Karthik stood at the entrance of Ritchie Street watching all the people buying and selling things. He knew what was going to happen in the coming year. In 2005 the Indian government would make it cheaper to buy computer parts. This meant that regular people would be able to buy computers and every household from Anna Nagar to Tambaram would want one.
"Vasanth-sir " Karthik said, leaning against a stack of computer monitor boxes in a small shop. "The textile business is okay. The computer business is going to be huge. I want you to use your name to rent these four shops. Here, at the start of Ritchie Street."
Vasanth, a businessman wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Karthik these shops are expensive. We do not make a lot of money from selling computers. Why should we bother?"
"Because we are not just selling computers, Vasanth-sir " Karthik replied, tapping on a computer tower. "We are selling a way for people to get on the internet at home."
While other shops were fighting over price differences Karthik changed his CafeMaster software into a version for regular people called HomeShield.
Every computer that Karthik and Vasanth sold came with software already installed. It helped people get on the internet faster had a simple word processor and HomeShield. To the customer it was like getting something that would keep their kids safe online and make their slow internet connection faster.
The truth was that HomeShield set the default website on the computer to a portal owned by K.M. Strategic. This portal had a search bar, news and links to "Namma-Circle."
Karthik was building a kind of website that would keep people looking at the things he wanted them to see. Every time someone in Chennai turned on their computer to check the news or cricket scores they were doing it through Karthik's website. He was getting the valuable thing: information about what people were doing online.
"In six months " Karthik told Vignesh as they watched a family buy their computer "Google will be trying to figure out how to reach regular people in India. By then we will already know what they are looking for online, where they live and what news they like to read."
As 2004 was ending, people who owned shops in Tamil Nadu started to get worried. The government said that on April 1 2005 they would start charging a tax called Value Added Tax (VAT).
For the shop owner this was a big problem. They had been writing down everything in books and now the government wanted them to use computers and keep track of everything exactly.
Karthik saw this as an opportunity.
Karthik got his team of engineers together. "The accounting software that is available now is too hard to use. We need something that can run on an old computer works in Tamil and English and has only three buttons: Buy, Sell and Tax."
They called it K.M. Ledger. It was very easy to use. Just what people needed.
This is where Karthik's friendship with MLA Rajendran helped him a lot.
Rajendran sat in a hall filled with shop owners. He looked important. Thanked Karthik for helping him with his image.
"The government is bringing VAT " Rajendran said loudly. "They want to bury you in paperwork!. I have found a solution. There is a company called K.M. Digital Solutions that has made a tool just for you. It is simple, honest. Follows all the rules."
The shop owners were very impressed. If the MLA said this software was good they would buy it.
Karthik knew that people in India did not want to pay a fee for software. They wanted to own it.
"We sell a lifetime license for 2,000 rupees " Karthik told his sales team. "It's cheap. Solves a big problem for people."
The numbers were amazing.
They wanted to sell the software to 50,000 medium businesses in Chennai and nearby areas.
The price was 2,000 INR per license.
The result was 10 Crore INR in cash.
By January 2005 the K.M. Strategic offices were busy. People were coming to buy the software that would save them from the VAT problem.
One evening Karthik sat in his office looking at how money they had made. 10 Crores. He had not seen that money in his whole life.
He looked at his school bag and thought about how he had missed his exams. He had changed the way business was done in the state. He had helped an MLA become a salesman.
Sundaram walked in with a lunch box. He looked at the office and his son, who should have been studying for his exams.
"Karthik " Sundaram said, sitting down. "People talk about you. They say you are very smart and know people.. I see you at night staring at your computer. You do not laugh anymore son."
Karthik looked at his father. "I am just trying to keep us safe Appa. This money is, like a protection."
"A protection can also be a trap, Karthik " Sundaram said softly. "Do not forget to go and enjoy the world you are trying to change."
Karthik sat at the back of the exam hall. The sound of pens scratching on paper was like background noise. The 10th-grade Board Exams, which had caused him much stress before seemed easy. He finished the math paper in forty minutes. His brain, which was now forty years old solved equations that used to be hard like addition.
He looked at Anjali, who was three rows. She was biting her lip. Focused. Her braid moved slightly as she calculated. He didn't help her using his knowledge or experience. He let her have this moment of trying. He thought that even though he had changed his future and built a life he couldn't change her journey.
When the final bell rang, signaling the end of their school time in Chennai the happy noise from the students felt far away to Karthik. He went out into the sunlight. His school bag felt lighter than it ever had.
"It's over " Anjali said, catching up to him. She looked happy and relieved. "I think I got the rank in the state, Karthik. My father... He's already talking about the IISc entrance, in Bangalore."
Karthik. Covered his eyes. "Then we're going to Bangalore, Anjali."