A week after the laptops were distributed, Warangal's silence shattered.
Not with riots. Not with slogans. But with a question whispered through school corridors, youth clubs, teacher lounges, and WhatsApp groups:
"Who gave us all this?"
No banner.No MLA speech.No political party flexing on a mic.
Just brand-new laptops in hundreds of poor hands… with no one to thank.
And every time someone tried to find the source, the same name came up:
"Some company called Xylon."
In the college canteen, Supriya scrolled through Instagram posts showing students receiving laptops with tearful smiles.
"Another Xylon drop," the caption read.#SpendGodwas now trending.
She tilted her phone. Brows furrowed.
Across the table, her friend Riya was sipping cold coffee.
"I'm telling you, this Xylon guy? Has to be some businessman with a guilt complex. Maybe a CEO whose son failed school or something."
Supriya said nothing.
Riya smirked."Or maybe it's some sad, rich loner trying to impress his ex."
Supriya gave a forced chuckle.But inside, something twisted.She had been getting that odd feeling for days , like a thread she let go was pulling tight behind her.
That evening, she found herself staring at an old photo in her gallery.It was her and Nishanth, eating kulfi under a streetlamp.He had no car. No fame. But his eyes were steady.
She had posted it with the caption: "My peace in chaos."The photo was deleted a week later. Replaced by mirror selfies in Karan's imported car.
Elsewhere, Nishanth was seated in a minimalist conference room atop a rented office space — his temporary base until Xylon's central tower construction was completed.His black shirt sleeves were rolled. His laptop was open. His assistant, a 23-year-old civil engineer from a small village named Adarsh, stood beside him with a project file.
"Sir, the orphan housing project in Kothawada Phase-1 is done. Thirty-eight families have already moved in. Two more by tonight."
Nishanth nodded once. "Good. Upload their utility ID cards to the Foundation Ledger. Issue ₹2,000/month grocery credits per family for the next six months."
"Anonymous again?"
"Always."
Adarsh smiled. He had joined Xylon because someone unknown had funded his failed college loan only to realize months later that the man behind the company had been the one he once called "brother" in the college library.
But Nishanth didn't treat him like a junior anymore.He treated him like a partner.
Karan Shekhawat was not having a good week.Three of his pending construction approvals had stalled. Two investors withdrew citing "instability" in the Warangal zone. And worst of all, a project he planned for a gated luxury township had just been acquired mid-bid by — who else?
Xylon Assets Pvt. Ltd.
"Who the f*** is behind this brand!?" he yelled, slamming his phone.
His assistant stood awkwardly."Sir… no confirmed name. But their bid outplayed ours by just ₹1. Only ₹1, sir."
"One rupee?!"
"Strategic. Symbolic. Press is already calling it 'The 1 Rupee Humiliation.'"
Karan clenched his jaw.He hated the name,he hated the silence and he hated how his father — Minister Shekhawat — had started getting calls about Xylon buying land near their legacy zones.
"I'll destroy this ghost," he muttered.
"What did you say, sir?"
"Nothing."
Meanwhile, in a quiet corner of the college library, Supriya sat scrolling through Reddit threads.
One post stood out:
r/IndiaBusinessLeaks"The man behind Xylon is likely under 25. Our source says he operates from Warangal and never attends public events. But every vendor who's worked with him says the same thing: he speaks few words — but every word sounds like it was already paid for."
She leaned back in her chair.Her hand trembled.
"No. It's impossible. He had nothing."
But her mind whispered:"Then again… you never really knew what he was capable of, did you?"
Back in his suite, Nishanth opened the system one more time.
[INFINITY SPEND PROTOCOL]
Current Spend Trail Balance: ₹2,00,00,000
Pending Suggestions:
– Launch Xylon Scholarships for 500 undergrad students– Buy controlling stake in local news channel silently– Fund temple renovation project in Ramaswamy's village– Acquire private shares in upcoming auction — ₹10 Cr ceiling
But Nishanth ignored all of it for now.
He walked to the window.
Looked at the horizon.
And whispered:
"I won't hide forever."
