The day started like any other in Ramapuram, yet an invisible tension seemed to hang in the air. The fields glistened after the morning dew, and the occasional chatter of children echoed faintly as they ran past the narrow streets. But beneath this usual village rhythm, Veera Rama Raju could sense an unusual sharpness—an unease that had nothing to do with crops or cattle.
Veera had been awake early, as always, walking barefoot through the paddy fields, checking the soil moisture, and inspecting the newly constructed irrigation channels. The village's whispers over the past weeks had grown more persistent. Even the elders who normally avoided discussing younger men and women's affairs were now shaking their heads in hushed tones whenever he passed.


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