Summary

Elders of the town constitute a panchayat and meet when a crime is committed by anyone and mete out punishment. Viswa and his friends are accused of a crime not committed by them. The elders sit in judgment and award punishment to them without giving them a chance to be heard and to prove their innocence. As an expression of resentment, the boys commit a petty crime, albeit playfully. It lands them in serious trouble. How they manage to come out of it unscathed is the crux of the story.