Working in an IT company in Bangalore, you can't escape the crypto conversations. Every lunch break, my teammates would discuss their crypto "portfolios" like seasoned investors. When my colleague Amit showed us how he turned ₹2 lakhs into ₹15 lakhs through Bitcoin and some new coin called Solana, I couldn't resist anymore.

I had been saving for my sister's wedding, building a fixed deposit slowly. The interest rate was just 5.5%, and inflation was eating away at my savings. After watching countless YouTube videos by Indian crypto "experts" and joining multiple WhatsApp groups, I felt ready. I withdrew ₹5 lakhs from my FD and divided it between Bitcoin, Ethereum, and two other coins that were supposedly "the next big thing."

Initially, it was exhilarating. I would check my crypto wallet every hour, watching the numbers go up. I even convinced two of my cousins to invest. During Diwali, I proudly told my family about my "smart investment strategy."

Then came the crash. Those "guaranteed" returns vanished. My ₹5 lakhs shrunk to ₹1 lakh. The worst part was explaining this to my parents. In our family, FDs and real estate were the only trusted investments. My father's disappointed face when he learned I had gambled away my sister's wedding funds still haunts me.

Now I'm working overtime and doing freelance projects to rebuild my savings. My sister's wedding is in eight months, and I'm determined to make things right. Those crypto WhatsApp groups are still active, still promising "moon" and "lambo," but I've learned my lesson. There's no shortcut to wealth, especially when you're investing in things you don't fully understand.