Chapter 10: A Hope
"Izaan..." Aniruddh said his name again, and it shook Izaan to his core.He slowly looked up—Aniruddh was staring straight at him.
"Izaan, I—" he began, but before he could finish, Aniruddh leaned in and whispered in his ear—"You're our new President now… look into the eyes of the boys standing before you…There's hope in them. A desire to live again.A wish to be free. Will you let that hope die?If you lose today, it won't just be your loss—it'll be the defeat of all of us… of Shadow Venom itself."
Izaan looked around—everyone was staring at him with eyes full of respect and hope.And suddenly, his own past began to replay in his mind…Every time he'd been beaten down, every time he'd bowed without reason…Was that his life? Always surrendering… always losing?
No. No. No.He would never let their hopes die. Not anymore.He lowered his head.Aniruddh, and even Ved, bowed their heads with him.
Then, Izaan raised his eyes—tears glistening in them, but now filled with fire.He shouted—"I, Izaan Singhania, will set my friends and Shadow Venom free, no matter what the cost…This is the declaration of your new President!"
Everyone stared at him, stunned.He had shouted it with tearful conviction.Now, he was wiping his eyes.
"Our crying little hero…" Ved said, patting him on the back with a smile.
"Everyone, salute your new President. We have an important announcement to make next…"Aniruddh's voice echoed through the basement.
The boys straightened into formation, raised their right arms, and said in unison—"Welcome, President!"
Izaan was taken aback, then bowed his head to accept the gesture.And to himself, he whispered—"If I've been given a chance to correct my mistakes… I won't waste it.Once, one mistake of mine made everyone suffer.And yet, they still call me their hero.So now… I'll bring the light back into their lives.I'll bring a new era…And I'll bring you back too, Yug…"
"Today's announcement is about Vijay Sharma," Aniruddh said solemnly."He was a member of Bike Gang 03.But the Gang of Hell tortured him so brutally… that he couldn't take it anymore.You all know how massive and dangerous they are.So now… tell me what we should do."
"We should kill them. Every last one,"Rishabh—the Captain of Third Sword—spoke up first,"They killed our friend…"
"But they outnumber us more than two-to-one,"said Kavin, Captain of Fifth Sword."We have around 500 members total… They have over 2,000. It would be nearly impossible to fight them…"
"Exactly,"said Aviral, Captain of Second Sword."Going against them would be suicide.They show no mercy… and they're armed."
"But if we don't do anything, they'll just get bolder,"Sauryansh, Captain of First Sword, countered."This isn't the first time. In the last month alone, five of our guys have been hospitalized from their beatings."
"I agree. We have to fight,"Aryaman, Captain of Fourth Sword, added."We can't let them keep killing our brothers one by one…"
Aniruddh looked at Rishabh and called him forward."Rishabh, he was your teammate… your friend.Tell me, what do you want?"
Rishabh lowered his head and said softly—"They're too many… too dangerous…But I want to kill them.I want to break their bones.I want to fight."
Then, Aniruddh turned to Izaan."What's your decision, President?"
Izaan froze for a moment.He had been in a gang once… but that was a decade ago.Now...
He saw all eyes fixed on him.
Then he looked at Rishabh—Always the joker, the foodie, the loudmouth…But today… he was crying.Crying for his friend.
Izaan took a deep breath.
"We'll fight."He said it calmly.And all eyes widened.
Then he roared—"We'll fight Gang of Hell!And we'll crush them!"
For a moment, there was silence—Then the room erupted in chants—
"We'll crush Gang of Hell!""We'll crush Gang of Hell!!"
Aniruddh raised his hand to quiet the room."We'll need some time to decide the place and date of the battle.That will be announced soon.Until then… everyone begin your training."His voice echoed throughout the hall.
"This meeting is adjourned."
Everyone nodded in acknowledgment and began filing out.
Now only Ved, Kaustubh, Aniruddh, Sauryansh, Aviral, Aryaman, Kavin, and Izaan remained.
Then, Rishabh came from behind and hugged Izaan tightly.
"Thank you, President…"His voice was choked.He clutched Izaan's arms tightly.
Izaan was surprised… then smiled in his old style and said—"Get off me, fatty!Or that 'thank you' will be your last one…"
Aniruddh gently pulled Rishabh away from Izaan and said quietly,"Because we don't have much time left… and you've only just returned,I need to explain some important things to you. Come with me."
Izaan glanced once at the others—then, without saying a word, he followed Aniruddh.
Aniruddh led him toward a locked room. As soon as he entered the code, the door opened with a "click."He stepped inside, and Izaan followed right behind.
The entire room looked like something out of a galaxy—lit in glowing shades of blue and violet, with white specks twinkling all around, as if stars had descended from the sky to the ground.Izaan's eyes moved slowly across the space—it all felt like a dream.
He remembered…When they had first started Shadow Venom, all they had was an old, crumbling fort.That's where they held all their meetings… and back then, there were only seven boys in the group.And now… ten years later… that same group had grown into a force of over five hundred.Time had changed everything.
"Come here, Izaan."Aniruddh's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
He walked over to where Aniruddh stood. In front of him was a majestic, throne-like chair — and beside it, placed on a table, were framed photographs of the seven founding members of Shadow Venom.
Izaan stood there for a long time, staring at the pictures —Every face was familiar.Every pair of eyes held a story.
"Sit here…"Aniruddh said.
Izaan took two steps back and lowered his head."That's Yug's seat…"he said softly.
Aniruddh looked at him with deep, searching eyes."And today… you are Yug."
Izaan's heart seemed to pause for a beat.
Yes, he had accepted the role of Shadow Venom's President…But this chair… this title… this place—He had never wanted to take Yug's place.
Because for Izaan, Yug wasn't just a friend—He was an idol.A guide.An inspiration.
To walk the path Yug had shown,To uphold the values Yug believed in—That had always been Izaan's dream.