Location: Aryan's Home, Bangalore
Timeline: The day after the U-10 semi-final loss
The morning sun slipped through the curtains as Aryan lay in bed, eyes open but distant. His mind replayed yesterday's loss in a loop—the missed deliveries, the stumping, the disappointment on Coach Sandeep's face.
The silence in the room was broken by a soft knock.
"Aryu?" It was his sister, Anika.
She entered with a tray of hot milk, toast, and his favorite—cheese-stuffed parathas. She set it beside him without saying a word and sat at the edge of the bed.
"I know," she said, brushing back his hair. "Losing sucks."
Aryan didn't reply. He stared at the ceiling.
Anika didn't push. After a moment, she pulled out a small notebook. "You know, I saw you writing in this yesterday. The red one with that quote?"
Aryan sat up slowly. "It's… just something I'm trying. I write down how I feel. Helps with the system."
She raised an eyebrow. "The what?"
Aryan froze. He hadn't told anyone about the Cricket System.
He laughed it off. "Just a way I track things in my head. Goals and mistakes."
She smiled. "Sounds smart."
She stood up and held out her pinky finger. "Swear something."
"Huh?"
"Swear that even if you lose again, you won't quit. You'll keep going. Even if the world laughs. Even if you drop catches or get out for zero."
Aryan looked into her eyes and wrapped his pinky around hers. "I promise."
She smiled and whispered, "Good. Because I've already started designing a brand logo for you."
---
Later that day, Aryan sat on the living room floor with a large sheet of paper spread in front of him.
He drew three columns: Cricket, Studies, Finance.
He wrote:
> "Cricket is heart.
Studies are my base.
Finance is my edge."
He then opened the System Menu in his mind.
> [Optional Side Path Unlocked: Financial Growth – Level 1]
Leverage Past Life Knowledge to Achieve Financial Freedom
Quest Activated:
"Your First Investment"
Objective: Use INR 5000 to generate profit within 1 year
Tools: Memory of historical trends, early-stage companies
Reward: +Financial Acumen, +Independence, +Future Unlocks
Aryan smiled.
> "Time to wake up the stock analyst inside me."
---
That night, Aryan sat with his father, Karan Varma, in the home office.
The room smelled of coffee and old paper. A large wooden desk sat under a wall of framed degrees and cricket bats.
"Papa," Aryan said, "Can I invest some of my savings?"
Karan looked up from his ledger. "Savings? You have savings?"
Aryan grinned. "From my prize money and Diwali gifts. I want to invest five thousand rupees. In the stock market."
Karan blinked. "You're not even five yet, Aryu."
"I know," Aryan said. "But I've been reading. I understand how it works. I'll research, track, and report everything."
There was a long silence. Then Karan stood, walked over, and placed a hand on his son's shoulder.
"If you treat every rupee with respect, I'll match your amount. But on one condition."
"Anything."
"You share your success with your sister. She helps you grow, you help her learn."
Aryan nodded.
Deal made.
---
Back in his room, Aryan looked through a list of companies. He smiled as he circled one.
> Company: Infosys
Status (1993): Stable, growing IT firm
Projection: Major future expansion
Investment: ₹5000
Expected CAGR: 35–40%
He looked up at the system.
> [Investment Confirmed]
Tracking Portfolio: Infosys
Growth Potential: High
Emotional Bias: Low
Trait Gained: Seed Investor (Passive)
He turned off the light and whispered, "One day, I'll be richer than I ever was."
A second later, he added, "But I'll still wear my jersey and gloves first."
---
Meanwhile...
Coach Sandeep sat in his office, watching a clip of Tushar Desai's batting.
He paused, then picked up his phone.
"BCCI Youth Development? I've got two names for you. Both prodigies. We'll need to track them closely."
He looked at Aryan's file again.
> "Let's see how far you go, Aryan Varma."