Sleep didn't come easily that night. Ajay lay awake, questions flickering through his mind like moths around a lamp. Some he asked deliberately, testing the boundaries. Others arose unbidden, idle curiosity meeting instant satisfaction.

  How many stars are visible from this latitude tonight?

  Approximately 2,847 stars visible to naked eye under current atmospheric conditions, accounting for light pollution from Kendrapara town 14 kilometers northeast.

  What's the most common cause of death in rural Odisha?

  Cardiovascular disease, followed by respiratory infections, tuberculosis, maternal mortality complications, and diarrheal diseases. Significant variance by age group and seasonal factors.

  Eventually exhaustion won, and he drifted into restless dreams where answers poured through his mind in an endless stream.

  Morning came with the usual sounds—his mother in the kitchen, the hand pump squeaking as Sita didi filled her water pots, a rooster crowing somewhere down the lane. Ajay woke feeling like he hadn't slept at all.

  "You look terrible," Priya announced cheerfully at breakfast. She was fourteen and had recently discovered the joy of pointing out people's flaws. "Kain happened? Bad dreams?"

  "Something like that," he muttered, spooning pakhala into his mouth. The fermented rice was sour and cool, exactly what he needed.

  His mother studied him with that look mothers have. "If you're sick, don't work in the shop today. I can manage."

  "I'm fine, Ma."

  But was he? He still didn't know if this thing was madness or miracle. In the daylight, with his family around him, it seemed almost absurd. Maybe he'd imagined it. Maybe the heat and exhaustion had—

  What is the current population of India?

  Approximately 1.014 billion as of 2000 census preliminary data. Final certified count pending.

  No. Not imagined.

  After breakfast, he opened the shop. The morning customers trickled in—Lakshmi aunty for tea leaves, Pradhan uncle for tobacco, young Raju for a notebook for school. Ajay served them mechanically, his mind elsewhere.

  Between customers, he experimented.

  How many coconuts are in the storage room?

  23 coconuts. Average weight 847 grams. Three showing early signs of spoilage on the left side of the pile.

  He went to check. The count was exact. And yes, three coconuts on the left had soft spots he hadn't noticed before.

  What is the optimal price point for Britannia biscuits in this village?

  Current price of 12 rupees per packet is 8% above price sensitivity threshold for 40% of customer base. Optimal price 11 rupees would increase volume by approximately 23% while maintaining acceptable margin. However, competitor Jena's store prices at 12 rupees; undercutting may trigger price war. Recommend holding current price but introducing occasional promotional pricing at 10 rupees to build customer loyalty.

  Ajay stared at the stack of Britannia packets. That was... incredibly specific. And it made sense. Jena's store three lanes over was their main competition—better location near the school, but older stock and a surly owner.

  "Ajay bhai, you sleeping standing up?"

  He jerked back to attention. Binod from the panchayat office was standing at the counter, grinning. "I asked for matches twice already."

  "Ae, sorry, sorry." Ajay grabbed a matchbox from the jar. "Two rupees."

  "Thinking about some girl, were you?" Binod winked. "I know that look."

  "Na na, nothing like that."

  After Binod left, Ajay forced himself to focus on actual work. There was inventory to check, the register to update, shelves to dust. Normal things. The things he'd done every day for the last six years since he'd finished 12th standard and started working full-time in the family shop.

  But between each task, questions bubbled up.

  What is the shelf life of this dal batch?

  Manufacturing date July 2000, expected shelf life 12 months in current storage conditions. Humidity level suboptimal—recommend relocating to drier area of storage room to prevent moisture absorption.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Which customers have the highest lifetime value?

  Padma Behera: 47 rupees average monthly spend, 94% purchase consistency over 3 years. Gopal Jena: 38 rupees monthly, 87% consistency. Sita Patra: 52 rupees monthly but 71% consistency—

  It was overwhelming. The sheer amount of information available if he just asked.

  Around noon, when the shop was empty, Ajay pulled out a notebook—one of the school notebooks they sold, the cheap ones with blue lines and rough paper. He opened to the first page and wrote at the top: Questions to Test.

  Then he started writing:

  Can it predict the future? 2. Can it read minds? 3. Can it tell me lottery numbers? 4. Does it know things that nobody knows? 5. Are there limits to what it can answer?

  He stared at the list, then systematically went through each one.

  What will the weather be tomorrow?

  Prediction: Partly cloudy, high temperature 35°C, low 26°C, 40% chance of evening rain. Wind from southeast 12-15 km/h. Note: Weather prediction accuracy decreases beyond 3-day timeframe due to chaotic system variables.

  So it could predict, but with acknowledged limitations. Fair enough.

  What is Padma didi thinking right now?

  Nothing. Not even a flicker of response.

  So no mind reading. Good. That would've been disturbing.

