Cherreads

Chapter 3 - Amazed By System Money

Arahan stared at the glowing numbers on his system panel.

System Wallet: ₹300.00

"Let's test this," he muttered.

He focused, his mind gently willing the system to release the money.

[Withdraw ₹300 from System Wallet?]

Confirming...

In the next instant, a strange warmth filled his hand.

He looked down—and there it was. Three crisp ₹100 notes, perfectly folded, real in every way.

His heart raced.

It worked.

Arahan stood up at once, slipping the notes into his shirt pocket. He stepped out, locking the creaky door behind him, and made his way through the cool village lanes under the dimming violet sky.

The moon was already climbing.

He passed the well, the empty dhaba, and the row of banyan trees that bordered the fields. Cows rested lazily along the road, chewing slowly in the fading light.

This was Varnapur—the village he had arrived in six months ago with little more than a plastic bag of clothes and a crumpled job letter.

When he first came, he had nothing. His savings barely lasted a week. Most of the shopkeepers turned him away when he asked for food on credit.

Rice. Wheat. A little oil.

Everyone said no.

Everyone… except her.

Kavita.

Her family's ration shop sat just around the corner on the next street—one of the oldest in Varnapur. It wasn't big or fancy, just a tin-roofed shack with old wooden shelves and handwritten rate charts pasted on the wall.

Kavita had been the only one who didn't look at him with suspicion.

She had simply asked, "How much do you need?"

He remembered the way her bangles clinked when she reached for the rice sack. The calm in her eyes when she wrote his name into the small credit register.

From that day, he started taking food from her shop—never too much, just enough to get by.

And every month, when his salary arrived, he came back to clear his debt.

Now, he reached the familiar wooden counter.

The lantern inside flickered gently, casting shadows across the jars of lentils and grains. Behind it, Kavita stood alone—braiding her long hair absentmindedly, her cotton dupatta draped loosely over her shoulder.

She looked up as he approached.

Their eyes met.

She blinked once, then gave a small, quiet smile. "You're early this time, Arahan."

He nodded, pulling the notes from his pocket. "Salary came through early."

He didn't mention the system. He didn't need to.

"I owe you two hundred twenty rupees," he said. "Right?"

She tilted her head, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yes… I have it noted. But no rush. I knew you'd come."

Arahan slid the money across the counter.

At the same time System Task came.

[Ding!]

[New Task Generated – Greet and spend a moment with Surendra affectionately. Encourage his learning.

Reward: ₹100 | +0.1 Charm | +1 Relationship with Kavita

Note: Small actions with children can influence the hearts of mothers more than words.]

---

He blinked once.

The system really left no opportunity untouched.

Inside, Kavita was adjusting a stack of flour bags when she noticed him.

Kavita looked at him for a moment—steadily, without flinching. "That trust never felt misplaced."

Just then, a small voice called out from behind a sack of rice.

"Arahan Uncle!"

A little boy came running—barefoot, bright-eyed, biscuit in hand. Surendra, her three-year-old son.

Arahan crouched with a soft laugh. "Surendra! Still awake?"

The boy grinned, nodding. "Mama said I could wait for you!"

Kavita sighed behind him. "He's been asking about you since sunset."

Arahan patted Surendra's head. "Then let's see—can you count to ten yet?"

The boy nodded eagerly and began counting on his fingers.

Arahan listened patiently, clapped softly when he finished, and pulled out a small wrapped toffee from his pocket. "Here's your reward. But next time, you go till twenty."

Surendra squealed and hugged his leg before dashing back behind the grain sack.

[Task Completed!]

+₹100 (System Wallet Balance: ₹100)

+0.1 Charm (Total: 6.4)

Kavita Relationship +1 → 2/100 (Cautious Trust)

Arahan stood again. Kavita was watching quietly, something unreadable in her eyes.

"Thank you, Arahan," she said.

He tilted his head. "For what?"

"For treating him like your own."

Arahan gave a quiet smile. "He's a good kid."

Kavita looked down, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "It means more than you know."

Arahan turned to leave, his steps lighter, the weight of old debt finally lifted.

But just as he stepped past the threshold, the familiar tone echoed softly in his mind again.

[Ding!]

[New Task Generated]

---

🌸 Task: Touch and hold Kavita's hand for one full minute. Do it subtly, without causing discomfort.

Reward: ₹200 | +0.2 Charm | +2 Relationship with Kavita.

Warning: Failure to be discreet may result in loss of trust.

---

Arahan stopped mid-step.

His heart skipped.

This was different—bolder.

He glanced back.

Kavita was gathering the change from the drawer, unaware of the silent challenge the system had just set before him.

He turned back, stepped up to the counter again, and said calmly, "Wait. I think I gave you an extra fifty."

Kavita looked up, frowning lightly. "No, Arahan, it was exactly—"

He reached out slowly, placing his hand gently over hers before she could push the drawer shut.

