16 Pantheon II (1/2)

2140, Sushma Infinium, Earth

A money-less person is insulted even by his own wife.' Ahan found this quote while he was surfing the Quantum Network when he was a kid and it just stuck with him! He came from a very middle class family of India and in the previous three generations of his family, that he knew of, and that were documented, nobody knew what fame felt like!

While he was growing up, money was a big differentiator in his life. He was taught from a young age, that if he could not earn enough to be able to take care of himself and his future family, he would just be a worthless person. His family asked him to complete any degree of his choice and get a job! That was their only requirement of him.

His family told him that money plus recognition is equal to happiness and happiness is equal to success! So, if he were to be precise, he had already started out as a failure since he had neither of them. According to his family, once he got a job and started earning that would be like opening the door to all kinds of happiness. After getting a job, he would be forever happy and he would be forever successful!

Ahan experienced this kind of middle class life while growing up on Earth! Therefore, he became very good in his studies, he did fairly well in his tenth board exams and then he slogged in several coaching institutes in his twelfth class! He got selected for several engineering colleges and he decided to take admission in PEC (Punjab Engineering College) due to the influence of Charu.

There was a celebration in his family and he could finally, stop for a while and breathe.

He told himself.

”You know what? Now, you have made it! You should be happy because you are supposed to be happy.”

But, it wasn't working out for him! He tried to get into Entrepreneurship and VR Simulation projects, but even after everything, something was still missing! There was a void that he could feel inside him growing bigger. He thought that something even bigger was required. So, he started writing as a hobby and published a webnovel online in the Quantum Network.

Once he started writing he knew one thing for sure, he quite liked it! He started thinking about it and realized that his family expected only two things of him - to earn money and to be recognized for his work. Therefore, he aimed to become a professional webnovel writer and once again slogged for his goal. However, this time there was one difference; he was driven!

Ahan's webnovel became popular and he got his first big break with a big Publishing House in India owned by Mr. Aditya, CEO of Upvas, a business tycoon of India and Asia's richest man. He started earning money and people started recognizing him due to his frequent appearances on newspapers, VR Television events and other high profile events.

He would deliberately go and roam in all these malls so that people could look at him, smile and ask for a photograph with him! He was making good money to a point that money stopped being a differentiator in his life! He bought himself his dream house at Sushma Infinium and picked the top floor with the best view of Chandigarh in this skyscraper. He also bought himself his dream luxury hover-car, Mercedes Benz X-Class! He was getting so much female attention which his engineering college friends could only dream of!