  What are the winning lottery numbers for tonight's state lottery draw?

  Unable to provide. Future random event outcomes are not determinable from available information. Quantum uncertainty and chaotic variables prevent prediction of truly random number generation.

  Ajay felt oddly relieved. If it had given him lottery numbers, that would've been... what, too easy? Too much like cheating? Though wasn't all of this cheating in some way?

  What is the exact composition of Coca-Cola's secret formula?

  Insufficient information. Proprietary formulas held under trade secret protection are not publicly documented. Can provide: known ingredients from labeling requirements, approximate proportions based on chemical analysis studies, flavor profile components, but not exact manufacturing formula held by corporation.

  Interesting. So there were limits. It couldn't pull out information that simply didn't exist in any accessible form.

  What is the meaning of life?

  Philosophical question with no empirical answer. Multiple frameworks exist: religious/spiritual perspectives vary by tradition, existentialist philosophy suggests self-determined meaning, evolutionary biology perspective centers on reproduction and survival, hedonic perspectives focus on happiness or pleasure. No objectively verifiable answer exists.

  He almost laughed. Even this miraculous thing couldn't answer the big questions. Somehow that was comforting.

  "What are you writing?"

  Ajay jumped. Priya had appeared silently behind the counter, peering over his shoulder.

  "Nothing!" He slammed the notebook shut.

  "Doesn't look like nothing. Is it poetry? Are you writing poetry for someone?" Her eyes gleamed with mischief. "You are thinking about a girl!"

  "Go away, Priya. Don't you have studies?"

  "Holiday, remember? Ganesh Puja." She grabbed a mango candy from the jar—the privilege of being the owner's daughter. "You've been acting weird since yesterday. Ma noticed too."

  "I'm fine."

  "Hmm." She unwrapped the candy, popped it in her mouth. "Fine. Keep your secrets. But if you're getting married, I want to be the one to pick the flowers."

  "Nobody's getting married!"

  She skipped away, laughing.

  Ajay rubbed his temples. This was going to be harder than he thought—hiding this thing, whatever it was, while also figuring out what to do with it.

  He looked down at his notebook, flipped to a new page, and wrote: Business Questions.

  Because if he was going to have this ability, he should at least try to use it for something practical. Something that could help his family. The medicine from Cuttack cost 400 rupees. His father's blood pressure wasn't getting better. Priya would need money for college in a few years if she wanted to go.

  The shop made enough to survive, but barely.

  What is the biggest problem with our current business model?

  Primary issue: Low margins on bulk staples (rice, dal, oil) which constitute 67% of sales volume. Secondary issues: Inventory inefficiency—capital locked in slow-moving items, inadequate product mix for customer needs, no differentiation from competitor Jena's store, missed opportunities in adjacent services. Storage conditions suboptimal leading to 8-12% spoilage annually on perishables.

  Ajay wrote it down, his hand moving quickly across the paper. This was useful. This was concrete.

  What products could we add that would be high-margin and high-demand in this village?

  The answer came in a detailed list: seasonal fruits purchased wholesale from Cuttack market and retailed locally, basic medical supplies (currently villagers travel to town), telephone/STD booth service as telecom infrastructure expands, postal services subcontract, small electronics batteries and bulbs, feminine hygiene products currently unavailable locally causing embarrassment and inconvenience.

  His pen moved faster. Some of these were obvious now that he thought about them. Ramu kaka's wife had mentioned once how she had to go all the way to town for basic medicines. And the telephone idea—there was only one phone in the entire village, at the panchayat office, and you had to practically beg to use it.

  What would be the startup cost for adding a telephone booth?

  Estimated 15,000-20,000 rupees initial investment: BSNL STD/ISD booth license and installation, basic booth structure, initial deposit. Revenue potential: 30-50 calls daily at 3-5 rupees per minute average, approximately 3,000-5,000 rupees monthly revenue, 2,000-3,000 rupees profit after line rental and maintenance.

  Fifteen thousand rupees. They didn't have that kind of money lying around.

  What is the lowest-cost high-impact addition we could make with under 500 rupees investment?

  Medical supplies basic kit: bandages, antiseptic, pain relievers, ORS packets, basic fever medications. Total investment approximately 400 rupees wholesale from Cuttack medical suppliers. Markup potential 40-60%. Expected monthly revenue 800-1,200 rupees based on village health incident frequency and current unmet demand. Low spoilage risk, high customer goodwill value.

  Now that... that was doable.

  Ajay looked up from his notebook. Through the shop's front opening, he could see the village going about its afternoon routine. Children playing in the dirt. A cycle rickshaw passing. The banyan tree's shadow stretching across the road.

  Everything looked the same as it always had.

  But something had shifted. He could feel it, like a door opening in his mind.

  He had questions. And now, impossibly, he had answers.

  What he did with them—that was up to him.