TWO YEARS

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The temple grounds were bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun

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The temple grounds were bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun. The scent of burning ghee, sandalwood, and sacred herbs lingered in the air as the final Maha Mrityunjaya Hawan came to an end. Smoke curled into the sky, carrying whispered prayers to the heavens. The rhythmic chants of the priests had ceased, leaving behind an almost deafening silence—a silence that felt both peaceful and heavy.

Adhiraj Rana stood before the sacred fire, his face unreadable. The flames crackled softly, as if mocking him. He had done everything—offered everything—but the one thing he prayed for, the one thing he needed, still lay motionless in a cold, sterile room.

He took a deep breath, letting the weight of the moment settle over him.

"Rana ji," Panditji's voice broke the silence, cautious, reverent." Today marks the eleventh and last hawan, the rituals are complete. The divine blessings have been sought."

Adhiraj only nodded.

A blessing? A curse? Or just another reminder that some wounds never heal?

Outside the temple, the city was still buzzing. Every street, every alleyway was filled with movement—yet not a single beggar, not a single homeless soul remained. The entire nation was watching, stunned at the miracle Adhiraj Rana had created.

"Bhai," Reyansh approached him, his voice careful. "Everything is ready. People have gathered."

Adhiraj said nothing. He simply turned and walked toward his car. The others followed.

They arrived at the township as the last rays of the sun dipped below the horizon.

A city within a city.

What had once been an empty, forgotten land was now filled with homes, a school, a hospital, markets—life. A place where no one would sleep under open skies, where no child would go to bed hungry.

It had started as a careless wish.

"Make sure no one sleeps without a shelter or food, and then I will forgive you Rana sa"

She had laughed when she said it, never truly expecting it to happen.

But he had built it.

And now, as he stood before thousands of people, he should have felt victorious. Proud.

But all he felt was... emptiness.

His assistant's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Sir, the reporters are waiting."

Adhiraj stepped forward. The cameras flashed, microphones were pushed toward him, but he didn't flinch.

"Two years ago, my wife asked me for something for the first time," he said, his voice steady but hollow. "She wished for a world where no one would sleep without a roof or food. This township is the result of her dream."

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