Nepal, Nov. 1 -- We were all excited when the news came.

Chandra Group, the number 1 company in the country, was opening a store in our village. We would have our own Supermart. The news came the way most news do in a small town. Hearsay. Which can never be believed. But this one was different.

Of course, when the talk first started, we didn't believe it. After all, the first person who spoke of it was Bajaj, an outsider. A city slicker who'd settled in the village some months ago. He was nice but we were a close knit group and weren't able, truly able, to ingratiate him into our circles. It would take some years, even then.

He spoke about it in a matter-of-fact manner, to anyone who was around. Then he left for the city as he always d...