Final answer:
As Rukmani and Nathan leave Murugan's last employer, they encounter a flood, a common literary device to showcase character resilience.
Step-by-step explanation:
The dispute or difficulty that Rukmani and Nathan encounter as they are leaving Murugan's last employer is c) A flood. This event adds to their challenges and exemplifies the hardships faced by the characters in the narrative. Such adversities are commonly depicted in literature to underscore the resilience and determination of the characters to overcome obstacles.
The dispute or difficulty that happens just as Rukmani and Nathan are leaving Murugan's last employer is a land dispute. In the novel 'Nectar in a Sieve' by Kamala Markandaya, Rukmani and Nathan are forced to leave their home and find new land to cultivate. However, they face a land dispute with the wealthy landowner Biswas, who claims the land they settled on.
Therefore answer is c) A flood.