Purnia, Katihar, April 18 -- At 3 am, in a poorly ventilated, dimly lit hut along a deserted road in Harda village in north Bihar's Purnia district, Bhola Sahni's family of seven awakens from a short spell of sleep. Within moments, they take their places at the fodi (a cramped workshop where makhana seeds are popped), settling down on stacks of folded jute bags in front of earthen chulhas (stoves) fed by corn cobs. An old television set plays a Hindi comedy in the background-the sound from the TV mixing with the cacophony of the room and providing a dim source of light. The quiet street is now pierced by the synchronized sounds of seeds being roasted and stirred with metal sticks, on flames blazing under four pans, before they are struck ...