Arc 1: The Wealth Momentum (2016)Part II: The Digital Savior
Chapter 13 — Renting a Separate Apartment in a Rich Area
Every man has two addresses.
One where he lives.
And one where the world believes he belongs.
For Vikram Choudhary, the first address had always been fixed.
The old one-floor villa in Dadar—Malad stone walls, high ceilings stained with age, wooden trusses creaking softly at night. A house built for a slower Bombay, long before Mumbai learned to run.
It smelled of boiled milk, old books, and habit.
It was safe.
And that was precisely the problem.
The Silent Weight of Staying
The morning sunlight filtered through the half-open wooden windows, casting slanted rectangles across the floor. Vikram sat on his bed, barefoot, watching dust particles float lazily in the air.
This room had seen everything.
His engineering textbooks.
His placement rejection emails.
His late-night existential debates with the ceiling fan.
Kareena sitting on the edge of this very bed once, scrolling through her phone while silently judging his life.
The villa wasn't just a house.
It was a label.
"Middle-class boy."
"Safe boy."
"Limited boy."
No matter how much money blinked into his account now—
This place would always whisper who he used to be.
The System's Gentle Nudge
The blue holographic panel shimmered into existence near the cupboard.
CURRENT LOCATION ANALYSIS:
Residential Status — Legacy Zone
Social Growth Potential — LOW
A soft digital chime followed.
SUGGESTION GENERATED:
Environmental Upgrade Recommended
Vikram exhaled slowly.
He had known this was coming.
Money changed numbers.
Environment changed people.
The Middle-Class Exit Guilt
Moving out wasn't easy.
Not emotionally.
His mother would worry.
His father would overthink.
His sisters would tease him mercilessly.
"Look at him," Riya would say. "Rich and shameless."
But Vikram understood something now—
Staying back to comfort others would eventually suffocate him.
Growth required distance.
Not abandonment.
Just… space.
The Search Begins
He didn't go through brokers at first.
Old habits died hard.
He opened property websites.
Worli.
Lower Parel.
Prabhadevi.
The prices made his old self laugh nervously.
₹2.5 lakh rent.
₹3 lakh deposit per month x 10.
Amenities that sounded like hotel brochures.
Infinity pool.
Concierge.
Private elevator.
This wasn't housing.
It was access control.
Why Worli?
Because Worli was not just rich.
It was relevant.
CEOs lived here.
Actors lived here.
Politicians' children lived here.
In 2016 Mumbai—
Your pin code decided your future conversations.
And Vikram wanted new conversations.
The Broker's Assumption
The broker arrived at the villa in a white shirt already soaked with judgment.
He looked Vikram up and down.
Loose t-shirt.
Jeans.
Chappals.
"Budget?" the broker asked politely.
Vikram replied calmly.
"Whatever fits."
The broker smiled thinly.
He'd heard that lie before.
The First Visit — Rejection by Atmosphere
The first penthouse they visited was on the 28th floor.
Sea-facing.
Glass walls.
Italian marble floors cold enough to shock the soul.
The broker spoke in practiced enthusiasm.
"Sir, very premium society. Celebrities also live here."
Vikram nodded quietly.
The guard at the entrance barely acknowledged him.
The lift scanned access cards.
The silence inside the elevator felt expensive.
When they reached the apartment—
Vikram stepped in.
And something clicked.
This place didn't care who he was.
It only cared whether he belonged.
The Price
"Rent is ₹3.2 lakhs per month, sir," the broker said.
"Security deposit—ten months."
Vikram did the math automatically.
₹32 lakhs.
The old Vikram would have fainted.
The new Vikram blinked.
Literally.
Chime.
+₹2.00
He smiled faintly.
The System Reacts
As the broker continued talking—
The blue panel pulsed.
HIGH-VALUE TRANSACTION DETECTED
Category: Foundation Shift
PREDICTED OUTCOME:
Massive Liquidity Cycle
Vikram's heartbeat quickened.
This wasn't just rent.
This was a system trigger.
The Decision
"I'll take it," Vikram said.
The broker froze.
"Sir… you want to check other options?"
"No," Vikram replied calmly.
"I like this one."
The broker swallowed.
"Deposit cheque?"
"Transfer," Vikram said.
The word felt powerful.
Digital.
Clean.
The Transfer That Changed Everything
Back home, Vikram initiated the payment.
₹32,00,000 sent.
The moment the transaction completed—
The blue panel exploded into motion.
SPENDING CONFIRMED: ₹32,00,000
BASE REBATE: 100% APPLIED
₹32,00,000 CREDITED
Then—
A deeper chime.
Louder.
Heavier.
BONUS CONDITION MET:
ENVIRONMENTAL UPGRADE
MULTIPLIER: 2.5x
The numbers blurred.
BONUS CREDIT: ₹80,00,000
TOTAL GAIN FROM TRANSACTION:
₹1,12,00,000
Vikram stared.
His balance jumped violently.
Not gradually.
Violently.
The Engineer's Stunned Silence
This wasn't shopping.
This wasn't luxury.
This was infrastructure spending.
The system had rewarded it accordingly.
Vikram sat down slowly.
Breathing shallow.
If buying clothes made money…
And renting space made this much—
What would happen when he bought assets?
The Internal Shift
Something fundamental changed inside him.
He wasn't a guy with money anymore.
He was a guy who deployed money.
The villa in Dadar—
For the first time—
Felt small.
Breaking the News
Dinner was quiet.
Until Malini Devi asked—
"You're coming late these days."
Vikram nodded.
"I found a place near work," he said gently.
Balvendar Choudhary put down his spoon.
"Rent?" he asked.
"Yes."
"How much?"
Vikram hesitated.
"Don't ask," Riya said quickly. "He'll faint."
Balvendar frowned.
"You're not married. Why move?"
Vikram met his father's eyes.
"Because… I need to grow."
Silence.
No anger.
Just worry.
The First Night in Worli
The penthouse was empty.
No furniture.
Just echoes.
The city below looked unreal.
Marine Drive lights curved like a necklace.
Cars moved like thoughts—small and fast.
Vikram stood barefoot on cold marble.
And blinked.
Chime.
₹2.
For the first time—
The sound echoed in a space that matched its promise.
The System Finalizes the Move
The panel appeared one last time that night.
LOCATION UPDATED: WORLI
SOCIAL ACCESS: HIGH
WEALTH FLOW EFFICIENCY: INCREASED
STATUS CONFIRMED:
User has exited Middle-Class Zone
Vikram smiled.
End of Chapter 13
He lay on the floor, staring at the ceiling.
No fan noise.
No creaking wood.
No memories weighing him down.
Just glass, height, and possibility.
The villa had raised him.
But this place—
Would redefine him.
Tomorrow—
The world would start seeing him differently.
And soon—
He would too.