The world was warm.
Not hot, like the smog-choked streets of Mumbai. Not cold, like the space between life and death. This warmth was... peaceful. Alive.
Aryan gasped as air filled his lungs—not the toxic fumes of Kalyug, but the pure scent of earth after rain, of cow dung fires, temple incense, and blooming kadamba trees.
He blinked.
Tiny limbs. Soft skin. A woman's arms cradling him.
He had been reborn—as a baby.
> SYSTEM ALERT
Host Consciousness: Active
Name: Aryan (Soul Retained)
Rebirth Location: Vrindavan, Dwapar Yug
Parental Assignment: Nandan (Potter), Yamini (Mother)
System Sync: 4%… 17%… 49%… Complete
Welcome, Aryan.
"Look at him, Nandan," said the woman—his new mother—her eyes shining with tears. "He smiled at me. Just like a little saint."
"Or a mischief-maker," said the man beside her with a chuckle. "Look at those eyes. He'll grow up like Krishna himself."
Aryan lay quietly in her arms, stunned.
Vrindavan.
Dwapar Yug.
He had actually been reborn.
The world outside their humble clay home echoed with laughter, flute music, and the mooing of cows. It wasn't the silence of some spiritual void. It was a living, breathing village, touched by divinity.
He tried to sit up. No good—baby body. This would take time.
---
Days Turn Into Weeks
Time passed oddly.
Even as a baby, Aryan retained his adult mind. He couldn't talk yet, but he could understand everything. He watched how people lived, how they honored the cows, offered flowers to the Yamuna, and sang songs of Krishna.
He was fed warm milk, bathed in sandalwood-scented water, wrapped in soft cotton. This new life was simple… but beautiful.
Every now and then, a soft chime would echo in his mind:
> SYSTEM UPDATE:
Minor Karma earned: +5 (Smiled at stranger)
Infant Milestone: Activated Emotional Awareness
Reward: Passive Skill – "Innocent Aura"
Innocent Aura? He didn't need it—he was literally a baby—but apparently, even babies had cheat codes now.
---
Age 3: The Meeting
On his third birthday, something strange happened.
He had grown enough to walk, talk in small sentences, and understand even more of the village dynamics. But today, Vrindavan seemed... louder.
Drums played. Girls sang. Flowers rained from baskets above. A special child was being brought to the village temple.
"Aa gaya! Krishna aa gaya!" a woman shouted.
Aryan's tiny feet padded across the dusty street as he peeked from behind a cart.
There he was.
A child, maybe four years old, with skin like dusk and eyes that held galaxies. He was riding on Nand Baba's shoulders, his peacock feather waving in the breeze.
Lord Krishna.
Aryan froze. Not in fear—but in awe.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, time stopped.
Krishna's face lit up with the warmest smile Aryan had ever seen.
He raised his hand—and gave Aryan a slow, knowing wave. Like greeting an old friend.
Aryan's System Interface pinged again:
> Divine Detection: Krishna (Vishnu Avatar) Recognizes You
New Quest Unlocked: "Walk Beside the Divine"
Reward: Unknown
Aryan bowed his head low, instinctively.
He didn't know what role he would play yet. But he knew one thing for sure:
He was exactly where he was meant to be.
---
To be continued in Chapter 3: "The System Awakens"