Stories Inspired by Thirukkural - Chapter 2:4 Stopped Funding

📜 TAD - Chapter 2:4 - The Rain We Wait For: When Power Fails, Hope Endures

“Dearest Lata, this may be the last letter I write to you,” Rajamani put the pen down, wondering if this was his final hour.

Thirty-six hours earlier, he had boarded the submarine, met his old friend Mali, and started his real job—installing a magic oven. But now, the submarine had descended too deep, power was failing, and time was running out. As the kitchen plunged into darkness, Rajamani held onto Mali’s fading voice, reminding him of a timeless truth:

👉 ஏரின் உழாஅர் உழவர் புயல்என்னும் வாரி வளங்குன்றிக் கால். “If the rain doesn’t come, the farmer’s plough has to stop.”

Much like the drought in One Piece’s Alabasta arc, where Crocodile robbed the land of rain, Rajamani realized some forces were beyond control. Without power, they were stranded in the abyss. But just as the farmer waits for rain, hope endures—even in the darkest moments.

💡 What is the ‘rain’ in your life that keeps everything running? A habit? A person? An opportunity? 💡 Have you ever faced a moment when something essential was missing, and everything started falling apart?

Tell me your thoughts in the comments!

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The script:

‘ஏரின் உழாஅர் உழவர் புயல்என்னும்

வாரி வளங்குன்றிக் கால்.’

Meaning, if the rain doesn’t come, the farmer’s plough has to stop."

What is the ‘rain’ in your life that keeps everything running smoothly? Is it a habit, a person, or an opportunity?

Have you ever faced a situation where something essential was missing, and everything started falling apart

“Dearest Lata, this may be the last letter I write to you, " Rajamani put the pen down wondering if it was his last hour.

Thirty-six hours earlier, Rajamani had entered a submarine and met his friend and chef, Mali. Unexpectedly, the submarine went underwater. Rajamani started working on the real job that he was hired to do on the sub, installing his magic oven. But, the sub had descended too deep. The crew was working to pull themselves out of the abyss, when there was a sudden power loss.

Mali’s face turned grim. “Wah happenin’ fi lose power yah? Yuh gotta come up pon de surface ‘fore t’ing get worsa.…” He didn’t finish the sentence, but the implication was clear. The submarine was running out of time. The red-hot heating elements of the oven overheated to turn into yellow.

The kitchen lights flickered, then went out completely, plunging the room into darkness. For a moment, there was only silence, heavy and suffocating. Then, with a faint hum, the oven’s display lit up, casting a soft glow across the kitchen. But even that soon faded, leaving them in utter blackness. The sub shook violently, tilting forward as if the ground beneath them had shifted. Rajamani stumbled, his hands flailing for something to hold onto. The loud noises subsided, leaving an eerie silence.

“Mali… Are you there?” Rajamani called, his voice trembling. All he heard was faint mumbling. He began to move cautiously, hands outstretched, feeling his way through the darkness. His foot touched something soft and squishy. He knelt, his hands brushing against fabric, then something warm and damp. It was Mali. “Mali… Mali…” he called again, his voice echoing. There was no response, only labored breathing.

“Mi a… good… Mi get… some… wheeze… Pressure… low… Yah, mi a… keep… talkin’… fi yuh…”

“I’ll go call for help…” said Rajamani, ready to leap out.

“No… stay…”

He got hold of Mali’s hands and held it.

Rajamani’s mind raced. He thought of the Thirukkural:

ஏரின் உழாஅர் உழவர் புயல்என்னும்

வாரி வளங்குன்றிக் கால்.

If the rain doesn’t come, the farmer’s plough has to stop.

The words echoed in his mind, a reminder of how even the most skilled are at the mercy of forces beyond their control. Just as a farmer cannot sow or reap without rain, Rajamani realized he, too, was powerless in this moment. He had no control over the power drain, the shaking sub, or the darkness enveloping them.

“One… piece… daughter…”

He narrated an example from One Piece. In the Alabasta arc, the people suffered due to a lack of rain. Crocodile, the antagonist, had manipulated the environment to create a drought, leaving the farmers and citizens helpless. No matter how hard they worked, their efforts were futile without rain. It was a stark parallel to the Thirukkural’s wisdom—a reminder that some things are beyond human control, no matter how much we strive or plan.

Rajamani clenched his fists, frustration and helplessness washing over him. He had always prided himself on solving problems, fixing what was broken. But now, he was as powerless as the farmer waiting for rain. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. “Mali, hang on,” he whispered, more to himself than to his unconscious friend. “We’ll get through this.”

The darkness pressed in, but Rajamani refused to give in to despair. He knew that, just as the rain eventually comes to the farmer, light would return to them. Until then, he would do what he could, even if it meant waiting in the dark.