Trade
- Lakshmi's stepfather brings her to Bajai Sita's store and tells Bajai Sita that Lakshmi is meant to go work in the city.
- When Bajai Sita asks if Lakshmi will do what she is told, Lakshmi asserts that she will, and the woman from the festival comes out to look at Lakshmi.
- The city woman and Lakshmi's stepfather barter for Lakshmi. The city woman says that she is only worth five hundred rupees because "she has no hips" (39.ATrade.15).
- Lakshmi thinks that she's strong, and what do her hips matter anyway?
- They settle on a price of eight hundred rupees, and Bajai Sita tells Lakshmi that she must obey the city woman for her family to get the money.
- Lakshmi's stepfather uses some of the money to pay for things for himself, but Lakshmi puts a sweater for Ama, a coat for her baby brother, and bottle of soda into the basket he is filling.
- Even though he's angry about it, he tolerates her behavior because, as Lakshmi says, "today, I am no mere girl" (39.ATrade.30).