The empty healing-potion vial sat on Vicky's table, looking almost proud of itself. A tiny glass reminder that miracles were good… but applying them needed brains.
His PROJECT: PIXEL PULL notebook lay open beside it.One success wasn't enough.He needed a system, not a "one-time dog repair."
Helping family meant:
A valid reason to disappear from home daily.
Some secret money that no one could question.
The first part was easy. He just needed to act serious for once.
The Performance
That evening, everyone was in the hall—Dad reading the paper, Mom knitting, Ankit pretending to read a science book, and Didi scrolling on her phone.
Perfect stage.
Vicky stood up and cleared his throat.
"Papa, Maa… I've been thinking about my future."
All heads turned toward him, surprised.
Vikram lowered the newspaper. "Haan beta?"
"After 12th, I can't just… play games," he said carefully. "I should start learning something. I found a good computer course in Malviya Nagar. Three hours every afternoon."
Sneha's eyes lit up instantly."Oho! Computer course? Very good idea!"
Didi smirked. "Wah, responsible boy."
Dad nodded proudly. "Fees kitni hain?"
"I'll manage the first month," Vicky said quickly. "Birthday money saved up."
Vikram smiled. "Good. After that, we'll handle the rest."
A tiny victory.His alibi was officially approved.
He now had a reason to go out every afternoon without raising suspicion.
Problem 2: Seed Money
Back in his room, Vicky stared at the empty potion vial and then at his phone.
He couldn't sell diamonds.Or gold nuggets.He needed something smaller.Something normal-looking.
Coins.
He needed a game with coins—real-looking ones.
He scrolled through his game library.
No…No…Definitely no…
And then—
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
"YESSSSSS," he whispered.
The old classic.
He remembered random collectible coins scattered around the map.Small.Believable.Sellable.
He opened his save file, drove straight to the diner behind Idlewood—and there it was.A shining silver game-coin pickup.
"Please work, please work, please work…"
He pressed his thumb on the coin.
The familiar cold sensation crawled up his hand.
He pulled his arm out.
Something metallic dropped into his palm with a soft clink.
Vicky stared.
A round, heavy, one-ounce silver coin.
Not a rupee.Not a real-world design.Just… silver.
Real silver.
He bit it.It hurt.Good sign.
A grin broke out across his face.
"Chal be… ab baat ban rahi hai."
A single silver coin wasn't suspicious. If anyone asked, he could say:
"Found it on the ground near the park."
No one would interrogate him like Sherlock Holmes.
This was money he could convert quietly.Fund his experiments.And buy whatever he needed next.
He slipped the coin into his pocket.
He had his alibi.He had his first tool.
Slow, steady progress.Not flashy.Not heroic.
Smart.
He wasn't building a superhero empire.
He was building a secret support system.
One coin at a time.
One idea at a time.
The bigger plans could wait for tomorrow.