Supriya wasn't used to silence.Not the kind that clung to her thoughts even when she was surrounded by people. Not the kind that made her phone feel heavier when it didn't buzz. But ever since the Xylon rumors began, that silence followed her like a shadow.
And every time someone brought it up, her brain involuntarily whispered:
Could it be Nishanth?
She hated the question.But what she hated more… was that she couldn't say no with certainty.That day during class, her phone buzzed with a new notification.
Riya :"Girl, you NEED to see this."
Attached was a video link.
The title read:"Xylon Founder Buys Abandoned School, Turns It Into Tech Incubator Overnight"
Supriya opened it.What she saw, chilled her.
Children with slates were now coding with tablets.A building once full of cobwebs now had imported desks, clean water lines, solar grids, biometric entry, and smart boards.
A reporter was interviewing one of the teachers.
"Do you know who's behind this?"
"No idea. Some firm named Xylon. The man came once. Said nothing. Just observed. Then left."
The camera cut to blurry CCTV footage of a black-shirted man standing at the school gate. His back was turned. His hands in his pockets. But something about the way he stood made Supriya sit up straighter.
Her heart thumped.She zoomed in. Again.
"That..... that looks like..."
She shut the phone.Riya glanced at her.
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
But her voice betrayed her.
Meanwhile, in a sleek underground meeting room near Hanamkonda, Nishanth sat across three men in suits. All of them CEOs of mid-level construction and energy firms — the kind who once ignored his emails.
Now they were practically begging.
"We just want Xylon to consider joint development, sir," said one. "Warangal is yours now — no doubt."
Nishanth leaned back.His voice was calm. Flat. Even his silence made grown men nervous.
"No joint development," he said.
The room froze.
"I'll buy you out."
One of them gulped."But our company—"
"Will survive under Xylon. Or vanish beside it."
He stood up."You have 24 hours."
And he walked out.
Behind him, the door didn't even slam.
Outside the building, Adarsh was waiting beside the car.
"Sir, the news anchor from HyBiz wants a short interview."
"Decline."
"Says she'll offer ₹10 lakhs for just your voice. They want to brand you as the 'ghost billionaire.'"
Nishanth got into the car."Tell them I don't speak for free."
Adarsh grinned.He never got tired of this man's style.
Later that evening, in a Warangal mall café, Supriya sat with her cousin Shravan, who was visiting from Hyderabad.
"What's with the moody vibe?" he asked.
"Have you ever,... regretted someone?" she asked quietly.
"Plenty. But why now?"
"Nothing. Just been thinking. You ever heard of Xylon?"
Shravan raised an eyebrow."Who hasn't? Their name is being thrown around like they own half of Telangana. Wait, you're into this too?"
"No," she lied.
He leaned closer."You want my theory?"
"What?"
"Everyone thinks it's some silent NRI. But I think.... it's someone local. Someone who never forgot what this city did to him."
Supriya's lips parted slightly.
Shravan leaned back."I hope they do a face reveal soon. I'd love to see the look on Karan's face."
Supriya didn't respond.Because her stomach twisted at the idea.
At that same hour, Karan Shekhawat sat in a private poker room, downing his third drink, phone glowing with another news alert:
"Xylon Acquires Majority Stake in Stonebell Developers"
That was his family's rival.Now Xylon owned the land his father once wanted to turn into a resort.He tossed the glass.It shattered.
"I'll find him. I swear, I'll find the bastard doing this."
He didn't notice Supriya's message go unread.
And in a hotel suite lit only by city reflections, Nishanth reviewed a proposal file.
Project: Xylon Skill Campus — Free training + paid placements for underprivileged youth
Estimated Spend: ₹23,00,00,000Projected Impact: 10,000 students in 2 yearsVisibility: Anonymous
He tapped Approve.
The system flickered:
[Spend Path Activated: Youth Nation Mode]
Public respect rising. Direct identity still hidden.
Would you like to attach a message?
He typed:
"Your dreams were never too expensive. They were just ignored by the wrong people."
Signed:— The Spend King
And then, for the first time in days, Nishanth smiled.
TO BE CONTINUED.........................