📖 Chapter 2 – The Weight of Poverty
The morning sunlight filtered through the torn curtains, casting pale stripes across the cracked cement floor.
Arjun sat quietly at the small wooden table, his heart heavy. The chipped plates held only two rotis and a thin potato curry—breakfast for four people.
His father, Ramesh Mehra, coughed into his hand, pretending it was nothing. His once-strong shoulders had curved under years of labor at the factory. His mother, Savitri Mehra, moved slowly, her face pale, but she still tried to smile as she urged everyone to eat.
"Eat more, Arjun," she said, sliding her roti toward him. "You're growing, you need strength."
Arjun's throat tightened. In his past life, he had never noticed how much his mother sacrificed in silence. Every extra bite she had given him had stolen strength from her own frail body.
"No, Ma," he forced a smile. "I'm not hungry. You eat it."
She frowned but didn't argue. That was her way—quiet suffering, quiet giving.
Then his gaze shifted to his sister. Ananya, her hair in uneven braids, swung her legs as she ate cheerfully. Her uniform had patches at the elbows, her shoes worn thin, but her smile was bright enough to light the whole room.
"Bhaiya," she said with a grin, "one day I'll be a doctor and buy you so many sweets, you'll get fat!"
Arjun laughed, though his chest ached. In his past life, she had never grown up enough to fulfill that dream. She had died before her sixteenth birthday, her bright future stolen by illness they couldn't afford to treat.
This time… never again.
His father cleared his throat. "School fees are due next week," he muttered, not looking at anyone. "And the landlord is pressing for rent. If the factory overtime comes through, maybe we can manage…"
Savitri placed a hand on his arm. "We'll manage somehow. We always do."
Arjun clenched his fists under the table. No. Not this time. I won't let them scrape by, drowning in debts and worries. I won't let my sister's dreams die. I won't let my parents bend and break under poverty.
Inside his mind, the cold, mechanical voice of the Nanochip stirred.
> [System Mission: Improve Host's Family Living Conditions]
[First Task: Secure Initial Capital – Deadline: 7 days]
Arjun's eyes sharpened. The system was giving him a path. But even if it hadn't, he would have carved one out with his own hands.
Looking around the cramped home—cracked walls, leaking roof, second-hand furniture—he felt an unfamiliar surge of warmth. This place, this family… it wasn't weakness. It was his greatest treasure.
He reached across the table and ruffled Ananya's hair, making her pout. He looked at his parents and said firmly, "Don't worry about the fees, or the rent. I'll take care of it."
Ramesh chuckled tiredly. "You're still just a boy, Arjun."
But Arjun's voice didn't waver. His eyes carried a weight far beyond his years.
"I promise. This time, I'll change everything."
And in his heart, he swore to the heavens—he would never let poverty shackle his family again.
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