Chapter 26: The Birth of the Underground League
Delhi — April 6, 2009 — 8:00 AM
The city's heat was starting to press harder now, squeezing sweat from rickshaw drivers and businessmen alike.
But Shiva wasn't thinking about the weather.
He was thinking about war.
Not the kind fought online.
The kind fought face-to-face.
In dirty cafeterias.
In crowded hostel rooms.
In smoky cybercafés with cracked monitors.
The new frontier.
Offline battles.
---
9:00 AM — The Secret Meeting
The Inner Circle crowded into a greasy tea stall near Patel Chest Institute.
Abhishek slurped chai noisily.
Kunal chewed samosa with a glazed look.
Farhan doodled tiny rickshaws on a napkin.
Only Riya looked alert, scribbling notes on her old clipboard.
Shiva tapped the table.
Hard.
The others straightened up.
"Listen," he said, voice low. "We have thousands playing Rickshaw Rush on their phones."
He paused.
"But what if they could fight each other?"
Farhan raised an eyebrow.
"You mean... multiplayer?"
"No. Bigger."
He leaned forward.
Lowered his voice even more.
> "Tournaments.
In real life.
Winner takes cash.
Winner becomes legend."
The table went still.
Kunal dropped his samosa.
Even the tea stall uncle glanced over, sensing something heavy in the air.
Riya's eyes gleamed.
"You mean... a League?"
Shiva smiled slowly.
Exactly.
---
10:30 AM — Operation Underground League
The plan came together fast.
Phase 1: Recruit
Target DU colleges first — they had the densest youth crowd.
Start by whispering rumors:
"Big prize tournament for Rickshaw Rush players. Invitation-only."
Phase 2: Organize
Rent tiny spaces — cheap cybercafés, basements, dhabas with back rooms.
Host mini-tournaments with ₹100 entry fees, ₹500–₹1000 prizes.
Phase 3: Brand
No flashy posters.
No social media spam.
Just word-of-mouth, graffiti, and secret invites.
Make it feel underground.
Make it feel dangerous.
Make it feel special.
Phase 4: Crown Champions
Winners would get titles like:
Rickshaw Rush King of North Campus
Rush Warrior of Karol Bagh
Their names posted on the secret Mission RR forums.
Special in-game tags added to their profiles.
Instant street cred.
---
April 7, 2009 — The First Flyer Appears
A single sheet of paper pinned to a broken noticeboard outside Hansraj College:
> "Think you're the best Rickshaw driver in Delhi? Prove it.
Secret tournament.
Winner takes ₹1000 cash.
Venue: Will be texted.
Register here: 9-digit mobile number only."
Tiny font.
No logos.
Just raw challenge.
Farhan watched from a distance as students gathered around, murmuring.
Phones buzzing.
Curiosity spiking.
It had begun.
---
April 9, 2009 — The First Tournament
Venue:
An abandoned back room at CyberXtreme Café near Kamla Nagar.
Ten players showed up.
All nervous.
All hyped.
Shiva stood at the center, arms folded, wearing a simple Rickshaw Rush t-shirt.
Kunal managed the bracket on a whiteboard.
Farhan handled money collection.
Abhishek was the referee.
Riya documented everything.
Phones out.
Rickshaw Rush pre-loaded.
> "One phone.
One rickshaw.
One race.
No mercy."
The first race kicked off.
Sweaty fingers tapped feverishly.
Spectators leaned in, shouting.
Curses flew.
Cheering erupted.
An underdog — a scrawny engineering student named Pranay — crushed everyone.
Final time:
2 minutes, 43 seconds.
Unbeatable.
Shiva handed him the ₹1000 prize in cash.
And slipped him a hand-drawn "Rickshaw Rush King" certificate.
Pranay's eyes shone.
It wasn't about the money anymore.
It was about glory.
---
April 10–15, 2009 — The League Spreads
Word traveled through hostels like wildfire.
Posters scribbled on hostel bathroom stalls.
Cafeteria rumors: "Have you heard? Rush tournament next weekend near North Campus."
WhatsApp groups forming: Rush Warriors, Rickshaw Rebels, Underground Drivers.
Attendance exploded.
15 players.
20 players.
32 players.
Each mini-tournament was louder, crazier, more intense.
Photos leaked online — blurry shots of sweaty college kids hunched over phones, screaming victory.
Rickshaw Rush wasn't just a game anymore.
It was a movement.
---
April 16, 2009 — Trouble Brews
Shiva's phone buzzed at 2:00 AM.
A single message from an unknown number:
> "You're playing with fire, kid.
Better know when to stop."
Threats.
The price of rising too fast.
He smiled grimly.
Saved the message.
Didn't reply.
If they were scared, it meant he was doing it right.
---
April 18, 2009 — The First Sponsor
A shady local energy drink brand — ZoomZap — sent a rep to one of the tournaments.
After seeing the chaos and passion, he offered:
₹5000 sponsorship for the next event.
Free ZoomZap cans for players.
It wasn't big money.
But it was the start of something massive.
Corporate money sniffing at the underground.
The League was growing bigger than Shiva imagined.
---
April 19, 2009 — Council Meeting: Expansion
The Inner Circle met again.
This time, Shiva didn't pace.
He stood tall.
Spoke like a general.
"We've won North Delhi," he said.
"Next — South Campus.
Then Noida.
Then Gurgaon."
Riya looked up from her notes.
"How big are we aiming?"
Shiva didn't blink.
"Big enough," he said, "that when they talk about Indian gaming, they have to say our name first."
Everyone sat still for a moment.
Let that dream soak in.
The boy from Trilokpuri wasn't playing small anymore.
He was building an empire —
one rickshaw race at a time.
---
[End of Chapter 26]