[Godavarikhani – Next Morning, 2011]
The rooster crowed before the sun rose. Srinivas sat at his small study table, eyes wide open, notebook open to a blank page.
But this wasn't the old Srinivas who doodled logos out of boredom.
This version had purpose.
He drew a rough outline for a plan titled: "Operation Start-Up."
Underneath, he listed three columns:
Problems in town
What people need
What I can provide
His new skills were already sharpening his mind.
[Observation Boost Activated]
Subtle clue detected: neighborhood is experiencing frequent power cuts between 6 PM and 8 PM.
[Business Intuition Activated]
Opportunity: low-cost LED lamp rentals can become a local hit.
He smirked. "Nice. A candle is old-school… but a reusable LED lamp? That's gold."
Srinivas quickly added it to his plan. He remembered seeing those battery lamps in his previous life — cheap, bright, and in huge demand.
He would need ₹2000 to get started. Too big for now. But he was planting the seed.
[Later That Day – Junior College Campus]
Srinivas sat near the back benches, quietly observing students chatting, laughing, and complaining about classes. He wasn't here just for attendance.
He spotted a familiar face: Mahesh, the rich kid who bought samosas from him earlier.
Mahesh was laughing with his gang — Anil, Ravi, and Naveen — all local bullies in uniform.
"Bro, did you see how that balloon seller moved stalls after some random kid told him?" Mahesh sneered. "People think they're businessmen now."
Srinivas kept silent but noted the sarcasm. Mahesh was a loudmouth now, but in his previous life, he grew into a shady contractor. A potential threat.
[System Note]: Rival detected – Mahesh
Future relevance: high. Monitoring recommended.
Just then, someone bumped into Srinivas's bench.
"Sorry!" a soft voice said. A girl with large, determined eyes and glasses picked up her books.
"Let me help you," Srinivas said, handing her a file.
"Thanks," she smiled shyly. "I'm Madhuri. MPC batch."
He blinked. Madhuri... wait. That name... In his past life, she had dropped out mid-year due to family debt.
[Hidden Quest Available]
Help Madhuri avoid dropout. Deadline: Before Semester Exams.
Reward: Memory Enhancement Skill (Lv.1)
Srinivas grinned.
"The system's really not letting me rest."
But this was good.
He got up and walked toward the canteen. His mind was racing again—not just with ideas, but responsibilities. He wasn't just reborn for revenge or riches.
He was reborn to build a future.
[Meanwhile – Elsewhere in Telangana]
In Maibadh, Kamal stood near a temple ruin, hands bloodied from a fistfight. A single word echoed in his mind: Power.
In Eturnagaram, Pavan Raj stood barefoot on a cracked pitch, gazing at the rusted cricket stumps. His lips moved softly. "One more chance… that's all I need."