The latter himself was a keen observer. "At dusk, I used to peep through the windows of the haveli to watch him write till the lantern turned black with soot. He used to shoo us away with laddoos," he recalls. It was only when he took his intermediate examinations that Moorat Ram realised the importance of the man he had watched with such fascination. "I was asked to write a line on Nawab Rai urf Premchand. I could have written a story on him."
Affectionately addressed as budhau (old man), Moorat Ram too is sceptical of the government's plans to transform his village. "The sarkar talks about spending crores on rebuilding the haveli and cleaning up the talaab. But do you really need that kind of money? How is Premchand connected to the talaab?" Moorat Ram asks. When others around him remind him that Lamahi could benefit in the long run, Moorat Ram is unconvinced. "I have some land too...but I'll only give it up if it is put to good use," he maintains.
