Hari woke up to the gentle sound of a cat screaming into a trash can.
"Ah," he mumbled, "nature."
His back ached. His dignity was somewhere in the gutter (possibly literally), and the city was already humming with energy. People with purpose. People with jobs. People with coffee.
Hari had none of these things.
Then, as if on cue, a translucent notification appeared:
[New Quest Unlocked!]Title: "Work Work Mango!"Objective: Obtain a job in Alternate Dubai.Reward: Mango Perk #2 – Mango Skin (slightly better sun resistance + mild fragrance).Bonus Objective: Don't get deported.
"Oh good," Hari muttered. "Finally, a quest that feels achievable. Ish."
Step 1: Try the Obvious
He walked into a café.
"Hello," he said confidently. "I would like to work here and earn your trust, admiration, and some currency."
The barista stared at him. "Do you have a resume?"
Hari blinked. "No, but I used to oversee 500 acres of mango orchards and once negotiated a peace treaty between rival farmer uncles."
The barista slowly reached for her phone.
Hari backed out.
Step 2: Play to His Strengths
He walked past a fruit stall and paused. There were apples, oranges, bananas... but no mangoes. Not even dried ones. An affront.
He approached the vendor, an older man with tired eyes and a sharp mustache.
"You need help?" Hari asked. "I know my way around fruit. Especially mangoes."
The man raised a brow. "There are no mangoes here."
"That's... kind of my whole trauma," Hari sighed. "But I can still lift crates and yell at customers politely."
The man shrugged. "Can you speak Arabic?"
Hari beamed. "Yes."
"Can you work twelve hours for 30 dirhams?"
Hari blinked. "...Emotionally, no."
"Then get lost."
Step 3: Random Hopeful Wandering
"Okay," Hari muttered after his seventh rejection and third pity banana. "We're going off-script."
He wandered into a strange alleyway. It smelled like spices and burning ambition. At the end, a small storefront gleamed with the name: "Falafel 2 Furious – Street Food Deluxe."
Hari stepped inside.
A burly man stood behind the counter, flipping patties with deadly precision. He wore sunglasses indoors, which screamed both confidence and unresolved emotional tension.
"You want falafel or work?" he grunted.
Hari straightened his back. "I want both."
The man squinted at him for a long second. Then tossed him an apron.
"You drop one plate, I drop you."
"Understood."
Several Greasy Hours Later…
Hari stood behind the counter, handing out falafel like a seasoned pro. Sweat dripped down his temple, but his soul felt light.
He had purpose. He had mildly burnt fingers. He had employment.
DING![Quest Complete!]Reward Unlocked: Mango Perk #2 – Mango Skin!You now smell faintly tropical and don't get sunburned as fast. It's not much, but it's mango-flavored progress!
Hari grinned, wiping hummus off his shirt. This wasn't the mango empire of his past.
But it was a start.
And somehow, in a mango-less city, that was enough until he got fired for dropping a plate.