Perfect—now I'll continue in
📖 Chapter 31: Borrowed Money, Real Risk
May 1965 — Heat and Decisions
The heat had started to settle in properly now.
Not the sharp heat of noon—but the kind that stayed even in the morning, quietly reminding everyone that summer had arrived.
Akshy woke up earlier than usual that day.
Not because of work.
Because of a decision.
Outside, Mahavir was already sitting on the charpai, a steel glass in his hand. He wasn't drinking. Just holding it.
"You didn't sleep much," Mahavir said without looking at him.
Akshy sat down beside him.
"No."
A few seconds passed.
Then Mahavir asked directly,
"You're sure about the rice mill?"
Akshy didn't hesitate this time.
"Yes."
Mahavir finally looked at him.
"It's not like the oil press."
"I know."
"It's bigger. If it fails…" Mahavir didn't finish the sentence.
Akshy understood what he meant.
If it failed, they wouldn't just lose money.
They would lose ground—trust, stability, confidence.
"It won't fail," Akshy said calmly.
Mahavir watched him carefully.
Not judging. Not doubting.
Just trying to understand how a boy could speak with such certainty.
Counting the Reality
Later that morning, all three—Akshy, Mahavir, and Savitri—sat together.
The notebook was open again.
Savitri spoke clearly now. She had grown used to this role.
"Total cash we have: around ₹3,400."
She turned the page.
"Rice mill total cost: around ₹4,700."
Mahavir added,
"Maybe more. Something always adds up."
Akshy nodded.
"Yes."
Savitri looked at both of them.
"So we're short by at least ₹1,300… maybe more."
Silence.
This was no longer planning.
This was reality.
Mahavir finally said it.
"We take a loan."
No one reacted immediately.
Because everyone already knew.
The Weight of Borrowing
In cities, maybe a loan was just money.
Here, it was something else.
It meant:
You were now being watched
You had to repay on time
Your word mattered more than ever
Mahavir stood up slowly.
"I'll go today."
Akshy didn't stop him.
He just said,
"Don't take more than needed."
Mahavir nodded.
The Loan
By afternoon, Mahavir returned.
He didn't speak immediately.
He placed a small cloth bundle on the floor.
Inside it—money.
"₹1,500," he said.
Savitri immediately asked,
"Interest?"
"2.5% per month."
She calculated quickly in her head.
Her expression changed slightly.
"That's high…"
Mahavir nodded.
"It is."
Then he looked at Akshy.
"Now this has to work."
Akshy picked up the money, weighed it in his hand for a moment, then placed it back.
"It will," he said.
But this time, his voice was quieter.
Not less confident.
Just… heavier.
Journey to Nissing
Two days later, Akshy and Mahavir left early for Nissing.
They carried:
Cash for advance payments
Rough layout ideas
A clear decision
The journey felt longer than before.
Heat made everything slower.
Dust stuck to the skin.
Even the bullock seemed tired.
Mahavir said at one point,
"If this place works… we won't have to depend only on farming."
Akshy replied,
"That's the point."
At the Site
The land looked the same as before.
Simple. Open. Slightly uneven.
But now, it didn't feel like land.
It felt like investment.
The owner was already there.
"You came again," he said.
Mahavir replied,
"This time to start."
Negotiations didn't take long.
Both sides already understood each other.
Advance paid: ₹300.
Agreement done.
For a moment, all three stood there in silence.
Nothing had been built yet.
But something had already begun.
Construction Starts
Work started within a week.
No big machines.
No modern setup.
Just:
Laborers
Basic tools
Measured planning
A simple shed structure came first.
Then the base for the machine.
Everything was slow.
But steady.
First Problem — Delay
The machine didn't arrive on time.
Ramesh came running one afternoon,
"Transport got delayed. It will take at least 4–5 more days."
Mahavir looked frustrated.
"We're losing time."
Akshy shook his head.
"No. We prepare everything else."
So they did.
Storage area cleaned
Workers arranged
Supply contacts discussed
No waiting.
Just shifting work.
Understanding the Shift
That night, sitting under a dim lantern, Mahavir asked something important.
"Why this, Akshy?"
"Why not just expand grain trading?"
Akshy thought for a moment.
Then said:
"Because trading depends on others."
Mahavir listened.
"Production gives control," Akshy continued.
"And processing gives value."
He picked up a handful of raw paddy nearby.
"This…" he said,
"is one price."
Then he dropped it back.
"But once processed…"
Mahavir nodded slowly.
"Different price."
Akshy looked at him.
"And continuous income."
That's when Mahavir truly understood.
Numbers Become Real
A few days later, Savitri updated projections.
"If the mill runs properly," she said,
"6–8 quintals daily processing."
She paused.
"Profit per quintal: around ₹6–8."
Mahavir asked,
"So daily?"
She replied:
"₹40–60."
Silence.
That was bigger than dairy.
More stable than farming.
Mahavir leaned back slightly.
"This is different."
Akshy nodded.
"Yes."
Pressure Builds Quietly
But with that possibility—came pressure.
Loan ticking every month
Machine not yet running
Money already spent
One night, Mahavir said quietly,
"If this fails… we won't recover easily."
Akshy didn't respond immediately.
Then he said:
"We won't let it fail."
This time, it wasn't confidence.
It was responsibility.
Far Away — A Watchful Eye
In Kurukshetra, Suraj Pal heard the news.
"Nissing… rice mill construction started."
He didn't react loudly.
He just sat there, thinking.
"He's not just growing…" he muttered.
"He's building ahead."
For the first time, Suraj didn't think of stopping him.
He thought of keeping up.
Closing
By the end of May:
Loan taken
Land secured
Construction started
Money almost fully used
No profit yet.
No success yet.
Only:
Work
Risk
Waiting
But something had changed.
This was no longer small effort.
This was commitment.
And once the machine started running—
There would be no going back.
📖 End of Chapter 31