Veer stared at himself in the mirror for the fifth time.
"…This looks like an office worker," he muttered.
A pause.
Then—
Well, the shadow's voice slipped in lazily, what can we do about that middle-class face of yours?
Veer's eye twitched. "Shut up."
He adjusted his collar again… then stopped.
"…This is the only style I know."
Silence.
Then a sigh.
"Forget it. I'm going as I am."
He stepped back.
The suit wasn't flashy. Not expensive enough to scream status, not cheap enough to be ignored. A muted bluish-black. Clean lines. Perfect fit.
It worked.
Just not… heroically.
From the TV behind him, a loud, excited voice cut through—
"Fans from all over have gathered to celebrate the one and only King of Bollywood—Shah Rukh Khan!"
Veer clicked his tongue in irritation and turned it off.
"Great. No pressure."
Oh, come on, the shadow teased. Suhana is completely into you. The most beautiful girl in that school—and she picked you.
Veer's expression softened… just a little.
"Yeah…"
A small smile.
Then doubt crept in.
"…Still feels unreal."
In the call, she sounded like you were about to ask her father for her hand in marriage.
Veer froze.
"…Don't say things like that."
Why? Isn't that your plan, oh great protagonist?
Veer smirked faintly. "Maybe my protagonist halo is working perfectly."
Say that again, the shadow replied dryly, and you'll definitely jinx it.
"…Right. Not saying it again."
A few minutes later, Veer stepped outside.
The car was already waiting.
He slid in, holding a neatly wrapped black package in his hand.
"Hope he likes it…"
"Beta," the driver glanced at him through the mirror, smiling, "what gift are you taking for King Khan?"
Veer hesitated for a second.
"…Nothing fancy. Just a book."
"Ohh…" the driver chuckled. "Giving a book to Shah Rukh Khan, huh? That's bold."
And just like that, he launched into stories—
About the actor's rise.His charm.His legacy.
How he ruled hearts, not just screens.
Veer listened quietly, nodding here and there, adding a comment when needed.
But his grip tightened slightly around the gift.
This wasn't just a party.
It was a step.
A single step on a ladder that stretched far beyond what most people could even see.
Fame. Influence. Legacy.
Veer leaned back slightly in his seat, eyes fixed ahead.
Who doesn't want it?
To become a star.A singer whose voice lingers in people's hearts.A creator whose stories shape generations.
And now—
He had a chance.
A real one.
To stand among legends.To meet the faces that ruled screens across nations.To work with them…
Or—
To make them.
That thought stayed with him.
Because Veer had already noticed something strange.
The industries were all there—
Bollywood. Hollywood. Tollywood.
Familiar.
Too familiar.
And yet…
Incomplete.
There were gaps.
Massive ones.
Films that should have existed—didn't.Stories that should have defined eras—missing.Music that should have echoed across the world—never created.
Even works that, in his previous life, were released before this time…
Didn't exist here.
Veer's fingers tightened slightly.
That meant only one thing.
Opportunity.
Not small success.
Not survival.
Something far bigger.
Creation.
He could bring those stories to life.
Build empires out of ideas that hadn't been born yet.
Songs that could make entire crowds move as one.
Movies that could turn actors into legends.
And maybe—
Just maybe—
Turn himself into one too.
The car slowed.
Veer looked up.
And there it was.
Mannat
Not just a house.
A statement.
Tall gates. Quiet power. The kind of place that didn't need to prove anything—because the world already knew.
Veer stepped out slowly, adjusting his sleeves.
For a moment, he just stood there… looking.
Then exhaled.
"Yeah…"
A faint smile formed.
"This place earned its name."