Everyone in the town must pay rent for their house. The rent amount is decided based on how close their home is to the sunlight source. If someone wants to rent a house near the empty central area , where there's more sunlight , the rent is higher. As the distance between the light source and the house increases, the rent decreases.
The leaders of the group collect the rent amount and submit it to the settlement management.
Manu and Srini reached the center of the town, where the empty open space was located.
"I wish, just once in my life, I could rent a house near the sunlight source," Srini said.
"Do you know how much the rent is?" Manu asked.
"Yeah, I know… but it just feels good to be here. It's not like our house, stuck at the end of a street with no sunlight," Srini replied.
"Hey, you two! What are you doing here? Go to your house!" someone shouted after noticing Manu and Srini standing below the light source.
They turned to see a town guard approaching. Town guards were the people who worked under the leader to maintain peace in the town. Each carried a long stick as a weapon.
The man who shouted at them was holding a long plastic stick and walking toward them.
"You can't afford to rent a house near the sunlight source, and you still stand here without paying a single coin? Get lost!" the man said harshly.
"These town guards act like we're standing on their land," Srini muttered.
A town guard was already near them
"What did you say?" the guard shouted.
"We're leaving," Manu said quickly, grabbing Srini's arm.
Then Manu and Srini walked toward their house, which was on 8th Street, at the far end of the town.
After a while, they reached their place.
Their building had three floors or at least it was called that , but in reality, it was quite small. Each floor had only one door, and a windows, and a single long ladder that connected the levels.
"Now I think our rented house is worse than the buildings outside the settlement. At least those have stairs to reach the upper floors. We just have a ladder," Srini said.
"If we don't go inside soon, the rent collector will stick to us again," Manu said.
"Oh yeah, let's go in first," Srini replied.
Then they started climbing the ladder.
When they reached the third floor , the top level of the building — they saw that the other buildings around it were taller, completely blocking the sunlight.
Manu and Srini entered their house. It was very small. In one corner, there was a slab with an electric stove. In the other corner, a tiny bathroom. A single yellow bulb hung above from the center of the ceiling, and a rope was tied across the room for hanging clothes , everything cramped together in one tiny space.
"Manu, you should rest now. I think I made you walk too far today," Srini said.
Then Srini took out a mat made of kori grass and plastic, spread it on the floor, and lay down on it to sleep.