Mar 11–Mar 25, 2016
"The Man Who Built Mountains"
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The Rural Rally
March 15th, 2016.
The hills of Arunachal Pradesh were alive with drums.
Bright cloth banners stretched between pine trees, their edges fluttering in the spring breeze. Villagers had gathered in thousands, men in traditional woven jackets, women with strings of beads, children running barefoot through the grass.
It wasn't every day a company brought roads through the mountains. For generations, these valleys had been cut off during winter — weeks with no medicine, no trade, no contact. Now, trucks rumbled through freshly bored tunnels even as villagers danced in celebration.
A wooden stage had been erected near the new tunnel mouth, festooned with marigold garlands. On it stood the man everyone wanted to see: Arjun Rao, CEO of Bharat InfraWorks.
Of course, it wasn't truly him.
The real master — the MC — stood in the crowd in plain clothes, unrecognized, his parents seated quietly beside him. His humanoid creation, Arjun Rao, was the one on stage, programmed with subtle smiles, gentle pauses, and a voice deep enough to command attention.
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Arjun Rao Speaks
When the drums quieted, Arjun Rao stepped forward. Cameras clicked; local TV crews leaned in.
> "Brothers and sisters of the mountains," he began, voice calm, "this land is your home. For too long, the rest of India has been too far. Now, no storm, no snow, no river can cut you off."
The crowd erupted in cheers.
The MC, hidden in the back, watched closely. Perfect modulation. Every pause measured. They see him as human.
Arjun Rao raised his hand slightly, the gesture dignified yet warm.
> "These tunnels are not mine. They are yours. Every stone cut was for your children, your families, your futures."
An old villager wiped tears. Mothers pulled their children closer. In that moment, Bharat InfraWorks wasn't just a company — it was hope carved into stone.
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Side POV – The Student
Among the crowd was Rohit Mehra, the same engineering student from Kanpur who had watched the news weeks ago. Against all odds, he had scraped together money for a train ticket, traveling two days and nights just to see the man behind the tunnels.
Now, standing among villagers, he stared at Arjun Rao with shining eyes.
So it's true… this company is real. It's not some corporate lie. Look at them — look at the joy on these people's faces.
When Arjun Rao finished his speech, Rohit whispered under his breath:
> "One day… I'll work for him. Whatever it takes."
That vow, unnoticed by the MC at the time, would ripple into the future.
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The Hidden Master
While the crowd surged forward, eager to shake Arjun Rao's hand, the MC slipped quietly into the shadows of a nearby tent. Inside, a private monitor showed the stage from multiple angles — Aarya feeding him real-time analysis.
> Aarya: "Approval rating among locals — 98%. Emotional response detected in 73% of crowd members. Several local officials considering future political endorsements."
> MC (smiling faintly): "Good. Let them see a savior. The more they trust him, the less they will ever question me."
His father entered the tent quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder.
> "Beta," he said softly, "you've done something even governments couldn't. Look at their faces. You've given them pride."
The MC bowed his head. His father didn't know the half of it — the secret machines, the hidden dimension, the web of deceptions. But in this moment, he let the praise sink in.
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Political Presence
At the edge of the stage sat district officials — men in khadi jackets, women in crisp saris, their expressions carefully neutral.
They applauded when the cameras turned, but among themselves, whispers grew.
> "Who funds this company?"
"We don't know his investors. Everything is hidden."
"Still… if he can build roads in these valleys, he will be politically untouchable."
The MC overheard fragments of these whispers as he passed unseen. He filed them away.
> Power is not only about machines. It is about perception. And today, they perceive me as a nation-builder.
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Side POV – A Villager's Memory
Later that evening, as the celebrations wound down, an old woman sat outside her hut, watching the last trucks drive through the glowing tunnel.
She spoke to her granddaughter, voice cracked but proud.
> "When I was your age, winter meant death. We stored grain, prayed we wouldn't fall sick. Now look — lights in the mountains, roads that breathe through stone. They say this Rao-ji made it. Perhaps he is sent by the gods."
Her granddaughter looked up, eyes wide, and whispered:
> "Then I will pray for him too."
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The First Public Image
On March 20th, newspapers across India splashed the same photograph across their front pages:
Arjun Rao, standing with villagers, marigold garlands around his neck, smiling faintly as children tugged at his sleeves.
The caption read:
"The Man Who Built Mountains."
For millions of Indians who had never heard of Bharat InfraWorks before, this was their first introduction.
Some saw a patriot. Others saw a mystery. But everyone now knew the name.
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Closing Scene – Quiet Reflection
That night, back at the estate, the MC stood on his balcony, lanterns glowing in the orchard below. His parents laughed softly over tea inside.
Snowflakes drifted down, melting against the dark stone railing.
> "Aarya," he murmured, "today they saw Arjun Rao as a savior. Tomorrow, they will see him as indispensable. Step by step, we bind ourselves into the fabric of this nation."
He exhaled, his breath misting in the cold.
> "And when the world finally turns its eyes here… they will not be ready."
The mountains were silent, but in his heart, he heard them echo back.
The empire has begun.
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