Chapter 32: Swords, Fruits, and Broken Chains
May 23, 2009 — 8:00 AM — Farhan's Rooftop, South Delhi
The first rays of the sun crept over Delhi's dusty skyline.
Shiva sat cross-legged, a battered laptop balanced on his knees, a steaming cup of chai at his side.
Next to him, Farhan snored loudly under an old blanket.
Shiva wasn't sleeping.
He was building.
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8:30 AM — A New Weapon
Last night's war council had opened his mind:
GameNode would throw money, events, celebrities.
Shiva needed something different — something so simple, so addictive, so universal that it would spread faster than any advertisement.
> "Not everyone can race rickshaws."
"But everyone can swipe their fingers."
He opened a blank Unity 3D project.
Started typing furiously.
In his mind's eye, he pictured it:
> A clean black screen.
Colorful fruits flying up in graceful arcs.
Players slicing them midair with finger swipes.
Explosions of juice.
Satisfying "swoosh" sounds.
Simple.
Fast.
Unstoppable.
Fruit Ninja.
But this would be his version — built in a hot, dusty rooftop in Delhi, powered by tea and madness.
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10:00 AM — First Blood
The prototype was ugly.
Bananas that looked like mutant worms.
Watermelons exploding with glitchy squares.
A sword swipe that sometimes crashed the app.
But it worked.
Swipe.
Slice.
Score.
Over and over.
Shiva laughed aloud, startling a pigeon into flight.
> "It's working."
Not perfect yet — but the core feeling was there.
Addictive.
Joyful.
Primal.
He scribbled notes feverishly:
Add sword sound effects.
Fix banana art.
Add combos for multiple fruits sliced.
Avoid bombs — penalties!
His brain raced faster than his hands could type.
> "This isn't just a game."
"It's a virus."
He could release it in Rickshaw Rush events, get hundreds hooked — fast.
It would spread to cyber cafes, then colleges, then the whole city.
> "Beat GameNode not by fighting harder."
"Beat them by fighting SMARTER."
---
May 24, 2009 — 2:00 PM — Testing Phase
Shiva gathered a group of college students at a dusty university park.
No fancy setups.
Just:
An old Android tablet borrowed from a cousin.
A cheap booth with hand-painted sign: "FREE GAME TESTING — WIN COLD DRINKS!"
The crowd was small at first.
Then someone screamed:
> "BRO THIS IS SOOO ADDICTIVE!!"
Soon a line formed.
Students laughed, gasped, swiped furiously at flying fruit.
Watermelon juices sprayed across virtual screens.
Combo bonuses popped with neon fireworks.
It didn't matter that the graphics were basic.
The feeling was pure magic.
By evening, Shiva had handed out 100 free APK files via Bluetooth to random phones.
Operation Fruit Storm had begun.
---
Meanwhile — GameNode's Counterattack
At the same time across town, GameNode launched StreetKings with full page ads:
Glossy posters at metro stations.
Paid influencers praising the "only real racing championship."
Whisper campaigns accusing Rickshaw Rush of being "illegal" and "unsafe."
The media parrots clucked.
Articles popped up:
"Are Underground Games Threatening Delhi's Youth?"
"Dangerous Racing Craze: Students at Risk."
> "They're trying to scare people away from me."
"Typical corporate play."
But Shiva smiled.
Because every day, hundreds more phones buzzed with:
"Install Fruit Ninja? (Bluetooth Transfer)"
"Accept Fruit Ninja Game?"
The virus was spreading faster than GameNode could plant fear.
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May 25, 2009 — The Masterstroke
Inside a smoky cyber café in Lajpat Nagar:
15 sweaty students gathered.
Racing laptops beeped.
Chai spilled onto keyboards.
Shiva unveiled the final twist:
> "Play Fruit Ninja Tournament — Top 5 Winners Get VIP Entry into Rickshaw Rush Main Event!"
Instant madness.
People slashed fruits with monk-like intensity, chasing leaderboards, cheering wildly.
The street racers wanted a break.
The casual players wanted in.
> Fruit Ninja bridged the gap.
Now, everyone had a way to join Rickshaw Rush.
---
May 28, 2009 — The Numbers
Over 1,000 installs across three universities.
Over 400 new signups to Rickshaw Rush Society.
Fruit Ninja tournaments popping up without Shiva even organizing them.
An unstoppable chain reaction.
He leaned back against the Maruti 800, grinning at the sunset.
> "You can't bribe joy."
"You can't sue happiness."
"You can't kill a virus made of smiles."
GameNode had money.
Shiva had magic.
And magic, once unleashed, could never be bottled again.
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[End of Chapter 32]