"Well… this is just an ordinary stone. I'm sorry, sir, but there's nothing special in it."
Om said it calmly, after barely looking at the stone for a moment.
Seema's expression changed instantly.
"Om, this stone was selected by an expert. You do realize what you're saying, right? And that expert is my dad. So how can you just call it ordinary?"
Her voice had a sharp edge now. She couldn't stand the idea of someone questioning her father's ability.
As soon as she said that, the crowd jumped in.
"Oh, so you're blind or something?"
"Yeah, must be."
"Got lucky once and now thinks he's an expert."
"This guy's a fraud."
The whispers turned into mocking laughter.
But then—
a loud chuckle cut through the noise.
Yuvraj Chauhan raised his hand slightly, silencing everyone.
"Hahaha… whether there's Z inside or not, we'll only know after cutting it open."
He looked at Om, a faint smile on his face.
"Let's see, son… whether you're right or not."
And just like that, they moved toward the cutting section.
But behind that calm smile, Yuvraj Chauhan had his own game going on.
This wasn't about the stone.
It was about Om.
Was he just lucky?
Or was there something more to him?
That's what Yuvraj wanted to know.
As they walked, Seema came up beside Om, her voice low but firm.
"You shouldn't have said that. You got lucky once, that's it. My dad is an expert in this field… and that stone is one of his favorites. You didn't have to lie like that. Let's see what you say when it's proven."
Om didn't respond.
He just stood there quietly.
Calm.
Almost too calm.
A moment later—
the stone was cut.
And the same stall girl shouted again,
"It's done, sir… and it's just a normal stone. There's nothing inside."
Silence.
Then shock.
Everyone leaned forward, staring at the broken pieces on the table.
Empty.
Completely empty.
"...It really is ordinary."
"The kid was right…"
"But how is that even possible?"
Murmurs spread like wildfire.
But the one who looked the most shaken—
was Seema.
She stared at the stone, her voice trembling.
"How… how is this possible? You've never been wrong before, Dad… then how—"
She couldn't even finish her sentence.
Meanwhile, Yuvraj stood still, hands behind his back, eyes closed… as if processing everything.
And Om?
He just stood there, hands in his pockets, a faint smile on his face.
Then suddenly—
Yuvraj burst out laughing.
Loud. Genuine.
He walked straight up to Om and shook his hand firmly.
"Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant, son! You were completely right."
His eyes shone with excitement now.
"I'm impressed. Truly impressed. And my company needs people like you."
He leaned in slightly.
"If you're interested… you can join Chauhan Industries. Work in our Z department. I'll make sure you're paid well."
For the first time, Om's expression turned serious.
"Mr. Chauhan, I actually—"
But before he could finish, Yuvraj raised his hand and stopped him.
"No need to answer right now, son."
He smiled.
"Think about it properly first. And whenever you decide… let me know."
With that, he turned and started walking away.
Seema quickly followed him.
"Dad… are you really sure about this?"
Yuvraj chuckled, not even looking back.
"What do you think?"
Back at the hall—
everything had changed.
People were still whispering, still looking at Om… but now, not with doubt.
With curiosity.
Respect.
And a little fear.
—
Later, sitting in a taxi on his way back, Om stared out of the window, lost in thought.
Everything that had happened at Balloon Palace kept replaying in his mind.
But more than that—
it was the feeling.
That strange blue aura.
Even now, he could feel its effect in his body… a strange freshness, like his entire system had been recharged.
"What was that…?"
he murmured to himself.
"That aura… it actually strengthened my body. There's definitely something hidden in those Z-stones… but what?"
His thoughts drifted—
back to that old man.
His words echoed in his head.
"Son, there's still so much in this world for you to learn. This is just the beginning. The faster you understand those things, the faster you'll move ahead. Try to understand those books as soon as you can… that's your fate. The rest depends on how you shape it. We'll meet again."
Om exhaled slowly.
"Let's see… where life takes me now."
He leaned back, looking out at the city lights passing by—
and for the first time in a long while,
a small smile appeared on his face.
The next afternoon, Om was leaving his house for the clinic. He had just driven his car out of the gate when something caught his eye—
four men standing right outside.
All of them dressed in sharp suits.
Om slowed down, frowning slightly. Before he could react, one of them—a bald man in a brown suit—stepped forward and stood right in front of his car… smiling.
Om stopped the car immediately.
He stepped out and turned toward his guard.
"What's going on?"
The guard looked a bit nervous.
"Sir… they came to meet you. I didn't let them inside, so they've been waiting for you to come out."
Om nodded, then walked up to the four men.
"Yes?"
The bald man immediately bent slightly in respect.
"Sir, are you Mr. Om?"
