Arjun nocked his arrow and loosed it. The mango split in two. The children cheered. A hawk circled as the sky turned wet slate.
Rain hammered the village roofs. Arjun aimed at the flapping thatch over the potter's shed and fired. The arrow pinned it down.
The potter clapped. Arjun's grin widened, and he nocked another arrow.
A branch cracked overhead. Arjun lined up his shot — but a fat mango cat leaped between his bow and the branch, batting at the arrow tip.
The arrow flew wide and bonked a sleeping goat on the nose. The goat sneezed so hard it toppled a stack of clay pots — crash, crash, crash.
The river swelled and flooded the path. Arjun spotted Drona's golden training flag on the far bank. He tightened his grip on his bow. Then a cry cut through the rain.
A little girl stood on a muddy mound, water swirling around her knees. 'Help!' she cried. Arjun dropped his bow and grabbed a long bamboo pole.
The rain stopped. Sunlight dripped from palm fronds. Arjun stood ankle-deep in water, his bow floating nearby. The little girl pressed a wet mango into his hands.
An elderly teacher walked up. He looked at the golden flag still waving in the distance, then pointed to it and made a shooting motion.
Then the elderly teacher pointed to the little girl and made a hugging motion. The young boy looked at the flag, then at the girl.
The young boy dropped his bow and ran to help the little girl gather dry fronds for a shelter.
They worked together under the palm tree. The golden flag still waved in the distance, but Arjun had found something better to aim for.