Village By The Sea (10 Years Later...)

Ten years later, Thul was no longer a small traditional fishing village. In a decade, the small village just 14 kilometres from Bombay had transformed into a bustling establishment. The year the factory was built, people started streaming in. The new residents of the village lived in huge and tall buildings. The small huts were removed and in their places stood shopping malls and shops which sold goods to supply the needs of the new residents in Thul.

Just a short distance from the bustling markets, the fertilizer factory stood alone. The paddy fields which were destroyed had became swamps. Thick vegetation covered the more deserted areas. Effluent and chemical waste were pumped into the water. On the surface of the black murky were the bodies of fishes, victims of pollution. The shiny fishes which were sold at the markets were no longer fresh. Instead, these fishes were frozen and imported from all over the world.

Cars were no longer a rare occurence in the village. Vehicles travelled up and down the roads and alleys of Thul, day and night.

Among the shops along the streets was a shop that was always closed. The shutters were never opened and upon them were the words "For Sale". The signboard was dusty and black. It hung only on its last nail and was dangling dangerously at an awkward angle. Despite its conditions, the words upon it was still legible - "Hari Watchmender".

When the factory was built and the new housing colony was built, businessmen and merchants came to Thul. Among them were watchmenders. The more experience watchmenders open their own shops and business was good. Soon, Hari's customers started dwindling and finally he could not afford to pay the rent. Hari had to resort to doing temporary jobs to make ends meet. His poultry farm was a complete failure. The year before, a disease swept through Thul, killing all the livestocks in the village. Hari was catapulted back into povery and the slums of Thul.

When Hari went out of business, his last bit of savings was used to pay Lila's dowry. The moment Lilia was of age, she was married off to a rich man. But, after her marriage, the couple left for Australia. Lila lived in a huge and luxurious bungalow in Australia with servants at her beck and call. On her wrist were many gold and glittery bangles and she was was cladded in top quality silk sari. Despite living in luxury, Lila never sent a cent back to Hari. Never once did she remember the hard life Hari was leading back in the slums of Thul.....