Chapter 117

• The crowd’s sudden cries tore through the night air “Ah! It’s raining ” Panic rippled through the lantern-lit streets. The paper lanterns, delicate and fragile, were no match for the downpour. Even the lotus lanterns, left exposed to the open sky, flickered and died in an instant.
• I had just leaned in, ready to close the gap, when the rain crashed down. Every movement froze. Instinctively, I raised my hand to shield my head, bewildered. “Why now? Why hail?” The icy pellets stung sharply against my skin.
• Meruv’s breath hitched, his nerves stretched to the breaking point. When the director shouted to cut, he barely held it together, choking on the sudden rush of air. “This can’t be happening. It hasn’t rained in months this drought… and now hail? On a day like this?” His disbelief was palpable, his body trembling with frustration.