The mahua tree may be famous for the potent indigenous liquor made from its flowers, but for many forest-dependent communities, the tree is also a source of oil, medicine, insecticide, livestock feed, and has even served as famine survival food. It was raining cats and dogs. The deluge had started just as Bhogiroth da (my field assistant) and I returned from fieldwork around 4 pm. At 6 pm, it was still coming down. The volume of Bhogiroth’s newborn grandson’s crying increased with the rain’s intensity.