On the fifth floor of an old building, inside a small room, stood a single Indian-style bed, a wooden cupboard, a laptop table, and a study desk.
On the bed, a young man lay fast asleep.
He shifted slightly, yawned, and slowly opened his eyes.
Sitting up, he stretched his tall, fit body. He looked to be in his early twenties — handsome, around six feet tall, with a neat beard and wheatish Indian skin.
Suddenly, a loud voice echoed from the other room.
"Hurry up! It's almost time for college!"
The young man frowned. "Yeah, coming!" he shouted back, irritation on his face.
But then he sighed deeply, forcing a smile.
He walked to the window, pulled the curtain aside, and looked out.
Despite it being nine o'clock, the sky was still dark. The clouds hung heavy, and it looked like rain could fall any minute.
He walked over to the dining table, where his mother placed a hot cup of tea and a paratha in front of him. She looked surprisingly young for her forties — graceful, beautiful, and sharing the same features as her son.
"You didn't go to college yesterday because of the rain," she said. "Today you'll go, or I'll tell your father."
He replied while chewing, "Yeah… umm… I'll go, don't tell Dad."
"Did Misty go to school?" he asked.
"Yes," his mother said firmly. "Unlike you, her school starts at seven. And she goes daily."
He gave her a playful stare, then burst out laughing.
Walking over, he hugged her tightly. "I love you, Mom."
She kissed his cheek. "Love you too, son."
Grabbing his bag, he headed out.
Taking the lift down to the parking area, he dialed his friend Atul.
"Yeah, I'm coming… yeah, yeah… definitely not gonna be late," he said with a grin.
He started his bike and rode toward college. The cool breeze brushed his face, the sky threatening to open up at any moment. Smiling to himself, he thought:
"Wow… what a weather. I love this world. Sure, there's war somewhere out there, but here—here it's peace. Parents, friends, love, all these emotions… I wouldn't trade them for anything. They say to become a god, you must lose all emotions. Then I never want to be a god. Who'd want to give this up?"
He muttered out loud, just enough for himself to hear, "I love this fucking world."
Then another thought struck him.
"Some people say when you die, you go to heaven or hell. I don't believe that. I think heaven and hell are both here on Earth. If I enjoy my life, even with the little I have, then this is heaven. But if someone's only surviving… then that's hell. That's what I think."
This time, he shouted with a wide grin:
"Heaven is here, my friends!"
And just then—
A truck suddenly swerved into his lane. He hadn't seen it. The impact came too fast. His life flashed before his eyes, but his smile never faded—it was too sudden to even change his expression.
The world shook violently, like an earthquake. Time froze. Everything stopped… except him.
He gasped, realizing he was still alive. Looking around in confusion, he saw a blinding light swallow him whole.
In the next moment, he was no longer on the road. He stood in a massive, endless space filled with millions of people.
Everyone was in shock. No one knew what was happening.
People murmured and whispered, confusion spreading like wildfire.
He looked around when suddenly he heard a familiar voice.
Turning, he saw Atul hurrying toward him.
"Ant What the hell is going on?" Atul said, panic on his face. "I was in college and suddenly… I'm here!"
Ant frowned, deep in thought. He remembered—during the time stop, there had been countless people around him, yet he was the only one who could move.
He asked, "Atul… did you see anyone else from our class?"
Atul shook his head. "No. I don't see anyone I recognize."
Curious, Ant called out to a random man nearby.
"Hey, where are you from?"
The man replied with a city name.
Ant's eyes widened — that city was at least thirty kilometers away from his own.
A realization hit him. So… not everyone from his town was here. Maybe less than twenty people in total. And out of all of them, the only one he knew was Atul.
Atul grabbed his shoulder nervously.
"Hey, Ant… what's going on? Did you figure something out? Tell me, man, I'm getting anxious."
Ant opened his mouth to reply — but before he could say a word, it happened.
A voice echoed across the vast space.
It was impossible to tell where it came from — no direction, no source.
Yet everyone heard it clearly.
The voice was calm, peaceful, almost elegant. Strangely, its tone carried a faint similarity to Ant's own accent.
"People of Earth… I am Desire. You could call me a god — the God of Desire.
I know your hearts are full of questions, but don't worry. When this is done, you shall return to the world you came from.
Your world is broken. Filled with weaknesses, corruption, and suffering. To overcome these problems, I have chosen you. All of you, gathered here, will be given the chance to change your world… to correct it.
Each of you will be granted three desires. Choose wisely. Your wishes carry the weight of your entire world.
I will give you ten minutes to think. Then, you may speak your desires aloud."
The voice faded.
Suddenly, a brilliant light enveloped them. In the blink of an eye, Ant found himself in a new place — a vast open land, but this time different.
There were chairs, a small house, food and water laid out neatly. Around twenty people stood there, including Atul.
And then Ant saw him.
A man stood in the distance. His figure radiated majesty, almost divine. His features were flawless, his presence overwhelming. He wore clothes whiter than snow, and his skin glowed like marble.
The very air bent around him.
Ant's heart trembled as he stared.
In his mind, only one thought echoed:
"He is Desire."