Village Market(Madhu Mangal Sinha) The market was far from our village. You have to cross the fields along the edge of the forest to reach this market. The market was held two days a week - Monday and Friday. The market was under a giant banyan tree on the banks of the river Sanicharra. This market was crowded with many people. We were very young then. We hear the word of mouth that people can get anything in the market. It also had toys and food such as Batasa, Jelapi and Singara. Lakshminarayan my friend bought a wooden horse from that market with his brother. I thought I would go to the bazaar with my father and buy a good horse as Lakshminarayan bought.

I went to my mother and ask what day was that day. My mother said it was on the market today. If you haven't seen it, your dad went to the market. I said angrily when did my father leave? I didn't see that. Mother said you don't have to see it, kid. Please come back before the evening to go play now. “Do you understand?”- I nod and I'll be back by the evening.
That day was Monday. I did count on my fingers how many days until Friday. My younger sister Manorama went to the market with our father and saw many things. I was very happy to hear the description from her. Next Friday I would go with my father to the market.
Our school was a 10-minute walk from our house. I went to school on Friday. The teacher finished class and said, “I will take a test tomorrow”. The pupil learned a lot. If they failed the exam, they would not be promoted to the next class. Everyone said they were going to read a lot: I said the same thing.

I was back from school. I put aside my studies for the day and thought that my father would go to the market that afternoon. That day I thought-“I have to go to the market with my father today. I will buy various things. I will see big sweet pumpkins and big fish. Haha! how much?”

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