"They hate me," Meera said, pacing the room. "I finally feel peace, and they call it regression. They say I’m acting holier-than-thou." "It’s called Do-Gooder Derogation," Dr. Farah said calmly. She pulled out a study. "Research shows that when someone in a group starts acting morally or improving themselves, the rest of the group reacts with hostility. Why? Because your improvement implies a judgment of their stagnation. If you stop drinking, your drinking buddies feel their own addiction more acutely. If you stop hustling and start loving, your colleagues feel the emptiness of their own ambition." "They are the Crabs," Shukla Master added from the corner. "The Crab Bucket Effect. If one crab tries to climb out of the bucket, the others don't cheer. They pull him back down. They would rather die together than see one survive alone." "So what do I do?" Aarav asked, showing the 'Cat to Hajj' meme. "They are right, aren't they? I did eat a hundred rats. I did treat people like garbage. Who am I to pretend to be good now?"