The glow of the laptop screen was the only light in Neha’s small studio apartment. Outside, the Mumbai rain hammered against the window, a steady, angry drumbeat. Inside, she was staring at a blinking cursor.

She waited. One second. Ten seconds. Thirty.

The PIN was set. The story had just begun.

She smiled. Tomorrow, she would call her mother. Tonight, she would sleep easy.

"Set your new 4-digit PIN."

She pulled the PNB debit card out of the envelope. The plastic was still stiff, smelling faintly of factory adhesive. She had activated net banking last week. Now, for the final step: the PIN.

Click.

A green tick appeared. "Your debit card PIN has been successfully set. Please keep your card safe."