By the end of the year, Faraz had paid off all medical bills. His credit score, visible in the app, had climbed from “Fair” to “Very Good.” He received an upgrade offer: with a higher limit, travel insurance, and a free supplementary card for his mother.

He accepted.

The city of Karachi was sweating under a late monsoon drizzle. Faraz, a mid-level software engineer, sat in his apartment staring at a blinking cursor on his laptop. His mother’s medical bills had piled up like dry leaves, and his salary had vanished two weeks ago.