Three days later, the shadow over the Varma household was lifted.
It happened in the cramped, smoke-filled office of Mr. Gowda, the moneylender. He was a man used to tears, pleas, and delays. He was not used to Radha Varma, a timid schoolteacher, walking in with her head held high, accompanied by a sharp-eyed lawyer in a black coat.
Aisha Siddiqui did the talking. She placed a demand draft for ₹30,000 on the table.
"Principal amount plus agreed interest," Aisha stated, her voice cutting through the humid air like a scalpel.
"Count it. Sign the 'No Dues' certificate. And return the promissory note."
Mr. Gowda looked at the money, then at Radha. "Madam, you came into fortune? Maybe you want to invest—"
"Sign the paper, Mr. Gowda," Radha said. Her voice wasn't loud, but for the first time in years, it didn't tremble. She had a cheque for ₹20,000 remaining in her bank account and a 30% stake in a tech company. She was no longer a victim.
Gowda signed.
When they walked out into the sunlight, Radha stopped. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the dusty, diesel-scented air of Bangalore. She looked at Arjun, who was waiting by the auto-rickshaw.
She didn't say anything. She just touched his cheek.
The terror of poverty, the constant, grinding anxiety that had defined their lives since his father died, was gone.
Arjun felt a notification ping in his mind.
[Hidden Objective Complete: 'Protect the Mother'.]
[Reward: +50 Integrity (Radha Varma).]
[Relationship Status: Unshakable Trust.]
He smiled. The foundation was secure. Now, he could build the skyscraper.
"Advocate Siddiqui," Arjun said as they climbed into the auto. "The paperwork for 'Bharat-Digital'?"
"Filed this morning," Aisha replied, wiping sweat from her forehead. "We are officially a company. You are the majority shareholder. Prakash is the minority partner.
But Arjun... we have a shell company and a government contract that requires digitizing five million land records. We have no staff. We have no scanners. We have no software."
"We have capital," Arjun corrected her. "Prakash is legally obligated to fund the initial operations of the SPV as part of his buy-in. We have his money. Now, we just need the brain."
He closed his eyes.
"System," he thought. "Open Interface."
The blue screen flickered into existence.
[Host: Arjun Varma]
[PP: 680/680 (Level Up!)]
[New Ability Available: Talent Scout]
"Unlock [Talent Scout]," he commanded.
[ unlocking 'Talent Scout'... Cost: 200 PP.]
[Ability Unlocked.]
[Description: Allows the Host to set specific 'Search Parameters' to locate individuals with high Talent Ranks within a 10km radius. The System will highlight potential targets with a visual aura.]
Arjun opened his eyes. The world looked the same, but he knew it wasn't.
"Stop the auto," Arjun said suddenly.
"What? Here?" Aisha asked. They were near the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), the premier research institute of India.
"Yes. I have to go to the library," Arjun lied. "You drop Mom home. I'll take a bus back."
"Arjun, it's getting late," Radha worried.
"I'll be fine, Mom. I have work to do." He looked at Aisha. "Keep the phone line open. I might find our CTO tonight."
Before they could protest, he hopped out and vanished into the crowd.