The quiet erosion of an untouched Provident Fund after you have permanently left service. Almost every Indian salaried professional has, at some point, walked out of an office on their last working day with a vague resolution to deal with the PF later. Years pass. The Universal Account Number sits buried in an old onboarding email, the balance ticks along, and the assumption hardens into folklore: provident fund money grows tax-free, untouched, forever.