Arc 1: The Wealth Momentum (2016)
Part III: The Silent Slap
Chapter 25 — Sending Parents on a Trip
The idea came to Vikram not as a calculation, but as a quiet realization that surprised even him.
Money had entered his life like an industrial-grade lubricant, reducing friction everywhere it touched. Arguments softened. Doubts slowed. Fear lost its sharp edges. Yet inside the old Dadar villa, his parents still lived the same life they always had, disciplined, routine-bound, and quietly exhausted. Wealth had altered Vikram's trajectory, but it had not yet returned anything meaningful to the people who built him.
That imbalance bothered him more than any suspicious glance from society ever could.
His father still woke before sunrise, reading newspapers with the same seriousness he had shown for decades, scanning headlines as if numbers could still be corrected by attention alone. His mother still returned from school tired, stretching sore knees that had spent years running behind children who were not her own. They spoke of retirement like a distant concept, something theoretical rather than deserved.
Vikram watched them one morning from the doorway of the living room and realized something with uncomfortable clarity.
They had never taken a vacation for themselves.
Not a wedding trip. Not a celebration tour. Not even a delayed honeymoon excuse disguised as family travel. Every journey they had ever made had been tied to obligation. Relatives. Functions. Ceremonies. Responsibility had always ridden shotgun.
That realization settled heavily in Vikram's chest.
Later that day, alone in his Worli apartment, Vikram opened his laptop and began researching without overthinking. Engineers trusted data more than emotion, but even data had emotional weight when interpreted honestly. He looked up Europe tour packages, not the rushed ones meant for checklist travelers, but curated itineraries designed for comfort rather than speed.
Ten days.
That number felt right.
Paris. Switzerland. Austria. Italy.
Not because of glamour, but because these were names his parents had only encountered in textbooks and television documentaries. Places that had always existed as abstract ideas rather than reachable destinations.
He selected a luxury senior-friendly tour package, one that included guided assistance, Indian meals, slower travel days, and medical support. He did not want this trip to feel adventurous. He wanted it to feel safe.
The price appeared on the screen.
Eight lakh rupees.
The number registered without resistance.
Vikram clicked "Book."
The system responded instantly, its familiar blue presence sliding into his peripheral vision with quiet authority.
[TRANSACTION: LUXURY VACATION PACKAGE (₹800,000.00)]
[EQ METER BOOST: +50 POINTS]
[POSITIVE EMOTION POINTS ACCUMULATED: 950/1000 — LEVEL UP IMMINENT]
The panel pulsed once, then stabilized.
Vikram leaned back in his chair, surprised by the sensation in his chest. It was not excitement. It was not pride. It was something steadier, something closer to alignment. For the first time, spending did not feel like leverage or experimentation. It felt complete.
The real test, however, was not the transaction.
It was the reveal.
That evening, Vikram waited until dinner was over. He knew better than to interrupt meals in a household where discipline had always framed conversation. Once the plates were cleared and tea was poured, he spoke.
"I booked something today," Vikram said casually.
His father looked up from his newspaper. "Another purchase?"
His tone was neutral, but curiosity had replaced suspicion in recent weeks.
"Yes," Vikram replied. "But this one is not for me."
His mother paused mid-sip. Neha and Ritu exchanged glances instinctively.
Vikram reached into his bag and placed a neatly printed folder on the table.
His father opened it first.
As he turned the pages, his expression changed gradually, confusion giving way to disbelief, then something softer that he quickly tried to suppress. His mother leaned closer, reading silently, her fingers tightening around the edge of the paper.
"What is this?" she asked, though she already knew.
"It is a Europe tour," Vikram said. "Ten days. Everything included."
Silence followed.
His mother looked at him sharply. "Why?"
The question was not ungrateful. It was defensive. Years of careful budgeting had conditioned her to distrust gifts that felt too large.
"Because you deserve it," Vikram replied. "Both of you."
His father cleared his throat. "This is unnecessary."
Vikram smiled faintly. "So was my education, by that logic."
Neha covered her mouth to hide a smile.
"This is too much money," his mother said quietly.
"It is already paid," Vikram replied gently. "Refunding it would be wasteful."
His father looked back down at the itinerary, lingering on the names. Paris. Lucerne. Venice. His eyes betrayed him for a moment.
"We are old," he said finally.
"You are experienced," Vikram corrected. "And the package is designed for comfort."
Ritu leaned forward. "Ma, you always wanted to see snow that was not on television."
His mother said nothing, but her eyes glistened faintly.
His father folded the papers carefully and placed them back into the folder, as if handling something fragile.
"You are changing the order of things," he said after a pause.
"I am correcting it," Vikram replied. "You spent your lives postponing comfort. I am only removing the postponement."
Another silence followed, but this one felt lighter.
His mother reached across the table and touched Vikram's hand. "Do not become reckless," she said softly.
"I will not," Vikram replied. "I promise."
His father nodded once, the universal sign of acceptance from a man who rarely surrendered authority easily.
Later that night, alone again, the system returned, this time uninvited but unmistakable.
[SYSTEM UPDATE: EMOTIONAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT]
Context: Parental Fulfillment
Selflessness Index: Maximum
Hidden Metric: Karma Meter — FULL
Stat Gain:
• [Emotional Intelligence] +2
• [Mental Stability] +1
Tier Progression: Stable
(Level Advancement Pending)
The panel lingered longer than usual before fading.
Vikram sat quietly, absorbing the moment. He had spent crores without blinking, yet this expenditure felt heavier in meaning than all the others combined. Power had given him options. Money had given him reach. But this act had given him grounding.
The system rewarded ambition, but it respected intent.
Outside, Mumbai hummed through the night, indifferent and relentless. Inside, two people who had never asked for anything were finally being given something without cost, condition, or explanation.
Vikram closed his eyes briefly.
For the first time, the wealth did not feel like a game score.
It felt like balance.