Hari sat cross-legged in front of the tiny mango sapling, hands pressed together, eyes closed.
He wasn't meditating.
He was bargaining.
"Please grow," he whispered. "I've sacrificed everything. I gave up my job. My money. My—okay, I died. Technically. But still."
The seedling glowed faintly in the pot, but it hadn't sprouted further. It looked like it was considering it, but only if bribed.
Behind him, the influencers were doing yoga near the mango hut. One of them had renamed it on Instagram as "The House of Sweet Enlightenment ", which Hari had mixed feelings about.
Then came the camel.
Camel Interruption
It was massive, loud, and chewing with the intensity of someone reviewing bad customer service on a podcast.
A man in a beige robe rode it like he was conquering a minor kingdom. He pulled up near the mango hut and pointed.
"You! You are the fruit wizard?"
Hari blinked. "Excuse me?"
"The camel has sensed unnatural sweetness in the air. And so have I. What is this… fruit magic?"
Hari stood, trying to look both humble and not insane. "It's a mango tree."
The man gasped and crossed himself with a fistful of dates.
"Impossible. Mangoes are myth. Like snow. Or affordable rent."
"Not anymore," Hari said, turning to the sapling like a proud father at a school talent show. "This is just the beginning."
The man stared. "If you are hoaxing me, I will send ten camels to trample this hut."
Hari's eyes narrowed. "And if I'm not?"
The man leaned forward. "Then I will bring five hundred camels and have them kneel."
DING – Side Quest Accepted!
[New Side Quest: "Diplomango Relations"]Convince the wandering camel lord that mangoes are real and worth respecting.Reward: Access to fresh water for mango grove.Bonus Reward: "Camel Whisperer" passive skill.
Hari sighed. "This better be worth it."
Enter: Mysterious Suit Lady
As Hari prepared to make another impassioned mango speech, a shadow fell over the sand beside him.
He turned. There stood a woman in a sharp black suit and sunglasses, holding a clipboard and looking like a CEO who had fired someone during a plane crash.
"Name?" she asked, flipping a page.
"…Hari."
"Last name?"
"Uh… Mango?"
She didn't blink. "Occupation?"
"Technically unemployed. Spiritually a mango prophet."
She scribbled. "Suspected dimensional breach. Spontaneous bio-magic activity. Possible interdimensional agriculture hazard."
"Wait, what?"
"Mr. Mango," she said, snapping the clipboard shut. "We'll be watching you."
Then she turned and walked straight into the shimmering desert heat, disappearing like a mirage that filled out tax forms.
Hari stared after her.
"…Okay. That's probably fine."
Meanwhile…
The mango sapling rustled.
Hari turned, eyes widening as the seedling pulsed and pushed upward, the tiny leaves unfurling like they were stretching after a long nap.
It was growing.
The air around it shimmered faintly with golden particles. Even the camel stopped chewing and tilted its head like it was trying to listen.
A single, glorious green leaf popped out.
Hari fell to his knees, fist raised to the sky.
"We're back, baby!"
The camel cheered. Or sneezed. It was hard to tell.