Beneath the Breath of Earth

Ravi lived in Vasantpur where the sky was no longer blue but dusty orange with pollution. Heat lingered even in October and students carried inhalers to school. In class Mrs. Menon spoke about global warming fossil fuels and deforestation. That evening Ravi saw the old neem tree near his colony cut down for a parking lot. Sadness filled him—it had been part of his childhood. At home Dadu recalled cleaner days when air was pure rains fresh and stars shone bright.