March 21, 1990 — Rural India, a New Dawn
The sun hadn't yet risen, but India was already awake.
All across the country — in villages nestled between wheat fields, beside rivers, near dusty roads — radios buzzed with life. Newspapers rustled open on doorsteps. Post offices were suddenly crowded. District offices hadn't even opened, but lines had already formed.
The nation wasn't waiting anymore.
Dusiya Village, Chhattisgarh
The village panchayat meeting hall — usually empty — was packed.
"We should write to the district collector," said the teacher, Sunita Devi. "If someone opens a food-processing unit here, I can guarantee ten girls who will study full-time if we have a school nearby."
One man stood up in the back. He was old, but the lines on his face were sharp.
"My son died building a city he never lived in. No more."
He pointed at the fields behind the village.
"We'll build the city here."
Kanpur, Engineering College
Student #2 had already left for West Bengal with a folder of blueprints and a copy of the speech taped to the inside.
Student #3 had spent the night debugging his moisture sensor."Version 2.1 — rural-tested. I'll manufacture this here."
Others stayed up, drafting partnerships. Sketching ideas.
In every dorm and hostel, a new phrase had emerged:
"If India is open… then we start today."
Delhi — Aryan's Office, 9:00 AM
Aryan sat in his chair reading impact summaries pouring in through telex, fax, and courier.
Ramesh entered, wide-eyed, holding a folder.
"Sir, you have to see this."
He handed Aryan a report.
118 new factory registration requests — in 24 hours.
40% in rural or backward districts.
21 foreign investment inquiry calls.
3 voluntary letters from NGOs offering to help with skill training.
Aryan raised an eyebrow.
"Is this… real?"
Ramesh nodded.
"Real and just the beginning. You kicked a tree, and mangoes are falling everywhere."
Aryan tapped his desk once, twice.
"Then it's time we gave these people a path."
Same Day — Internal Planning Room, PMO
Aryan called a closed meeting with four key ministers: Infrastructure, Rural Development, Finance, and Industry.
He stood beside a whiteboard and began sketching with a marker.
"We've removed the licenses. But now we must build the tracks before the train derails."
He drew three concentric rings.
"Three layers. Rural access zones. Let's call them 'Silver Roads' — internal village connectors. Then 'Gold Roads' — which connect villages into a cluster. And finally, 'Platinum Roads' — highways to the outside world."
Minister Mehra nodded.
"You're building a vascular system."
Aryan smiled.
"Not just roads. Alongside them: broadband cables, water lines, fiber optics, solar routes."
"Each hub — where a platinum road meets a cluster — will house a multi-node rural development center."
He turned to Rural Minister Dev Mehra.
"These hubs will hold:
Cold storage for perishables.
Agricultural research labs.
Vocational training centers.
Village welfare clinics.
Mini-banks and rural courts.
And a mobile business registration unit."
Mehra's eyes widened.
"PM sir… you want to build entire civilizations."
Aryan didn't blink.
"Yes. The world is building roads. We will build destiny."
New Proposal – BharatLink Expansion & Village Engineers
Aryan paced for a moment, then added:
"We'll train one road engineer per village — local youth. Each cluster gets five state engineers to guide and audit."
"They'll build the roads — piece by piece — like puzzle tiles. Faster, cheaper, owned by them."
"They build. They earn. They stay."
Finance Minister asked, "How will we ensure accountability?"
Aryan pointed to the board again.
"Each village gets a six-digit smart rural code — tied to services, industry presence, geography, and demography."
"Every project is geo-tagged. Every transaction traceable."
"No one's guessing what a village needs anymore. Banks will know. Planners will know. So will we."
Evening, March 21 — Radio Broadcast Begins
Without a camera. Without a teleprompter.
Just a microphone.
Aryan's voice came across All India Radio:
"My dear fellow citizens."
"This morning, I received reports of over 100 new factories applying for land across India."
"Most of them — for the first time — are not in cities."
"Our farmers are speaking the language of investment. Our students are becoming entrepreneurs. Our traders are becoming mentors."
"So now, we will walk with you."
"Starting April 15, we are launching the BharatLink Civil Cluster Program."
"We will map every village. Train its builders. Guide its plan."
"You will no longer wait for India to find you."
"Because now, India is coming to you."
Meanwhile — In the Villages
The word spread fast.
In Dusiya village, the headman stood up at the evening gathering and said:
"Register your names. If you're young and want to train in engineering, this is your time."
In Pune, at the tea stall, the old soldier tapped his cane on the ground.
"My friends. You asked what 'reform' means."
"It means that next year, our children might not have to leave home to earn a future."
Final Scene — Aryan at Home
It was late.
Aryan returned home and sat silently in the courtyard, sipping cold tea.
His mother noticed the tiredness in his face.
"Will it work?" she asked gently.
Aryan looked up at the sky.
"If it doesn't, I'll start again."
"But this time, they're not just hearing me... They're answering."
She placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Then that means it's already working."