Chapter 4 Embers in the Rain

The skies above Padmapur opened in an early monsoon drizzle, washing the parched earth in silver threads. The banyan tree glistened, its thick leaves catching droplets that shimmered like secrets waiting to fall.

Arinay remained seated beneath its shelter, a book on his lap, though unread. The visit from Ratan Singh had shaken him more than he let show. The children noticed he laughed less today. He taught, yes-but the joy that usually danced in his tone had retreated.

Across the fields, villagers moved like shadows in the rain-silent, cautious. The air, once filled with songs and rhythms, now carried murmurs. Some parents had started to keep their children at home. Fear, like the damp, had crept into every crevice.

He glanced at the school's corner, where Rohan sat, staring blankly at his slate. Arinay walked over and knelt beside him. "Want to tell me what's wrong?"

Rohan shrugged. "Ma said it's better not to come. That the landlord is angry. But I came anyway."

Arinay placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad you did."

Suddenly, a loud knock echoed from the village entrance. A group of strangers stood at the threshold-men in uniforms. Government men, sent by the district office.

"Master Arinay?" one asked. "We've received complaints about your lessons. Political influence. Anti-establishment sentiments."

The rain blurred their faces, but not their intent.

He stepped forward. "I teach language and love. If the truth feels like defiance, perhaps it's time to listen more closely."

They left with a warning.

That night, Arinay sat beneath the banyan, letting the rain soak through. Fire burned within, though water wrapped around him. Thunder cracked in the distance. The storm was coming-from within and without