Their eyes met.

Just for a second.

The moment held.

Her hand was warm, a little calloused from lifting sacks and counting grain all day, but soft beneath his palm.

Kavita blinked, surprised—but didn't pull away.

Arahan leaned forward slightly, keeping his voice low. "You always double-check. Let me do it this time."

He held her hand just long enough to feel her pulse quicken faintly beneath his fingers. Not fear—something else. Confusion. Hesitation. A flicker of awareness.

Then he released it smoothly, as if it had never happened.

"I was wrong," he said quietly. "You're right. It was exact."

Kavita didn't speak for a moment. Her eyes lingered on him, searching… but she said nothing.

[Task Completed!]

+₹200 (System Wallet Balance: ₹600)

+0.2 Charm (Total: 6.6)

Kavita Relationship +2 → 4/100 (Growing Curiosity)

---

Arahan turned again, this time not looking back.

The wind had picked up slightly, and the soft rustling of neem leaves followed him down the quiet road of Varnapur.

---

The morning sun rose gently over Varnapur, casting golden streaks across the dusty fields and tiled rooftops.

Birds chirped lazily along the electric lines, and the village slowly came alive with the clang of hand pumps and the hiss of boiling kettles.

Arahan walked down the school lane, his bag slung loosely over his shoulder. He felt lighter than usual—perhaps it was the cleared debt, or maybe the quiet confidence blooming in him with each new task completed.

The small village school stood beneath an old peepal tree. Children gathered near the steps, laughing, their uniforms wrinkled and untucked, faces still carrying sleep.

As Arahan entered the gate, the breeze caught a soft floral scent. He looked up—

And there she was.

Sabnam.

The senior teacher—and his supervisor.

She stood near the doorway, holding a stack of papers, speaking gently to a student. Her presence was impossible to ignore.

Her long hair, black as monsoon clouds, was braided neatly with a few strands falling freely around her cheeks. Her complexion was radiant, soft as wheat under sunlight, and her lips carried the subtle tint of rose. She wore a purple designer saree, the fabric clinging gracefully around her waist and falling in elegant folds. The blouse—half-sleeved with delicate silver embroidery—fit her slender figure perfectly.

Her eyes—almond-shaped, deep, and lined with kohl—glanced up as she noticed Arahan approaching.

She smiled faintly, polite but distant.

[Ding!]

[New Task Generated]

🌸 Compliment Teacher Sabnam sincerely on her appearance.

Reward: ₹100 | +0.1 Charm | +1 Relationship

Note: Be confident. Timing and tone matter.

---

Arahan's heartbeat picked up.

He hesitated for only a second, then walked closer with a calm expression.

"Good morning, ma'am," he greeted.

Sabnam nodded. "Morning, Arahan. You're on time today."

He smiled, then said gently, "I just wanted to say… you look especially graceful today. That color suits you."

She blinked, pausing for a moment. The corners of her lips curved just slightly—not quite a smile, but not disapproval either.

"Thank you," she said, her voice smooth and composed. "That's kind of you to say."

[Task Completed!]

+₹100 (System Wallet Balance: ₹400)

+0.1 Charm (Total: 6.7)

Sabnam Relationship +1 → 1/100 (Polite Acknowledgment)

---

Arahan stepped into the classroom, the system panel fading softly in his vision.

He took his seat near the chalkboard as children filed in. But his mind lingered, just for a breath, on Sabnam's quiet, graceful presence by the doorway.

———

The classroom buzzed with the sleepy energy of small children trying their best to sit still.

Arahan stood at the blackboard, chalk in hand, writing simple equations in clear, rounded letters.

"Alright, everyone… if Rani has three mangoes and her brother gives her two more, how many mangoes does she have now?"

"Five!" a chorus of voices rang out, some confidently, some unsure.

He smiled, nodding. "Good. Now let's try with subtraction."

Behind him, on the wooden teacher's desk, sat a stack of flashcards he'd made by hand. Simple science diagrams, animal drawings, and tiny labeled plants helped the students stay engaged. As he moved around the room, he gently corrected posture, rewrote crooked numbers, and praised those who answered with clarity.

"Remember," he said, crouching beside a boy who looked close to tears, "it's okay to make a mistake. Just try again. I'll wait."

The boy sniffled, then slowly began writing again.

From the window, soft wind passed through the iron bars, stirring the curtains just slightly. Far outside, someone rang a cycle bell, and the faint bark of a street dog echoed.

Then—

RRRRINGGGG!

The loud clang of the school bell cut through the room.

Children instantly sprang to life—packing bags, jumping over benches, shouting goodbyes. Arahan laughed under his breath, moving toward the exit as the class slowly emptied.

He stepped into the corridor, slipping through the crowd of running students.

And then—

Thud!

He collided hard into someone turning the corner.

A soft gasp.

Arahan instinctively reached out—and found his hands gripping her waist and wrist firmly, holding her steady.

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