AUTHOR'S POV

Morning in that house always began the same way.

Smriti woke up first.

Cooked breakfast.

Made tea.

Packed her own small lunch.

She served everyone silently.

Ram read the newspaper.

Riya criticized the salt level.

Shweta scrolled through her phone lazily.

After cleaning the kitchen, Smriti wiped her hands and said softly,

“I’m leaving for school.”

No one replied properly.

She walked toward her small store room to take her phone — but it wasn’t there.

Confused, she returned to the kitchen.

Meanwhile—

Shweta entered the kitchen to drink water.

Her eyes fell on a phone lying on the counter.

Smriti’s phone.

She picked it up casually.

And then she saw it.

The wallpaper.

Smriti’s parents.

Happy. Smiling. Alive.

Shweta smirked.

“Still living in the past,” she muttered.

Then suddenly—

A memory flashed in her mind.

A few weeks ago, Smriti had been checking her bank account while standing in the kitchen.

She hadn’t noticed that Shweta was behind her.

Shweta had accidentally seen the password.

Or maybe not so accidentally.

Her lips slowly curved into something darker.

She unlocked the phone quickly.

Opened the banking app.

Entered the password.

And then—

Her eyes widened.

Balance: 30, 000

“What?” she whispered.

Thirty thousand.

Smriti?

That quiet, simple school teacher?

Before she could process more, she heard footsteps.

Quickly, she locked the phone and placed it back exactly where it was.

Smriti entered.

“Shweta… have you seen my phone? It wasn’t in my room.”

Shweta took a sip of water casually.

“I came here to drink water. Is this useless phone yours? It was lying on the counter.”

Smriti smiled faintly. “Yes… thank you.”

She took her phone and left for work.

Completely unaware.

The moment the main door closed—

Shweta ran to her parents’ room.

“Maa! Papa! Listen!”

Riya looked up excitedly. “What happened? Did some rich guy finally notice you?”

Shweta rolled her eyes. “Mom! Focus!”

Ram looked irritated. “What now?”

Shweta leaned closer and lowered her voice.

“I checked Smriti’s bank account.”

Silence.

“She has 30,000 rupees.”

Ram straightened instantly. “What?”

Riya’s eyes sparkled. “Thirty thousand?”

Shweta nodded.

Ram stood up. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Riya’s mind started calculating faster than a machine.

“If we take that money,” she said slowly, “we can clear the shop debt. The creditors are asking for 20,000.”

Ram’s face brightened.

“And the remaining…” Riya smirked, “we will use.”

Shweta folded her arms proudly.

“See? I told you she was hiding money.”

Riya hugged her dramatically.

“My smart daughter! You did something useful for once.”

Then she narrowed her eyes.

“But tell me… how do you know her password?”

Shweta shrugged.

“Long back she was checking her account in the kitchen. She didn’t know I was there. I saw her typing.”

Ram’s face turned greedy.

“She thinks she’s saving to escape this house.”

Riya laughed.

“Let her save.”

Her smile became cruel.

“She will learn soon… nothing in this house belongs to her.”

The three of them shared a silent, wicked understanding.

Greed.

Jealousy.

Bitterness.

And now—

A plan.

And somewhere far away…

Smriti was teaching small children how to count numbers.

While her own savings…

Were about to disappear.