The account opened easily.
Too easily.
A politician who hadn't learned caution yet. Weak passwords. Predictable patterns.
The balance was obscene.
Arjun stared at the number, feeling nothing at first. Then, a flicker.
That amount could secure Priya's education completely. Abroad, even. No loans. No pressure.
The thought arrived uninvited.
And stayed.
His fingers rested on the keys. He imagined transferring just a fraction. No one would notice. It would not harm the larger plan.
He closed the window abruptly.
The room felt warmer.
Arjun stood up, walked to the kitchen, and washed his face with cold water. His reflection looked older under the yellow light.
"If I start choosing convenience," he whispered to himself, "I will never stop."
Justice required restraint. Revenge did not.
That night, he slept poorly. Not from fear.
From temptation resisted.
(Hidden theme: Arjun's morality is not absolute. It is disciplined. This makes his later sacrifices believable.)