Part 1: "Towards the Stars"

Officer I: Look, I've actually met a lot of honest folk ... Janardhan, I know hunger hurts more than punishment ever could. Morality only matters when people have full bellies, a place to stay, and a shred of dignity.
The officer speaks gently, as if comforting a child who made a small mistake.
Officer I: Some kids will break a window, a counter, or even someone's head just so their mother won't go hungry—I get it, I really do!
Officer I: Are you that kind of man?
The man cuffed to the chair across from him sniffles and tilts his head away dramatically.
Janardhan: sob You're right, officer ...
The drama continues. He lowers his head into his hands, choking back tears.
The officer places a hand on his shoulder and offers a single probing question.
Officer I: So ... where's the money?
Officer I: And of course, the child—we're all very concerned about her whereabouts.
The man sobs uncontrollably, mumbling incoherent words.
Officer I: What was that? Say it again.
The officer brings his ear closer.
But what reaches up to him isn't words.
Officer I: —Aaaargh!
Teeth tear into his earlobe, ripping flesh and unleashing a stream of blood.
Officer I: Let go! Let go! You damn Swine God Arcanist from Mor Pankh! Someone, get in here!
Janardhan: Hahahahaha!
Blood runs through the gaps in his teeth. The pitiful act is gone entirely.
Janardhan: You really think I don't know what you're after?
Amid agonized screams, the door to the interrogation room bursts open.
Officer II: Monster! Let him go!!!
Another officer storms in, pulling a black iron baton from his belt and slamming it hard into the man's gut.
Janardhan: vomiting
The sudden blow makes him gag, and he finally lets go.
Janardhan: cough
Janardhan: Hahahaha!
The wounded officer presses his hand over his blood-soaked ear, gasping breathlessly as his colleagues lead him out to attend to the wound.
He's left alone in the interrogation room.
On the table, a headline stands out. A missing person.
—"Kanjira."
Six days ago
Child I: Why are we being so sneaky this time? Can't we just talk during the day? Ow—
Knuckles rap the child's head, giving him a solid but playful knock.
Ajar: Shh ... Quiet down, dummy! We don't want Ms. Sherjah to hear us! Wait till we're inside the caravan. Boss must have something important planned.
Child II: You said the same thing last time. And what happened? Turns out you had the time wrong, and I ended up getting bit in the butt by that guard dog!
Ajar: So? Didn't I swap pants with you after that? You're so whiny.
The kids shove and chase each other. But as an adult passes by, they shrink their necks and act like perfect students.
In the night, they scurry like field mice through a melon patch to reach their destination.
Tiny feet rustle through the outskirts of the woods until they reach a rundown caravan.
Ajar: Boss? Boss? You there? Hey, hey ...
Child I: sigh She's late again ...
"Huff ... huff ... huff ... huff ..."
The quiet caravan suddenly rumbles like the puffing breath of a giant.
Ajar: Who's in there?! I—I'm warning you, get down here! This is our turf!
Child I: What if it's that escaped killer? Let's just get out of here ... Ajar ...
"Huff ... huff ... huff ... huff ..."
Ajar: If you don't come out, I'm letting the dog loose!
Ajar elbows his buddy.
His buddy just points at his own chin, like, "Why is it always me?"
Child I: ...
The kid crouches down, stretches his neck out, and curls his tongue—
Child I: Hiss-roar! Woof! Woof woof ...!
Ajar: You hear that?!
But the "intruder" inside the caravan ignores them completely and even starts again.
Only this time—
"Huff ... huff ... huff ... huff ..."
"Huff-chuff!"
Kanjira: Finally, finally got it working!
Ajar: Boss, is that you in there?!
The kids rush over, eyes wide like they're gawking at an elephant.
Ajar: You fixed up that old caravan your folks left you? Whoa, where'd you learn to pull off something like that?
The giant door creaks open, and a scrawny kid crawls out looking more like a baby bird than an ace mechanic.
Kanjira: Cough, cough ... Ugh, I'm choking! That kid at the repair shop wasn't lying, it seems. Not a bad trade, huh?
Kanjira: Hey, Ajar, you made it.
Ajar: So this is why you called us here, Boss? We're finally gonna take that caravan and steal some of the grown-ups' business?
The kids cheer wildly—but their excitement is quickly doused with a cold splash of reality.
Kanjira: No, you've got it wrong, Ajar.
Kanjira: I ... I'm going to take this caravan and leave Mor Pankh.
Ajar: ?!
...
Convincing the others isn't too hard, but it stirs up a wave of worry.
Ajar: But ... could it really be true? If your folks are really on the other side of the country, why didn't they ever come here to look for you?
The kids lie on the grass, staring up at the sky, fireflies floating all around them, but none of them are in the mood to catch them.
Kanjira: That pickpocket who jumped off train—he looked just once at my snake anklet, and said he recognized it.
Kanjira: He said back at the train station he saw a woman with the same snake! And they've been looking everywhere for their missing girl!
She pulls a missing person notice from her pocket. There's no picture, just a vague description and an age range that roughly matches her own.
And a simple drawing of a snake anklet.
Kanjira: Maybe ... they never abandoned me after all. Maybe they just ... forgot me.
Ajar: Kanjira ... maybe he was just making stuff up? And even if it's true, what if they're not looking for you anymore?
The girl takes a deep breath.
Kanjira: I have to see for myself!
Ajar: But if it really is them, will you come back?
The clouds covering the moon grow heavier.
Kanjira: ...
Kanjira: Of course.
Kanjira: Because ...
Kanjira: This is my home!
Ajar: Boss, here, take this. It's all I "earned" this morning at the station.
The boy sits up, pulls a handful of crumpled bills from his pocket, and lays them carefully on a palm-sized leaf beside her.
Then comes the second kid.
Child I: And this is all I made shining shoes for those rich old men today. They tipped a lot!
Child II: And mine too ...
One by one, the kids empty their day's earnings onto the leaf. It isn't really all that much, but the leaf still bends under the weight.
Until it can't hold anything more.
Kanjira: But you guys will go hungry!
Ajar: Heh, it's no big deal. Boss, you're heading out into the big wide world. You can't go without travel money, right?
Kanjira: I ... I will pay you back, all of you!
Child I: Hahaha ... You better! When you come back, we will charge tons of interest! You'll work for us for the rest of your life!
Kanjira: Oh yeah! You little rascals, that's your plan, huh? Hmph! Well, when I come back, don't expect even half a rupee!
Child II: You wouldn't dare!
The gang piles onto her, tickling mercilessly. They roll around the grass, laughing and wrestling, smoothing the field flat.
The wind picks up.
...
...
A figure stumbles into the woods, gasping for air, barely staying upright.
Janardhan: cough They shouldn't be able to catch up now.
A rundown caravan lies ahead—the perfect hiding spot.
He scrambles into the back, slips, and collapses behind a seat.
He's like a bear wounded while escaping from a trap. His victory is pyrrhic, and he's left too weak to move.
Janardhan: Ugh ... damn ...
Soon, he blacks out.