Rebirth of the Indian Chemist.

Velikara, Kerala – 1710 CE

My brilliant plan was to have a quiet tutoring session with Pavizham where nobody challenged my intellectual dominance.

That plan failed within six minutes.

---

"I've been thinking," Pavizham said, unrolling a palm-leaf scroll.

"Dangerous words."

"I want to build something."

I leaned back. "Do tell."

"A bamboo-raft water harvester."

"Like a floating waterwheel?"

"Yes. Except horizontal. With paddles. And weights. That rotates with river flow and lifts water without fire."

My mouth opened. Then closed.

"…That's brilliant."

She smirked. "Thank you. Now let's build it before Devika hears and claims I stole your attention."

"She already suspects I'm emotionally kidnapped."

"Good. That means we're even."

---

We worked on the blueprint together. The concept was simple:

A floating bamboo frame

Paddle arms angled to catch current

Small buckets tied to a pulley

A rising scoop for river irrigation

It was brilliant because it required no fire, no steam, and no expensive materials. Just clever angles and river patience.

"Do you want to test it with a model first?" I asked.

Pavizham looked at me with flat seriousness. "No. I want to make it a bet."

I blinked. "A bet?"

"If my device pulls up more water than your steam wheel in an hour, I get your jackfruit stash."

"…That's blackmail."

"It's stakes."

"And if I win?"

She paused. "I'll smile. Properly."

My mouth went dry. That was higher stakes than jackfruit.

"Done," I said.

---

Three days later, we assembled both devices at the riverbank.

Word had spread. Bhairav brought a crowd.

Devika came too, arms crossed, expression suspiciously amused.

"You've created a public science duel?" she asked.

"We're encouraging rural innovation," I replied solemnly.

"You're betting food."

"That's rural motivation."

She rolled her eyes but stayed. That meant a lot.

---

Pavizham's raft went first. It rotated slowly but steadily, lifting small scoops of water into a bamboo gutter.

The crowd clapped.

Then came my steam wheel.

Faster. Louder. More dramatic. But less elegant.

Bhairav kept shouting "Steam power!" like a street vendor.

But I noticed something.

Pavizham's machine never stopped. It didn't need to cool. Or vent pressure. It just turned.

By the end of the hour, her scoop volume was 12% higher.

She had won.

---

Devika whistled. "Well, Amarnatha. Defeated by your own student."

"She cheated. She used the river."

"It's called using nature."

Pavizham stepped beside me, smug. "Hand over the jackfruit."

I sighed and opened my shoulder bag.

She took it, opened the leaf pouch, and… smiled.

Not a smirk. Not a sideways glance.

A real, dimpled, luminous, heart-exploding smile.

The crowd actually cheered.

"Worth it," I muttered.

Then Bhairav shouted, "Marry her!"

Devika hit him with a stick.

---

That evening, I sat alone with the blueprint.

A floating machine powered by water.

No fire. No danger. Scalable. Safe.

"She might be better than me," I whispered.

Then I grinned.

"Perfect."

Because I wasn't building the future alone.

I had rivals. I had allies. I had… feelings. Complicated ones.

And as the river flowed silently in the dark, I decided one thing:

We would make this land smarter.

One invention at a time.