Under the sprawling shade of a rain tree in Nagercoil, three schoolboys come face to face with their first true adversary: the Future.

For Aamir, Anthony, and Mani, growing up isn’t marked by heroic triumphs or dramatic turning points. It unfolds in leaking roofs, unpaid bills, missed chances, and the unspoken pressure to become someone in a world that rarely notices the ordinary. What begins on the backbenches of a high school slowly stretches into the uneasy terrain of adulthood.

The Road to Veppamoodu follows their friendship across two decades. Aamir, sharp-tongued and relentless, builds a life from sugar, grit, and risk. Anthony, ever cautious, seeks safety in routines and corporate certainty. Mani, the quiet witness, tries to preserve their fleeting moments in ink before time erases them. Together, they navigate the contradictions of middle-class India—where ambition wrestles with responsibility, and survival itself becomes a form of courage.

Tender, humorous, and deeply human, this novel is for anyone who has ever paused at sunset, wondering if life would turn out the way they hoped. It is a tribute to friendships that endure, to dreams reshaped by reality, and to the quiet heroism of simply holding on.

Take your seat on the bench. The tea is still hot.
And the road has only just begun.