Chapter 25: Unleashing the Beast
Delhi — March 30, 2009 — 7:00 PM
The evening smelled of dust, sweat, and burning ambition.
Inside Shiva's cramped room, the Inner Circle sat in stunned silence after hearing about GameNode's move:
Free mobile recharges for downloading Rickshaw Rampage.
Money was a powerful weapon.
Especially when aimed at broke college kids.
For the first time, a hint of fear showed on Farhan's face.
"They're gonna flood the market, bro," he said.
Abhishek shook his head.
"No way we can match that cash. They'll crush us."
Even Kunal — stubborn, bullish Kunal — looked rattled.
"Maybe we should just... ride the wave? Stay small?"
Shiva didn't speak.
Not at first.
He stood up.
Paced the tiny room.
Thought hard.
Faster than most people could even panic, he was calculating.
> "They have money.
We have loyalty.
They have coupons.
We have rage."
He turned sharply, eyes burning.
"No," he said.
Voice cold.
Final.
> "We don't retreat.
We escalate."
---
7:30 PM — Birth of Operation Inferno
Shiva outlined the new plan, scribbling furiously on the whiteboard:
1. Expose GameNode's Cheap Tricks
Leak inside stories hinting that GameNode's recharge offer was fake for many users.
Create memes mocking Rampage players as "recharge beggars" and "sellouts."
2. Double Down on Underground Loyalty
Launch "Rickshaw Rush Loyalty Drive."
Players who posted screenshots proving they reached certain high scores would get custom wallpapers, forum badges, and shout-outs from Shiva himself.
3. Mystery Gift Drops
Drop secret APK updates.
Players who updated first would unlock a legendary rickshaw skin — Golden Tiger — only 100 copies worldwide.
4. Strategic Alliances
Partner with small cybercafes, t-shirt printers, and local hostel messes.
Offer tiny incentives — free Rickshaw Rush merch — for promoting the game inside campuses.
Minimal cost.
Maximum street cred.
Kunal leaned back, whistling low.
"This is madness."
Shiva grinned.
"Exactly."
---
March 31, 2009 — Operation Inferno Begins
First strike: The Memes.
Within 24 hours:
Dozens of satirical memes flooded Orkut groups and gaming forums.
Cartoon strips showing Rickshaw Rampage players begging for ₹10 recharges.
Bold slogans:
> "Real gamers don't sell out. They ride. They rush."
"Money can't buy skills. Only loyalty wins races."
Fans loved it.
Laughed.
Shared.
Owned it.
Rickshaw Rush wasn't just a game anymore.
It was an identity.
A rebellion against sellout culture.
---
Second strike: The Loyalty Drive.
Players started flooding the Mission RR forums, posting high-score screenshots.
Top 100 scorers got legendary "Turbo Boost" decals.
Top 10 scorers received hand-written letters from Shiva himself (Riya helped design them beautifully).
> "Bro, I can't believe I got a letter from Shiva! This is better than any recharge coupon!"
The emotional connection deepened.
Fans weren't playing Rickshaw Rush anymore.
They were living it.
---
April 2, 2009 — Clash of Titans
The AppBazar charts updated again:
Rickshaw Rush: #2.
Rickshaw Rampage: #5.
Victory tasted sweeter this time.
Because it wasn't bought.
It was bled for.
Earned in alleys and hostels and cracked-screen Nokia phones.
But Shiva wasn't celebrating yet.
He knew the war wasn't over.
If anything...
It was just evolving.
---
April 3, 2009 — Enter the Snake
A message landed in Shiva's inbox.
Short. Sharp.
Anonymous Gmail account.
Subject: "An Offer You Can't Refuse"
> "Drop Rickshaw Rush.
Come join GameNode Studios.
₹5 lakh signing bonus.
A team of developers under your command.
Your own project line.
Answer within 48 hours.*"
It wasn't just an offer.
It was an attack.
An attempt to gut the heart of Rickshaw Rush.
Buy the king.
Collapse the castle.
Shiva read it twice.
Then again.
His fingers twitched with the temptation of ₹5 lakh.
More money than his father made in three years.
The logical part of his brain whispered:
> "Take it. Set yourself up. Build quietly."
But his soul —
the battered, hungry soul of Shiva from Trilokpuri streets —
screamed something else.
> "If you sell out once, you'll sell out forever."
He looked up at his team —
Kunal, Farhan, Abhishek, Riya —
laughing together, planning more chaos.
Family.
Not employees.
Not fans.
Brothers and sisters in arms.
He clicked "Reply."
Typed only two words:
> "Not interested."
And hit Send.
---
April 5, 2009 — A New Fire Awakens
Shiva woke before dawn.
Went to the rooftop alone.
Delhi's polluted sky blushed with the first weak rays of the sun.
Traffic hummed below.
The city never slept.
Neither could he.
He pulled out his battered notebook.
A new heading.
All caps.
Heavy ink.
> THE RICKSHAW EMPIRE: MASTER PLAN
Under it, he wrote:
Expand into new cities: Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata
Launch spinoff games: Rickshaw Rush: Monsoon Madness
Partner with telecom companies for zero-data versions
Build an offline Rickshaw Rush championship
Open a YouTube channel for player highlights
This wasn't about one game anymore.
It was about building a kingdom.
And Rickshaw Rush was just the first flag planted in enemy soil.
> "They tried to buy me.
They tried to bury me.
Now I'll build something they can never destroy."
He closed the notebook.
Eyes sharp.
Heart heavy with unstoppable fire.
The boy was gone.
The king had risen.
---
[End of Chapter 25]