The Man Who Would Be King by Rudyard Kipling

Two ambitious British adventurers travel to a remote region of Afghanistan to establish themselves as kings by posing as gods. They initially succeed, gaining followers and wealth, but their plan unravels when one of them breaks a tribal taboo. The plot charts their rise and tragic downfall, driven by hubris and imperial arrogance. Told through the eyes of a skeptical narrator, it’s one of Kipling’s most powerful and haunting stories. A gripping tale of ambition, deception, and the dangers of overreaching.