Chapter 7: The Family Equation
January 14, 2009 – Evening – Rawat Residence, Dehradun
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Ram sat on the sofa beside his father, Mr. Suresh Rawat, who was deep in the day's newspaper, his glasses halfway down his nose.
The smell of chai drifted from the kitchen, and the dull hum of the TV filled the background.
Ram's little sister played with building blocks on the carpet.
Everything was normal.
Too normal.
But to Ram, this was the foundation of an empire—and it needed careful strengthening.
> "Before you move the world," Athena had once said, "secure the ground beneath your own feet."
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The Misalignment
Ram had been observing his father quietly.
He was a mid-level government employee—honest, intelligent, and overworked.
Most of his salary went to loans and school fees. His savings sat idle in an account barely gaining interest.
In the previous timeline, Ram remembered the man as loving but hesitant, cautious, resistant to big risks.
He had discouraged Ram from investing in tech or startups, fearing scams.
That fear had cost them everything.
This time, Ram had no intention of letting his family stay middle-class forever.
But the challenge was enormous:
> How do you teach a father about Bitcoin…
…without sounding insane?
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The Trojan Horse Method
That night, Ram approached his father as he sipped chai, scrolling through news on his old Nokia.
"Papa, why do banks give such little interest? You said your savings account gives only 4%?"
His father raised an eyebrow. "Yes. That's normal."
"But what if there was a better way?" Ram asked casually, trying not to sound rehearsed.
Suresh chuckled. "What, you'll teach me finance now?"
Ram smiled. "You always say I ask too many questions. So I searched for answers."
He pulled out a chart he'd drawn with colored pens:
Bank Interest: 4%
FD: 7%
Sensex (average): 13%
Warren Buffet: 20%
"Future Tech" (fictional name): 70%+
Suresh looked impressed.
"Where did you get these numbers?"
"I read articles. Also, I found this book in the library—The Intelligent Investor. It says money grows faster if you take small risks."
That name triggered something.
"You read Benjamin Graham?"
Ram nodded. "Page 37 was amazing."
That was a trick.
He knew exactly what would hook his father: credibility and numbers.
Suresh leaned forward.
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The Financial Whisper Campaign Begins
From then on, Ram started a quiet campaign at home:
He gifted his father a diary titled "Wealth Wisdom" with blank pages and subtle quotes at the bottom.
He began narrating bedtime stories to his sister based on economic principles, disguised as fairy tales.
He asked his mother to help him "play store" to learn how profit works.
He started keeping a fake portfolio, where he "pretended" to invest in fictional companies and tracked their "growth."
All of this seemed like play.
But every move had purpose.
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The Bitcoin Wallet
At night, when everyone slept, Ram connected Athena (his future-phone quantum AI) to his father's old laptop.
> "Initiate StealthMiner," he whispered.
Athena's soft voice replied:
> "Mining initiated. Hash rate optimized for low consumption. Wallet encrypted."
By sunrise, the wallet had 0.000015 BTC.
Tiny. But symbolic.
The first drop of the river.
He printed the wallet's public key, wrote "Future Fund" on it, and hid it beneath his comic books.
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An Unexpected Ally
Three days later, something strange happened.
His father walked into Ram's room holding a book.
> Rich Dad Poor Dad.
"Did you put this on my table?" he asked.
Ram hesitated. "Um… yes."
Suresh sat on the edge of the bed. "I read the first two chapters. It's… interesting."
Ram stayed silent.
Suresh continued, "I'm thinking… maybe I should try SIPs. Mutual funds."
Ram's heart skipped a beat.
This was happening faster than he expected.
"Also, if you want, you can track the news headlines for me each morning. I think you've got an eye for markets."
Ram nodded slowly.
> Yes, Papa. I do. I've seen them… years into the future.
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Journal Entry: January 14, 2009
> "Today I moved a mountain without pushing it.
My father has opened a crack in the wall of skepticism.
Through that crack, I will shine an entire galaxy."
> Ram
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End of Chapter 7