Karthik sat in his History class. He was not paying attention to the teacher who was talking about the Mughal Empire. He was drawing a map of the Siruseri village on the back of his notebook.
He knew that the Siruseri village would be home to the IT park in Asia by the year 2010. Now the Siruseri village was just a vast area of salt pans and scrubland that was owned by seventy different families. These families were going to be cheated by a MLAs company that was supposed to be working on development projects.
Karthik thought that if he could get these seventy families to form a Trust then he could talk to the companies directly. There would be no one in the middle taking a cut of the money. No politicians would be taking forty percent of the money.
Karthik needed someone to represent him. He could not go to the Siruseri village as a schoolboy.
He looked at his friend Vignesh who was trying to draw a heart with the letters V and S inside it.
"Vicky " Karthik whispered to Vignesh. "Does your uncle still have that car, the Maruti 800 and the sticker that says 'Advocate' on the windshield?"
Vignesh looked up surprised. "Yes he does " Vignesh said. "Why do you want to know?"
Karthik said, "Tell your uncle that I want to meet him this weekend to talk about something. Tell him that he will make money in one day than he makes in a whole month of doing his regular work."
When Karthik walked out of school at four o'clock his friend Mani was waiting for him leaning against his bike. Mani looked like he was in trouble. But just as they were about to leave Anjali came running up to them looking very scared.
"Karthik wait " Anjali said, out of breath. "My father just called me. There are some officials at our house now. They are trying to get everyone in the street to sign some papers about the land. They have even brought the police with them."
Karthik held his bag tightly. The Siruseri village project was moving faster than he thought. The MLA was moving faster than Karthik had expected.
"Get on the bike, Anjali " Karthik said in a voice.
Anjali said, "What my father will be so angry if he sees me on a bike, with..."
Karthik said, "Get on the bike " He looked at Mani. "Take us to Anjalis village. If you can get us there before the government jeep I will forget about what happened at the Blue Star Godown."
Mani started the bike. Said, "Hold on tight we are going to go fast."
The Pulsar screamed down the roads of Siruseri kicking up clouds of white dust. Anjali gripped Karthiks school shirt so tight her knuckles were white. Mani rode like a person weaving through bullock carts and tractors with the desperation of someone trying to escape.
"There! The banyan tree!" Anjali shouted over the wind.
A white Sumo jeep was parked in the clearing. Some villagers, including Anjalis father stood around a folding table. Two men in suits. The officials. Were pointing at stacks of papers. A police constable leaned against the jeep tapping his boot.
"Sign here Selvam " one official said. "The government is giving you a Development Bonus. If you wait you'll get half the price. Don't be stupid."
The Pulsar skidded to a halt spraying gravel. Mani didn't even turn off the engine.
Karthik hopped off looking calm. Behind him a Maruti 800 with an ADVOCATE sticker slammed its brakes. Vigneshs Uncle, Sridhar stepped out looking uncomfortable in a sweat-stained coat.
"Stop the proceedings!" Sridhar shouted. "I am Advocate Sridhar, representing the Siruseri Landowners Protection Collective!"
The officials looked up surprised. "Who? There is no collective. These people are selling voluntarily."
Karthik stepped forward opening his school bag. He pulled out a photocopy of a document.
"Actually " Karthik said, "the High Court issued an Interim Status Quo order. Any signatures taken after that time are void."
He handed the order to the lead official. The mans eyes scanned the paper. It looked real.
"This... This isn't possible " the official stammered. "We didn't receive any notice."
"The registry is slow but the law is fast " Karthik replied. ". Since you've brought the police I'm sure the local media would love to hear about the coercion happening here."
Karthik looked at Mani. Mani pulled out his phone. Pretended to talk to a journalist.
The mention of High Court and Media scared the officials.
"We... We need to verify this with the Tehsildar " the lead official muttered. He signaled to the constable. "Pack it up. We'll come back when the paperwork is cleared."
As the white jeep sped away the villagers stood in silence. Anjalis father looked at Karthik at his daughter.
"Karthik? You're the boy from the town... How did you get a court order?"
Karthik waited until the dust settled. He turned to the villagers.
"It's not an order " Karthik whispered. ". If you all stand together they can't pick you off one by one. I know a firm in Bangalore that will pay you ten times what those men offered."
He looked at the salt pans.
"In five years there will be glass buildings here. Don't sell your future for a Development Bonus that won't even buy you a tractor."
Anjali looked at Karthik, her eyes wide, with fear and admiration. She realized the boy she knew was gone.
That night Mani dropped Karthik off at his street.
"Karthik-thambi " Mani said, his voice filled with respect. "You're a person. You just lied to the government and the police."
"I didn't lie, Mani-anna " Karthik said, stepping off the bike. "I just told them a truth that hasn't happened yet. Be ready tomorrow."
As Karthik walked home he saw his mother through the window cooking on her stove. He smiled.
One village saved. One empire started.. As he entered the house he saw a black car parked across the street. A car that didn't belong. Someone else was watching.