Ripples in Still Water

June 12, 1980 – A Subtle Shift in the Market

The air in Mumbai carried a certain weight that morning—humid, thick, and tinged with the scent of the distant sea. The city was alive as always, but for Arjun Mehta, his world had started to shift.

Sitting at the wooden dining table, he folded the Times of India carefully, his eyes lingering on the business section.

There it was. A small mention.

"Reliance Industries secures a major textile contract, expanding its operations across Maharashtra."

A seemingly insignificant piece of news to most, but to Arjun, this was the first sign.

The first proof that his knowledge of the future was real.

His investment—₹5,000 into Reliance—had been placed just days ago. And now, the tides had begun to move.

But it wasn't excitement he felt. It was a quiet, calculating certainty.

This was just the beginning.

A Father's Concern Grows

Across the table, Dinesh Mehta watched his son with careful eyes.

For the past few days, Arjun had developed a new routine—waking early, reading the business section, making notes in a small notebook. He barely spent time idly chatting anymore, his mind always elsewhere.

Dinesh had always thought he understood his son.

But this? This was different.

Madhavi entered the dining room with a fresh cup of tea for her husband, breaking the silence.

"Arjun, you haven't touched your breakfast," she said, gently nudging the plate of poha toward him.

Arjun looked up, momentarily pulled from his thoughts. "Sorry, Maa. I was reading something important."

Dinesh tapped the edge of the newspaper. "This business section of yours—since when did it become so important?"

Arjun met his father's gaze, sensing the weight behind the question.

He set the newspaper down carefully. "Since I realized it's the only way to understand how the world moves."

Dinesh exhaled, shaking his head. "You talk like a man much older than eighteen."

Arjun smiled slightly. "Maybe I just think ahead, Baba."

Madhavi, sensing the tension, placed a hand on her husband's arm. "Dinesh, let him be. He's being responsible, isn't he? What's wrong with that?"

Dinesh didn't reply immediately. Instead, he picked up his tea and took a slow sip.

Something was off.

And he wasn't going to ignore it.

Stock Market Chaos – A First Lesson in Reality

Later that afternoon, Arjun made his way toward Dalal Street, where the Bombay Stock Exchange loomed—a far cry from the fast-paced, electronic trading he had known in 2025.

Here, the air was thick with sweat, ink, and anxiety.

Men in loose cotton shirts and formal trousers stood in clusters, shouting figures, exchanging slips of paper, making frantic calculations on notebooks rather than computers.

At the small brokerage office where Ramesh Shah, their broker, worked, Arjun and Vinod Chacha sat waiting.

The man behind the desk glanced at them before lighting a cigarette, exhaling slowly.

"Your Reliance stock… it's moving," Ramesh said. "There's a small surge in interest. You might make some profit if you sell now."

Vinod leaned forward. "Sell? We just bought them!"

Ramesh shrugged. "It's your choice. A small gain today could mean avoiding a loss tomorrow."

Arjun stayed quiet, watching the subtle psychology at play.

This was what he had read about—the difference between those who made short-term trades and those who saw the bigger picture.

Vinod turned to him. "Arjun, what do you think?"

Arjun's voice was steady. "Hold."

Ramesh raised an eyebrow. "You sure? The market is unpredictable."

Arjun smiled. "I'm sure. This is just the start."

Vinod hesitated for a moment before nodding. "We hold."

Ramesh exhaled another puff of smoke, nodding in mild amusement. "Well, let's see if your confidence pays off."

As they left the office, Vinod clapped a hand on Arjun's shoulder. "You really believe in this, don't you?"

Arjun glanced up at the towering BSE building.

"I don't believe," he said quietly. "I know."

A Curious Observer – Nisha's Growing Suspicions

That evening, Arjun found himself in the quiet college library, flipping through an old economics book.

The dim yellow light of the overhead lamps cast shadows across the wooden tables, and the faint rustling of pages filled the air.

Across from him, Nisha sat, pretending to read but stealing glances at him.

Finally, she leaned forward, whispering, "Arjun, I know you're hiding something."

He sighed, closing the book. "Nisha—"

"No," she interrupted. "Listen to me. I don't know what's going on, but I've been watching you. You changed overnight. One day, you were just another student. The next, you're talking about markets, investments, and making money as if you already know what's going to happen."

Arjun's fingers tightened slightly around the edge of his book.

"I just read a lot," he said carefully.

"You're lying," she said simply.

Silence stretched between them.

Then, she exhaled, leaning back in her chair. "I don't know what you're up to, Arjun. But whatever it is, I'll find out."

He forced a smile. "You sound like a detective."

"And you sound like someone with too many secrets," she shot back.

For the first time since his rebirth, Arjun felt something unexpected.

A sliver of fear.

Dinesh's Silent Investigation

At home, Dinesh Mehta sat alone in his room, staring at his son's college books.

Arjun's sudden interest in business had been too drastic to ignore.

Was it just ambition? Or something else?

He reached for the rotary phone, hesitating for a moment before dialing.

The voice on the other end answered.

"Hello?"

"Dilip, it's Dinesh."

"Dinesh! It's been a while. What's the matter?"

Dinesh hesitated. "I… I need a favor. My son has been acting different lately. Too confident, too certain about money and investments. I want to know where he's going, who he's meeting."

There was silence on the other end.

Then, a quiet chuckle. "You want me to… keep an eye on your son?"

Dinesh exhaled. "Yes. Just to make sure he's not doing anything reckless."

There was a pause before Dilip replied, "Alright, I'll see what I can find out."

As Dinesh hung up the phone, a heavy feeling settled in his chest.

He wasn't trying to control his son.

He was just trying to understand him.