"Yes. But what are you doing outside my house? What do you want from me?"
Om's tone was calm, but sharp.
The man quickly took out a blue card from his pocket and held it out.
"Sir, my name is Ramesh. I'm the manager for the organizer of the Z contest held at Balloon Palace. Our boss has invited you to visit his residence. Please… come with us."
Om looked at him for a moment.
"Who exactly is your boss?"
"Sir… he's the head of one of the biggest families in this state—the Joshi family."
Ramesh gestured toward a luxury car parked nearby.
"So… shall we?"
Om didn't ask anything further.
He simply nodded.
Handing his car keys to the guard, he said, "Park it," and then got into their car.
—
During the drive, Om kept thinking.
The Joshi family…
Even the name carried weight.
Hours passed before the car finally stopped.
"Mr. Om, we've arrived,"
Ramesh said.
Om stepped out—and froze for a second.
In front of him stood a massive, luxurious mansion. The nameplate on the wall read:
Joshi Family Mansion
Guards were stationed all around.
The place didn't just look rich—
it looked powerful.
"Please follow me,"
Ramesh said, leading the way.
Om walked behind him, taking in everything. The scale of it all was overwhelming.
As they walked, Ramesh spoke quietly into a mic in his ear,
"Inform inside. Mr. Om has arrived."
A few minutes later, they stopped in front of a large door.
Ramesh knocked.
"Young master, Mr. Om has arrived."
The door opened.
A young man in a grey suit stepped out, smiling warmly.
"Mr. Om… finally, we meet face to face. I hope you didn't have any trouble getting here. Please, come in."
Om nodded slightly and walked inside.
—
The room was huge.
Decorated with antique pieces, it carried the weight of old wealth. In the center of the room sat an old man on a wheelchair.
He looked weak.
Very weak.
He wore comfortable clothes, his legs covered with a blanket. The windows were shut, but the faint red glow leaking in told Om—
evening had already fallen.
Only then did he realize how long the journey had been.
The young man turned toward him again.
"Mr. Om, my name is Viraj Joshi… and this is my grandfather, Indrajeet Joshi."
He smiled politely.
"You may not know me, but I saw you yesterday at the Z event. And honestly… it was quite an eye-opening day for me. The way you showed your ability… it was impressive."
He gestured toward a seat.
"Please sit. What would you like—tea, coffee, something cold?"
Om remained standing for a moment, then spoke politely,
"Mr. Viraj, I'm sorry, but you called me here this late. Could you please tell me the reason directly?"
Viraj chuckled lightly as he poured tea into a cup and placed it in front of Om.
"Hahaha… nothing too serious, Mr. Om. I was just… curious about something. And I wanted to meet you."
Om watched him closely.
Viraj continued,
"When you found that first Z, you looked completely sure. And when you said Mr. Yuvraj's stone was empty… there wasn't even a hint of doubt in your eyes."
His gaze sharpened.
"So tell me… did you somehow know that stone had high-grade blue Z inside it?"
He leaned back, studying Om carefully, expecting hesitation.
But Om didn't pause.
He picked up the cup of tea and smiled slightly.
"Well… I don't really know how to explain it."
He took a sip.
"When I touched that stone… I felt warmth. Something unusual. It affected me. So I got curious… and decided to cut it open. And I guess… I was just lucky."
He said it casually.
Too casually.
Viraj kept smiling—but his eyes didn't.
Meanwhile, Om's attention shifted to the old man.
He hadn't moved.
Not even once.
That silence felt… strange.
Viraj spoke again,
"I see… well then, Mr. Om, I'd like you to try identifying a Z for me, and—"
Suddenly—
the old man started coughing.
A deep, painful cough.
Om's eyes snapped toward him.
And in that moment—
his expression changed.
Serious.
Focused.
The old man noticed it and smiled faintly.
"What happened, son? Do I look that strange to you?"
Om didn't smile back.
Instead, he spoke plainly,
"I think I should be honest with you, sir. Your physical condition is very bad. If you don't get proper treatment soon… I'm afraid—"
He stopped.
But the meaning was clear.
Surprisingly, the old man didn't look shocked at all.
"Oh? I didn't know Mr. Om was this skilled in medicine as well."
Om stood up from his seat.
"Sir, I recently opened a clinic in the Green Area. If you don't mind… I'd like to examine you."
Viraj stood up too, clearly surprised.
"You're a doctor? Wow…"
He looked at his grandfather.
"We've searched everywhere for treatment… but found nothing."
The old man smiled as Om walked closer.
"If Mr. Om is a doctor… then I have no problem with a check-up."
He leaned back slightly.
"Who knows… maybe you'll work some magic."