When the British leave Ceylon, a region of Sri Lanka that they had colonized, the Indian laborers look forward to a future of independence. Sir William, the owner of a plantation, leaves power to Mr. Balakumar, the Tamil plantation manager. The Indians celebrate their independence and the new prime minister, however, some Indians, including Mr. Padmanathan, the owner of the estate store, disapprove. Selvakumar, an Indian boy who helps the women work on the tea plantation in the place of his sick mother, is friends with Mr. Padmanathan’s son, Muthu. The women recognize that, because of the gap in status and social class between the boys, their friendship will not last long. Muthu attends school and teaches Selvakumar the things he learns, and Selvakumar shares this knowledge with the women. In one of Muthu's lessons, he teaches Selvakumar about the names of distant countries. Mr. Padmanathan disapproves, and insists that the names of distant countries are lost on a boy like Selvakumar who will never leave the village. Selvakumar tells the women about Marco Polo who traveled to multiple countries. The women realize Selvakumar's heart may become distant, and that he has grown away from the village. The narrator describes the ethnic tensions between the Indians on the planation. They are all Tamil Indians, however, there are tensions between descendants of Indian immigrants and native Ceylon Indians. Mr. Padmanathan is a descendant from native Ceylon Indians and speaks proudly of his lineage to his son. Noticing how Mr. Padmanathan teaches his son to pay attention to ethnic differences, the women warn Selvakumar to not get too close to Muthu. After a party, everyone is caught in a downpour. The men decide to play a game, with a wager on Mr. Balakumar’s cows. They choose Paari as their representative, and the two men compete to throw horseshoes. Paari gains the upper hand, but the delight is temporary. The rain pours harder and floods homes. As they watch the rain, the laborers consider how Mr. Balakumar will calculate their losses the next day and ask them to work harder to compensate. They imagine a land where everything is not calculated and allowed to grow freely, returning Sri Lanka to its original state before British colonization. Once the storm passes, the villagers survey the aftermath. Selvakumar has gone missing and his mother calls for him. To the laborers, the storm’s damage signifies a new beginning and the chance to rebuild. Soon, they find out that Selvakumar has left the village. During the rain, Selvakumar and Muthu took shelter in Mr. Padmanathan’s store. Selvakumar asked for the cashbox, and Muthu, unaware of Selvakumar’s intentions, handed it over. Selvakumar locked Muthu in the back room and fled with the cash. Coincidentally, Mr. Balakumar has also passed away. The villagers suspect murder when they see the puncture wound on his neck. While Mrs. Balakumar mourns her husband’s death, she vows that if Selvakumar were to return, he would die. Selvakumar’s mother breaks down in sorrow. The villagers understand that they would be the ones to compensate for Selvakumar’s theft. To the villagers, Selvakumar’s new beginning is also their brief glimpse at a new beginning. They imagine Selvakumar with a chance at a new life where he pursues unlimited possibility.