đ Chapter 21: Pressure Builds
By late 1963, the effects of the previous year's war were no longer just newsâthey were visible in everyday life.
Prices didn't stay stable for long.
Traders argued more.
Some regions had more grain, others less.
Even small villages near Kurukshetra could feel it.
Morning â Courtyard
Mahavir was repairing a wooden storage frame, hammering slowly, carefully aligning each plank.
"Wood needs to be tight," he said without looking up. "If moisture gets in, all your planning is wasted."
Akshy crouched beside him, holding the frame steady.
"I know," he replied. "That's why we're doing it properly."
Savitri sat nearby, flipping through her notebook.
"Three families stopped storing grain," she said. "They got scared prices might fall."
Akshy nodded.
"Let them sell," he said calmly. "Not everyone needs to follow. We just need enough."
Mahavir glanced at him briefly.
"You're thinking ahead again."
Akshy didn't deny it. "Someone has to."
Village Edge â Ramesh's POV
Ramesh stood beside a trader's cart, watching the exchange closely.
The trader offered a price lower than last week.
"Take it or leave it," the man said.
Ramesh hesitated. Before, he would have agreed immediately.
But now he paused⊠thinking of Akshy's words.
Don't rush. Observe first.
"I'll wait," Ramesh said finally.
The trader frowned. "You think prices will rise?"
Ramesh shrugged. "Maybe."
But inside, he wasn't guessing anymore.
He was learning patterns.
Town Market â Afternoon
The Kurukshetra market was louder than usual.
Voices overlapped:
traders arguing
carts creaking
coins clinking
Suraj Pal stood near a grain shop, watching carefully.
He had been losing small profits for weeks now.
Not enough to panicâbut enough to notice.
And all signs pointed to one thing:
Akshy.
"He's storing grain," Suraj said quietly to another trader.
The man nodded. "Yes⊠and others are following him."
Suraj's eyes narrowed.
"That means he's expecting prices to rise."
He looked toward the road leading to the village.
"If he's right⊠we're already late."
Back Home â Evening
The sky turned orange as the sun dipped low.
Akshy returned with Mahavir, both covered in dust.
They unloaded the remaining sacks into the reinforced storage.
Mahavir straightened his back slowly.
"This is more than we've ever stored before," he said.
Akshy nodded. "Not enough yet."
Savitri stepped forward.
"Why not sell some tomorrow?" she asked.
Akshy looked at her for a moment.
Then he spokeânot like explaining everything, but guiding:
"Think of it like this. If everyone sells today, prices drop. If some people waitâŠ"
"They can sell later for more," she finished.
He smiled faintly. "Exactly."
Mahavir watched the exchange silently.
He didn't fully understand the market the way Akshy didâŠ
But he understood one thing clearly:
His son wasn't guessing.
He was planning.
Night â Akshy's Thoughts
The village was quiet. Only distant dogs barked, and the wind rustled dry leaves.
Akshy sat alone, looking at the stored grain.
His thoughts moved beyond the present:
Food shortages would deepen before improving
Government would push agricultural changes
Regions like Punjab and the soon-to-be-formed Haryana would become critical
And thenâŠ
Another thought surfaced.
A bigger one.
Transport.
Grain was only one part of the system.
The real control came from:
moving goods faster
reaching markets before others
connecting villages, towns, and cities
He whispered quietly, almost to himself:
"If I control movement⊠I control trade."
Parallel â Suraj Pal's Decision
In town, under a dim lantern, Suraj Pal sat with two other traders.
"We start storing from tomorrow," he said.
One of them hesitated. "And if prices don't rise?"
Suraj leaned forward.
"They will."
"But how do you know?"
Suraj paused.
Then said quietly:
"Because that boy knows."
Closing
Back in the village, Akshy finally lay down to rest.
Storage had begun
Trade patterns were shifting
Rivals were reacting
This was no longer small village business.
This was the beginning of something bigger:
supply control
market influence
future expansion
And step by step, without noise, without showing everythingâ
Akshy was moving ahead of his time.
đ End of Chapter 21