Hall was dusty and mostly abandoned —
perfect for a secret meeting.
One by one, they arrived.
Kunal, still bouncing with energy.
Abhishek, carrying two laptops — "Just in case."
Riya, clutching her sketchbook nervously.
Mohit, adjusting his cracked spectacles.
Farhan, wearing a worn CS:GO t-shirt, smirking like he knew something nobody else did.
Six people.
One dream.
It felt small.
But powerful.
Like a tiny match about to ignite a wildfire.
---
5:30 PM – The Vision Speech
Shiva stood before them.
His heart pounded.
But his voice was steady.
> "Rickshaw Rush is not the end.
It's just the beginning.
I see something bigger:
Our own gaming studio.
Our own platform.
Games that rule not just India — but the world.
But I can't do it alone.
And I won't beg.
So if you're in — you're in.
All the way.
No betrayal. No leaks. No half-effort.
You work like warriors. You think like kings.
Because that's what we're building —
A kingdom."
Silence.
Heavy.
Electric.
Then... one by one...
They nodded.
No hesitation.
No fear.
They were in.
The Inner Circle was born.
---
6:30 PM – First Mission: Secure Rickshaw Rush
Their first task was simple but critical.
> Lock down Rickshaw Rush.
No more leaks.
No more sabotage.
Abhishek suggested:
Setting up a private Git server for code versioning.
Using watermarked builds for testing (so leaks could be traced).
Encrypting expansion packs until official release.
Farhan added:
Setting up secret forums only accessible via invitation codes.
Kunal planned:
Loyalty programs for top players to build a "citizen army" online.
Riya quietly proposed:
New branding designs that would make the original unmistakable.
Everyone contributed.
Everyone owned the mission.
It was no longer just Shiva's fight.
It was theirs.
---
March 15-17, 2009 — The Silent Revolution
For the next three days:
Shiva and Abhishek built a hidden infrastructure behind Rickshaw Rush.
Kunal created "Mission RR" street teams in college — players who would defend the game online.
Farhan recruited cybercafe owners to install Rickshaw Rush pre-installed on public computers.
Riya redesigned the game's logo:
A rickshaw framed by flames and wings, roaring forward.
The logo was symbolic:
Survival (flames)
Freedom (wings)
Speed (rickshaw)
Rickshaw Rush wasn't just a game anymore.
It was a banner.
A rebellion.
---
March 18, 2009 — Big Companies Notice
On the morning of March 18th, while checking his spam folder, Shiva nearly dropped his tea.
Subject:
> "Partnership Opportunity — Micromax Mobiles."
Micromax.
A rising Indian mobile company, desperate for local content to load onto their cheap Android phones.
The email was short and blunt:
> "Saw your Rickshaw game online.
Want to talk about licensing it for our devices.
Possible upfront payment + royalties.
Interested? Let's discuss. — R.P. Manager, Micromax Content Div"
Shiva stared at the screen.
Heart pounding.
This was real.
This was bigger than anything he had imagined.
---
9:00 AM – Inner Circle Council Meeting
By now, Shiva thought of the Inner Circle as his council.
He laid the email before them.
"What do you think?"
Debate exploded:
Kunal: "Huge exposure, man! We should jump!"
Abhishek: "Careful. Big companies can screw small devs."
Riya: "Maybe negotiate? Get guarantees of creative control."
Farhan: "Or... leak the Micromax deal rumor online to attract other offers."
Options swirled.
Decisions had weight now.
Consequences.
Shiva realized:
He wasn't just a coder anymore.
He was a leader.
---
11:00 AM – The Choice
Finally, Shiva made the call.
He would respond positively, but demand a meeting in person.
He would insist on non-exclusive licensing — so he could still control Rickshaw Rush elsewhere.
And he would bring Abhishek and Kunal to the meeting — to cover technical and negotiation aspects.
No rushing.
No begging.
If Micromax wanted Rickshaw Rush,
they would have to play by Shiva's rules.
This was no longer child's play.
This was war.
This was empire-building.
And Shiva was just getting started.
---
[End of Chapter 22]