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Chapter 3: A Legacy to Revive

Days passed, and Suraj began to settle into his new reality. The initial shock of waking up in an alternate world had started to fade, though the strangeness of it all lingered in the back of his mind. Every now and then, he would catch himself staring into the mirror, still half-expecting to see his old face staring back at him. But no matter how many times he looked, the young man he had become—this world's Suraj—was always there.

There was no going back. He had accepted that now. This was his life.

As Suraj dug deeper into the life of the young man whose body he now inhabited, he came across the full weight of the responsibility that had been left on his shoulders. It had begun innocently enough—an attempt to understand this parallel world better. He had started researching its cultural and technological development, marveling at how history had taken such a different path. Bharat was an advanced nation, its industries thriving and its people proud of their heritage. Technology was on par with—if not ahead of—what Suraj had known in his original world. But it was the entertainment industry that caught his attention most.

His curiosity piqued, Suraj began researching the film industry, only to be blindsided by an unexpected discovery: his parents had been the owners of a film production company called Mythic Productions.

The name sounded almost grandiose, but the reality was far from it. As Suraj sifted through old files and news articles, he learned that Mythic Productions had once been a successful venture. His parents had built it from the ground up, producing several hit movies that had put them on the map. But success, as fleeting as it often is, had slipped through their fingers. The company's last few films had flopped disastrously, leaving them in a financial bind. What had once been a thriving business was now on the verge of collapse, teetering precariously on the edge of ruin.

His heart sank as he read the headlines: "Mythic Productions Struggles to Find Its Next Hit," "Fading Glory of Bharat's Famed Production House," and "Will Mythic Productions Survive Another Box Office Bomb?" The weight of his parents' legacy pressed down on him like an anchor. This was what the young Suraj had been struggling with before his death. The responsibility of carrying on his parents' dream had been too much for him.

His heart ached for the boy he had never known. The other Suraj had lost his parents in a tragic car accident, leaving him and his younger brother, Aryan, alone in the world. The pressure of running the production company, combined with the grief of losing his family, had been too much for him to bear. It was no wonder that he had fallen into despair, turning to drugs to cope. His body, already weak, had finally given out under the strain.

Suraj sat at the desk in what had once been his father's office, surrounded by old contracts, production notes, and fading photographs of a time when the company had been in its prime. The room felt heavy with memories—some his, some not. The legacy left behind by his parents was now his to shoulder, and the young Suraj's dream of reviving the company had passed to him.

It's my responsibility now, Suraj thought, running his fingers over the edge of a framed photo of his parents standing proudly in front of a movie set. His father had been a visionary, his mother a shrewd businesswoman. Together, they had built Mythic Productions from nothing. And now it was up to him to save it.

The thought was overwhelming, but Suraj wasn't the same person as the boy who had died. He had lived through a decade in the cutthroat film industry of his original world, albeit as a stuntman, but he had seen the inner workings of the business. He had learned from directors, observed producers, and had always dreamed of creating his own films. This was his chance—not just to live out the dreams of the boy whose life he now possessed, but to fulfill his own ambitions as well.

But first, he had to understand what he was working with.

Suraj spent hours going through company records, financial reports, and industry data. He quickly realized that the company was in dire straits. There was enough money left for one, maybe two films, but if those didn't succeed, Mythic Productions would be bankrupt. He looked at the list of actors and directors who had worked with the company in the past, some of whom were still big names in the industry. To his surprise, a few of the top stars from his original world were still prominent in this one, but others were completely absent, their careers seemingly non-existent in this timeline.

Suraj's mind buzzed with possibilities. This world's film industry had developed differently, with its own stars, directors, and trends. It was both an opportunity and a challenge—he would need to understand the nuances of this parallel world's entertainment landscape if he was going to succeed in reviving the company.

He pulled out a list of the top-grossing films from the past few years. Action films, historical dramas, and mythological epics seemed to dominate the box office. Bharat's rich cultural history had provided fertile ground for filmmakers, and audiences seemed to be drawn to stories of heroism, revolution, and legacy. The thought sparked an idea in Suraj's mind. What if I used my knowledge from the other world to create something unique here?

But first, there was Aryan.

Suraj glanced at the door, where Aryan had just been a few hours ago, quietly watching TV while he worked. The boy was still so young, barely twelve, and had lost everything. Suraj felt a deep sense of responsibility for him now. The other Suraj had made mistakes, but he had loved his little brother fiercely.

"I'll take care of you, Aryan," Suraj whispered to himself, his heart swelling with a determination that bordered on fierce. "You're my responsibility now."

There was a knock at the door, and Aryan peeked in again. "Bhaiya, are you coming for dinner?"

Suraj smiled at him, a sense of warmth filling the hollow place that had been growing inside him since his awakening in this world. "Yeah, Aryan. I'll be right there."

As the boy disappeared back into the hallway, Suraj turned his attention back to the papers spread out before him. Mythic Productions needed a hit to survive, and it was his job to make sure that happened. He had been given a second chance, not just for himself but for the family he had inherited in this strange new world.

Suraj took a deep breath. His path was clear now. He would take the legacy left behind by his parents, and with all the knowledge and experience he had from his previous life, he would revive Mythic Productions. He would make it stronger than ever. And more than anything, he would make sure Aryan had a future filled with hope and security.

This was his new mission. His new life.

And this time, he wouldn't fail.