đź“– Chapter 26: Placing the Pieces
By late 1964, Akshy was no longer thinking in terms of one village or one business.
He was thinking in locations.
Each place had a role.
Each role had a purpose.
Morning — Courtyard Map
The ground in the courtyard was no longer empty.
Akshy had drawn a rough map using chalk and charcoal:
Kurukshetra
Nissing
Pundri
Kaithal
Panipat
Sonipat
Road leading toward Delhi
Mahavir stood quietly, looking at it.
"This is no longer farming," he said.
Akshy shook his head.
"No. This is planning."
Savitri crouched beside the map, reading the notes written next to each place.
She spoke slowly:
"Nissing… rice mill?"
Akshy nodded.
"Yes. That area has steady paddy flow. If we process there, we save transport cost and sell directly."
Mahavir added,
"And farmers won't have to travel far."
Akshy looked at him.
"Exactly."
Second Point — Pundri
Savitri moved her finger slightly.
"Pundri… dairy?"
Akshy replied:
"Milk is daily demand. Nearby villages already produce enough. But no organized collection."
Mahavir thought for a moment.
"So we collect, process… and send?"
"Yes," Akshy said.
"Not big factory yet. Start small—collection, butter, ghee."
Savitri quickly wrote it down.
Third Point — Kaithal
Ramesh, who had arrived quietly, leaned closer.
"And Kaithal?"
Akshy tapped the mark.
"Animal feed."
They all looked at him.
He explained simply:
"If dairy grows… animals need feed."
"If farming grows… animals increase."
Mahavir nodded slowly.
"So we supply the supply."
Akshy smiled faintly.
"Yes."
Ramesh's POV
Ramesh stared at the map.
A few months ago, he was just selling grain.
Now…
This looked like something else entirely.
"You've already decided all this?" he asked.
Akshy replied calmly:
"Not decided. Planned."
Panipat & Sonipat — Bigger Thought
Savitri pointed further down.
"Panipat… Sonipat?"
Akshy's tone changed slightly.
"These are bigger markets."
He paused, then added:
"Later… transport hubs, maybe small processing or storage. And connection to Delhi."
Mahavir looked at him carefully.
"You're thinking far ahead."
Akshy didn't deny it.
Delhi Route — Quiet Ambition
The road toward Delhi was just a line on the ground.
But Akshy looked at it longer than the others.
"Everything connects there eventually," he said quietly.
No one replied.
But they understood…
This was not just expansion.
This was direction.
Reality Check — Father's Role
Mahavir sat down slowly.
"All this will take time," he said.
Akshy nodded.
"Yes. Years."
Mahavir continued:
"And money. And people."
Akshy replied:
"We start small. One place at a time."
Then he added,
"We don't build everything ourselves."
Savitri looked up.
"What do you mean?"
Akshy answered simply:
"Some places… we partner."
"Some… we support others."
"Some… we take over later."
Mahavir gave a faint smile.
"Now you're thinking like a businessman."
War Thinking (Subtle)
That evening, Akshy spoke less—but thought more.
He knew clearly:
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 would disrupt everything
Supply chains would break
Some businesses would collapse
Others would grow rapidly
And he would be ready.
Rice mill → food supply
Dairy → daily essentials
Animal feed → agricultural backbone
Storage → war demand
He whispered to himself:
"When others struggle… we expand."
Early Political Awareness
A few days later, Mahavir mentioned something casually during dinner.
"The local MLA is visiting nearby villages next week."
Akshy paused.
Not excitement.
Not ambition.
Just… calculation.
"People will ask for roads, water," Mahavir continued.
Akshy nodded slowly.
"Yes. And those who help organize… get heard."
Savitri looked at him carefully.
"You're not thinking of politics, are you?"
Akshy shook his head.
"No."
Then he added quietly:
"But we should know the people who make decisions."
Mahavir didn't object.
He understood.
Parallel — Weak Businesses
In nearby towns, small mill owners and traders were already feeling pressure:
Poor management
Lack of planning
Losses due to price changes
Some would survive.
Some wouldn't.
Akshy knew:
Those who fail… create opportunity.
Closing
The map in the courtyard remained.
Simple lines. Simple names.
But it wasn't just a map anymore.
It was a plan for expansion across a region.
From:
one village
To:
multiple locations
To soon:
interconnected industries
And quietly—
Before the storm of war arrived—
Akshy was placing every piece exactly where it needed to be.
đź“– End of Chapter 26