The days passed peacefully while Aachman tried to sense the prana and had mishaps at the cost of the young lady and her lackeys’ helping him in martial arts.

Aachman was at home which was located on the edge of the Anjar village. Each caste had its own designated area of land, and Aachman belonged to the farmer caste, which was just above the lowest caste. Members of the lowest caste were landless and worked as servants for other castes.

Aachman was under immense pressure because the priests and villagers had been saying that lower castes should not aim high or try to learn martial arts, which are only taught to higher castes. He was at home today because he had fainted after a human spinning top experiment to sense prana failed.

The chief explicitly gave Aachman a few days' leave, but Aachman could read between the lines. The lackeys and the young lady had already sensed prana and were now perfecting their forms. Aachman was no longer needed, so the chief was happy to give him a few days' leave on the pretext of his health issues. This was actually a subtle way of saying, ‘If you can't achieve, find another profession.’

So, Aachman held a mud pot on his head in a tree pose, hoping that the difficult position would help him sense prana during meditation.

ooo0ooo

Kari, Aachman's father, entered the house and saw his son standing on one leg, balancing a mud pot precariously on his head while meditating.

Kari saw his son meditating and felt like telling him not to worry and continue farming with him. However, he knew that his small piece of land could not be divided into two for his sons, as it would not be economically viable. Therefore, one of his sons had to give up farming. When Aachman chose to be a warrior by following the young lady, Kari was happy that both of his sons' futures seemed set. But it was not to be.

Kari walked into the house and called out to his wife, "Bhumi!".

"Oh, tell me what the priest said about Aabha’s ceremony," Bhumi asked her husband.

"The old man said today is the auspicious day for the coming-of-age ceremony." Kari told his wife. "Where's Aabha? Tell him to get a bath and put on his new dhoti."

“He just came in from the farm," Bhumi replied. "I'll ask him to get ready."

ooo0ooo

Aachman couldn't concentrate on his meditation, so he peeked at the commotion happening at his house. Aabha, his older brother, had grown taller and his face was covered in acne in the past five years. His voice had also changed, and these changes made him uncomfortable with his appearance. But today, he was wearing his best dhoti and his oily hair made him look like a snake oil salesman who was about to sell cow's urine as the greatest elixir.

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"Aacha!" Bhumi screamed, which made Aachman close his eyes and pretend to be meditating.

"Aacha! Come, we have to go for Aabha’s ceremony," his mother, Bhumi, pulled him.

“Ahh!" Aachman shouted as the mud pot on his head slipped into his head.

"There is no time for you to fool around," Bhumi scolded her younger son. "We need to move, now!”

Aachman tried to pull the pot, but it stuck to his head. "Aiyo!" Aachman screamed, "I cannot pull the pot from my head. Help me!".

Bhumi tried to pull the pot too, but it firmly stuck to Aacha's head.

"Hey, what are you two up to? We don't have time for games," Kari said to his wife and son as he came in with Aabha.

"Save me!" Aacha screamed again.

Aabha eagerly came to help Aachman, trying to pull the pot that had stuck to his head.

"It is not coming," Aabha said to his father.

"Let me break it off," Kari tried to bring a stick to break the mud pot.

"No!" Bhumi cried, her voice rising in panic. "We can't break the pot! Today is Aabha's auspicious day. If we break the pot, it will bring him bad luck!"

"Hey! Guys! Save me! I'm scared! It's dark out here!" Aachman cried to his family members.

"Bhumi, what can we do? There is no other way than breaking the pot."

"Yeah, Ma, we can’t leave Aacha like this just because it's an auspicious day for me.” Aabha pleaded with his mother to break the pot and free his younger brother.

Bhumi wanted to help her younger son, who was still trying to pull the pot from his head. But her superstitious mindset won over her concern for her younger son. As she saw that pot stuck to his head did not stop him from living his life.

"Let him be like this for today. Tomorrow, we can break his pot and free him," Bhumi told her husband. Even though the Aachman household was traditional, Bhumi had the final say in all domestic matters.

"What!?" Aachman expressed his incredulity.

"Ma, it's dark. I can't see anything. How am I supposed to attend Aabha's ceremony?" Aachman asked his mother, frustration evident in his voice.

Bhumi was torn and did not know what to do, but Kari came to save the day.

"Bhumi, don’t worry; I will solve this problem in a jiffy." Kari ran away and came with a stick. Everyone was confused except Aachman, who couldn't see what was happening and Kari poked the pot twice with the stick.

“Haa!”

Kari looked at his wife proudly, gloating at his handiwork. Aabha and Bhumi looked at Aachman to understand what had been done to him.

"Oh, I can see,” Aachman exclaimed.

Bhumi and Aabha saw that Kari had poked two holes in the pot so that Aachman could see what was happening. Aabha looked at his dad with sparkling eyes, feeling that he was the best dad in the world. Bhumi also felt that her husband was smart and always supported her decisions. However, one person felt differently.

Aachman's first sight after a long time was Kari puffing his non-existent chest and Bhumi and Aabha looking at Kari adoringly. He had thought he would be the centre of attention after escaping from the harrowing experience of darkness and claustrophobia caused by his head stuck in the pot. Also, he was still sacrificing his freedom for one more day because of Aabha.

"Dad, don’t we have a feast after Aabha’s ceremony? Aachman shouted accusingly at his dad, Kari.

"Hmm, yeah," Kari said distractedly, still basking in the praise of his son and wife.

Aachman coldly said, "Then, where is the hole for my mouth?"