Chapter 31: Building the Fortress
May 9, 2009 — 11:00 AM — Farhan's Living Room
The room was a mess.
Half-eaten biscuits, chai cups, blueprints, crumpled receipts — all scattered across the floor.
A whiteboard leaned against the wall, filled with frantic writing:
> "Name?"
"Structure?"
"Bank Account?"
"Legal Shields?"
Shiva stood in the center, whiteboard marker in hand, barking orders like a general in battle.
"Farhan — find out how to register a Society or Club under Delhi University rules."
"Riya — we need a logo. Slick, clean, professional. No more street-kid vibes."
He turned back to the board.
First priority: Create something that looked legit — even if it was built with duct tape and dreams.
---
11:30 AM — The Name Game
Farhan flipped through a tattered notebook.
"What about... Gaming Legends Club?"
Riya made a face. "Sounds like a retirement home."
"What about eRush?" Riya suggested.
Shiva smiled slowly.
"No.
We keep it rooted.
Something simple, Indian, raw."
He scrawled on the board:
> "Rickshaw Rush Gaming Society"
It was perfect.
Familiar yet official.
Street-smart yet clean.
> "The same beast. Just with a nice shirt."
---
12:00 PM — The Registration Gauntlet
Armed with a stack of printed forms, Shiva and Farhan braved the monstrous chaos of the Delhi Registrar Office.
Sweaty clerks.
Lines snaking through corridors.
Bored babus demanding bribes without blinking.
Each counter threw a new obstacle:
"Where is your No Objection Certificate?"
"Where is the proof of address?"
"Where are the signatures of five founding members?"
Each time, Shiva adapted:
Borrowed a friend's uncle's address.
Printed fake meeting minutes at a nearby cyber café.
Roped in Farhan's cousins as 'founding members.'
By 4:00 PM, the final papers were stamped — after "donating" ₹500 into the inspector's lunch fund.
Rickshaw Rush Gaming Society was official.
Tiny.
Fragile.
But real.
---
May 10, 2009 — The Strategy
Back in the living room war room:
Shiva drew three circles on the whiteboard.
1. Core Army
2. Outer Circle
3. Public Front
Explaining:
Core Army: Trusted friends who knew the real plan.
Outer Circle: Casual players and volunteers.
Public Front: Media face, posters, campus booths — all clean, friendly, and bulletproof.
If GameNode tried to sue or raid them now, they'd only be attacking a legal student club — and that would make them look like bullies.
Riya clapped.
"This is genius!"
Farhan grinned.
"When do we start?"
Shiva grinned wider.
"Now."
---
May 11–15, 2009 — The Recruitment Blitz
They hit the streets:
Put up cheap posters in every college canteen.
Held mini-tournaments on dusty basketball courts.
Offered free chai and vada pav at sign-up booths.
Pitched Rickshaw Rush like it was the coolest rebellion ever.
Everywhere, the message was the same:
> "Play. Race. Rule.
Join Rickshaw Rush.
The Streets Are Yours."
Hundreds signed up within days.
> Commerce kids.
Art students.
Engineering nerds.
Backbench dreamers.
By May 20th, Rickshaw Rush Gaming Society had over 700 registered members.
700!
An army.
A movement.
A ticking bomb.
---
Meanwhile — Across Town
At the sleek glass offices of GameNode India, Vikram Sethi sat in a conference room, holding a report.
His face was tight with anger.
"Sir," he said into his headset, "we have a problem."
A cold voice on the other side answered:
> "Then fix it."
---
May 22, 2009 — An Invitation to War
That evening, as Shiva packed up after a university tournament, a young man in a cheap suit approached.
He handed over a thick envelope and vanished into the crowd.
Inside:
An invitation card.
Embossed with the GameNode logo.
> "You are invited to the Launch Gala of GameNode StreetKings — Delhi's First Official Street Racing Game Championship.
Grand Prize: ₹5 lakh.
Location: Hotel Le Méridien.
Date: June 15, 2009."
Shiva stared at the card.
> "They're copying us."
"They're scaling it up."
"And they think they can erase us with money and flash."
He smiled.
A thin, dangerous smile.
> "They want war?"
"I'll give them war."
---
Midnight — Shiva's War Council
Under flickering tube lights, Shiva addressed his core team.
His voice was low.
Burning.
"GameNode is rich.
We're fast."
"They have lawyers.
We have fighters."
"They built a castle."
He paused, smiling coldly.
"We'll burn it to the ground."
The room erupted in cheers.
---
Mission Statement for the Next Phase:
> "STEAL THEIR PLAYERS.
STEAL THEIR GLORY.
STEAL THEIR CROWN."
And so, the underground war for Delhi's streets was officially declared.
---
[End of Chapter 31]