Somewhere in a Medical College, Bihar, India
9:00 PM
"Ha…"
A boy walked slowly down the dimly lit hostel corridor, a heavy bag slung across his back. It looked like it weighed a ton, but he carried it like it was nothing. That was Shon Sharma — 20 years old, second-year MBBS student. Hardworking, disciplined, and, by most standards, average. But "average" was a label he never accepted. Not in silence, not in spirit.
His phone buzzed. The screen lit up: Maa Calling.
Shon smiled faintly and answered.
Shon: Hello, Maa.
Mrs. Sharma: Hello, beta. How are you?
Shon: I'm fine, Mumma. How about you?
Mrs. Sharma: I'm good. So… how was your day?
Shon: Just the usual. What about you? Did you eat?
Mrs. Sharma: Yes, yes. I made your favorite dish for your sister.
Shon (perking up): Ohh? Didi is home? And don't even ask about my food — barely edible.
Mrs. Sharma: Then why don't you order something once in a while? You have to take care of yourself, Shon. Come home soon — I'll make everything you love.
Shon: I will, Maa. Exams are in two months. I'll come after that.
Mrs. Sharma: Okay, but please don't stress too much. Take care of yourself, beta.
They talked as Shon made his way back to the hostel. After hanging up, he stepped into his shared room. As usual, his roommate Raju wasn't there.
Raju came from money — lots of it. While technically assigned to the hostel, he lived in a private flat off-campus. Raju was smart, smooth-talking, and wildly popular among girls. His current girlfriend was Juhi, though it would probably change in a few weeks. He had a reputation — a womanizer who left chaos in his wake.
Shon, on the other hand, wasn't unpopular because of his looks. He had a decent face, sharp eyes, and a lean but toned physique from years of walking, lifting, and pushing through stress. But he didn't throw money around or seek validation. That alone made him invisible in the world of campus popularity.
After changing and freshening up, he lay down on his bed and opened the web novel app on his phone. Reading was his escape, especially mythological stories — they gave him something no textbook ever could: meaning.
His day started at 9 AM and stretched to 4 PM with nonstop lectures. Then, self-study in the library from 5 to 9 PM, with short breaks for food. After that, it was just him and his novels. His current obsession: Mahabharat.
He had read the original, cover to cover. Then came the fanfictions — dozens of them. The characters that haunted him most were Karna and Arjun. Karna, the outcast warrior with godlike talent but no name, no place. Arjun, the disciplined prince who bore the burden of glory and tragedy alike.
Karna's pain — his constant rejection — struck a deep chord in Shon. Yes, Karna had made mistakes, but how much of that was choice, and how much the cruelty of society?
And Arjun — the man who unknowingly killed his elder brother — how could anyone carry that weight?
After three hours of reading, he finally finished the fanfic he'd been following for days.
"Haa… Another one that makes Arjun a villain and twists the entire story. Why do they have to make one of them evil? Can't both be good and still have a tragic, powerful end?"
He sighed, set the phone aside, and began chanting softly. Gayatri Mantra. Om Namah Shivaya. Twenty-one times each. He had done this every night for the past ten years. It wasn't just a habit — it was armor. A ritual that gave him peace and prepared him for the next day's battles.
Shon was a devoted follower of Bhagwan Shiva — Mahadev. His strength, his silence, his rage, his calm — all things Shon looked up to.
Eventually, his thoughts returned to Mahabharat, swirling endlessly in his tired mind. Before long, he drifted off to sleep.
---
1:00 AM
Suddenly, the room filled with a blinding white light — not from any bulb or screen, but something otherworldly. It swallowed everything: the bed, the walls, the books, his body.
Then — silence.
Not the usual kind.
A cosmic silence. Timeless.
When the light faded, Shon's body still lay on the bed, eyes closed, unmoving. Peaceful. As if sleeping.
But his chest no longer rose and fell. No breath. No pulse.
His body remained in that hostel room — lifeless.
---
Elsewhere…
Soft warmth surrounded him. He couldn't move. He couldn't speak. Everything was muffled — heartbeats, distant voices, the rhythm of life. It was dark, yet calm.
He felt small. Weightless. As if floating in a pocket of safety.
He tried to stretch — couldn't.
He tried to speak — nothing.
He had no idea where he was.
No idea when he was.
---
Far beyond time, in a world ruled by kings and dharma, a soul stirred within a womb. A new life taking shape — destined for war, honor, and destiny. A new player in the great epic.
And far away in a medical college in Bihar, Shon's empty body lay untouched in the dark.
A soul had left its era.
And entered a legend.