I had developed a bond with my village, with the farmers that drudged in the fields, with the women who drew water from the well, with the cows in my barn, with trees in my garden, with the old men who played cards under the neem tree, with the woman who exchanged mangoes for grains, with the shop keeper who used brick as a measure, with the mad beggar who wandered unshaved and unclean, with the sound of the bell ringing in the far temple, with the evening air and the rising sun, with hot summers and chilly winters.... I was in love with my village.