soon she reached the gate, Manu noticed the parcels in her hand. He immediately remembered that their father had given her money to buy snacks. Excited at the thought of food, he quickly said goodbye to his friends and followed his sister home.
He walked behind her, already imagining something tasty waiting for him.
Inside the house, Akshatha placed the packets on the table. Their mother took the masala poori packet, emptied it into a vessel, and divided it into three bowls. She added the provided onion and sev on top, mixing it neatly before serving.
Soon, all three of them sat together and ate while watching a Hindi television serial. Their mother was a strong fan of Hindi shows. Although could hardly understand the language, she still watched it. There is a saying that when you like something, you naturally overcome all barriers—and she was just like that.
Alongside the masala poori, there was cake and paneer puff. Akshatha and her mother shared theirs, while Manu finished his portion quickly and completely, enjoying every bite.
After eating, Manu went back outside to play with the other children again. At that age, whatever they eat is easily digested, which is why they are called children.
At night, the family had dinner together and went to sleep.
After both Akshatha and Manu had fallen asleep, their father returned home. He had his dinner quietly while sitting with his wife, discussing the day.
While talking, he mentioned that before coming home, he had visited his brother's house. There, he was told that their mother would be returning the next day. His brother also said that she should not be forced to stay there any longer if she did not wish to.
Hearing this, his wife responded calmly, saying it was good that she would be returning. She added that now she and Akshatha were in good health, and they could take care of the elderly at home themselves.
She added calmly, "Whatever it is, I can ignore other things. But if my children are hurt, I will not tolerate it."
After a pause, she continued, "As the elder, I can forget things even if there is favoritism shown at times. But children… they feel everything deeply. They may start believing they are less loved."
Her husband listened quietly, understanding the depth of her words.
In their family, there was one clear and unshakable value that guided every decision.
No matter the reason or circumstance, a child should never be hurt or made to suffer.
That was considered a boundary—something that must not be crossed under any condition.
Care and discipline were always acceptable, but anything that caused harm, fear, or lasting emotional distress to a child was not justified in their home.
He nodded slightly, acknowledging her concern without argument.
The conversation ended there.
Slowly, the house settled back into silence as the night grew deeper.
Next day
Akshatha boarded the bus and took a ticket to the market.
When she reached the market, it was already around 11:30 a.m. The place was crowded and busy, with people moving in all directions—vendors calling out, customers bargaining, and the general noise of a typical marketplace filling the air.
She walked toward the seeds section, where agricultural shops were lined up.
Normally, farmers prefer buying seeds from trusted sources like agricultural institutions or government stores, where the quality and growth guarantee are more reliable. But as a child, she could not directly access those institutional channels. In the market, however, she could easily explain her purpose if asked—she could simply say it was for a school project.
She entered one of the seed stores and confidently handed over a list she had prepared earlier. The list clearly mentioned the seeds she needed along with the required quantities.
The shopkeeper looked at it and began gathering the packets. Each seed packet had a picture on it, making it easier to identify the vegetables. In cases where images were not available, Akshatha requested that the names of the vegetables be clearly written on the packets.
The vendor carefully packed everything she asked for and prepared the bill.
He asked casually about it, and Akshatha replied calmly that it was for a school project and she needed the bill to submit to her teacher.
Everything appeared simple and ordinary on the surface.
Yes, tourists could also be seen around the area. The place was known not only for the park but also for a famous Ganapati temple nearby. Many visitors would come there to offer prayers and then spend some time exploring the surroundings.
After visiting the temple, people often walked around the nearby streets, where small shops and vendors sold various items. The area had a calm but lively cultural feel, especially during festive seasons.
Once a year, the locality also hosted a groundnut fair that lasted for three days. It was a very popular event, attracting large crowds from different parts of the city. Stalls would line the streets, selling roasted groundnuts, sweets, toys, and local snacks, making it a lively and well-known fair in the region.
Because of all this, the park and its surroundings naturally drew a mix of college students, families, and tourists, giving the place a balanced and active atmosphere throughout the day.
She sat quietly in the park, the noise of people fading into the background as she focused inward.
In her mind, she connected with her space system.
"Can you hear me?" she asked silently.
There was a brief pause before the response came.
She explained her concern in detail.
"I have bought the seeds, but I can't physically enter that field in the system. Then how will I sow them in the soil? How will I prepare the soil? And how will I later collect the crops when they grow and mature?"
For a moment, the system seemed to process this. It realized that it had not properly explained the working method of the field to her.
Then it responded in a calm, structured way.
"You do not need to perform the physical work yourself. In this system, your consciousness is the link. You guide the process, and the actions will be executed instantly within the system field."
Akshatha listened carefully.
"How?" she asked.
The system instructed her step by step.
"Take one vegetable seed packet and hold it in your hand. Then, in your mind, give the instruction clearly—what you want to happen."
She followed exactly as told.
She picked up one packet, tore it and held it gently, and focused her thoughts.
In her mind, she gave the instruction.
Immediately, within the space system, the seeds were sown.
She paused, surprised but attentive.
She repeated the same process with the remaining packets, one by one. Each time, the action responded instantly inside the system field—soil preparation, sowing, and arrangement all happening without physical effort.
A sense of relief and excitement built inside her.
She realized that what would normally take an entire day—or even more of hard physical work in the real world—was completed in moments through this system.
For the first time, she felt the true efficiency of it.
And quietly, she felt happy that such heavy work had been completed without exhausting effort, while the outside world around her continued moving as usual.