Chapter 24: The First True War
Delhi — March 22, 2009 — 8:00 AM
The news spread faster than wildfire.
"Rickshaw Rampage" was everywhere:
Billboards at metro stations.
YouTube ads before popular cricket clips.
Posters splashed across Delhi University walls.
Big money.
Big celebrities.
Big noise.
Meanwhile, Shiva's "Rickshaw Rush" was still spreading like a secret underground cult — loved fiercely by those who found it, but still too small to dominate.
It wasn't a fair fight.
But Shiva knew something GameNode Studios didn't.
> "Speed beats size.
Heart beats hype.
Street beats studio."
And street fighting was Shiva's specialty.
---
9:00 AM — Emergency Council Meeting
The Inner Circle assembled at the usual place — Shiva's cramped room.
No formalities.
No greetings.
Straight to war talk.
Farhan dumped a pile of printed screenshots on the floor.
"Check this," he said, disgusted.
Rickshaw Rampage's gameplay looked flashy.
But it was hollow — mindless tapping, cheap explosions, zero soul.
No emotional hook. No real India feel.
"They're all noise," Abhishek said. "We're the heart."
Shiva nodded grimly.
"But noise sells."
Kunal thumped his fist on the floor.
"We can outsmart them! Screw their money!"
Riya whispered, almost shyly:
"...maybe we can make Rickshaw Rush feel bigger than it is.
Make people fight for it."
Everyone turned to her.
An idea sparked.
Underground revolution.
If they couldn't outspend Rickshaw Rampage...
They would out-love it.
---
10:00 AM — Operation: Street Kings
Shiva outlined the new plan.
Step 1: Guerrilla Advertising
Paste hand-drawn Rickshaw Rush posters near college canteens, cybercafes, metro exits.
Make them look unofficial — like secret graffiti.
Step 2: The Citizen Army
Recruit Rickshaw Rush fans from the Mission RR forums.
Arm them with sticker packs, slogans, memes.
Encourage them to "claim" areas — libraries, hostels, juice stalls — with Rickshaw Rush branding.
Step 3: Viral Trolling
Subtly mock Rickshaw Rampage online:
"Real rickshaw lovers ride Rush, not Rampage."
"Explosion? Bollywood? Meh.
Real Delhi traffic is the real boss fight."
Memes, inside jokes, sly comparisons.
Step 4: Secret Rewards
Hidden levels in Rickshaw Rush activated only for players who scan secret QR codes hidden in real-world posters.
Players who unlocked them got "Elite Driver" status on the forums.
A movement.
A rebellion.
A game inside the game.
---
March 23–25, 2009 — The Movement Ignites
It started slow.
Five stickers here.
A scribbled Rickshaw Rush logo on a hostel noticeboard there.
But by the third day...
It exploded.
Cafeterias had rickshaw doodles on walls.
Auto drivers near DU wore free "Rickshaw Rush" caps.
Stickers on back of cybercafe chairs.
Facebook groups where players posted selfies with "Rush spots."
The underground vibe worked.
Rickshaw Rush became a badge of authenticity.
Rickshaw Rampage became a poser brand for rich kids.
People started choosing sides — proudly.
And Rickshaw Rush was winning the soul of the players.
---
March 26, 2009 — The Big Break
That afternoon, Kunal burst into Shiva's room, gasping.
"Bro — you won't believe it.
MTV India just posted about Rickshaw Rush!"
He shoved his phone under Shiva's nose.
A grainy clip.
Two MTV VJs racing each other in Rickshaw Rush on a micromax demo phone.
Laughing, joking, hyping it.
> "Forget expensive explosions —
THIS is the real India experience, man!"
Hundreds of comments.
Thousands of shares.
Shiva sat back.
Let it sink in.
> "Underground had gone mainstream."
Not by buying attention.
But by earning loyalty.
---
March 28, 2009 — First Blood
The official AppBazar (India's emerging app market) charts updated.
Rickshaw Rush: #3.
Rickshaw Rampage: #11.
Victory.
Sweet, undeniable.
A wave of celebration rolled through the Inner Circle.
But Shiva didn't cheer too long.
He knew how war worked.
> "Win the battle.
Prepare for the counterattack."
And sure enough,
it came sooner than expected.
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March 30, 2009 — GameNode Strikes Back
Farhan burst into Shiva's room this time.
Not with good news.
"Bro — GameNode's dropping free recharge coupons to anyone who downloads Rickshaw Rampage!"
Cash incentives.
Bribery.
Hard to fight that with stickers and memes.
The battlefield was shifting again.
The enemy wasn't playing fair.
And Shiva realized something dark:
> "If you want to rule,
you can't always play nice."
He closed his laptop slowly.
Gave his team a grim smile.
"Alright," he said softly.
"No more defense.
Now we attack."
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[End of Chapter 24]