"I have no more time, Grandfather," Arul whispered, sitting by the shrine's stone steps. "I am late for success, late for happiness. Time is my enemy."
As the udukki’s vibration settled into Arul’s chest, he realized that time wasn't a race to be won, but a cycle to be respected. The song taught him that every sunset in the village was a preparation for a new dawn, and that being 'late' was an illusion of the mind. "I have no more time, Grandfather," Arul whispered,
By the time the final vibration of the drum faded, Arul felt a strange peace. The fierce deity, often feared, had become his guardian. He understood that as long as he moved to the rhythm of his own truth, he was exactly where he needed to be. The song taught him that every sunset in