Ratan Da walked away, waddling the way he came from, whispering, “Don’t let it go to waste, don’t let it go to waste.”

We’re still alive/ but they wanted to die a natural death

Being a woman comes to me naturally If not me, then who? I was never asked to be one I was never asked to cook

This is a translation by Md. Abu Zafor of Bimal Guha’s “Kalo Biral” from the collection ‘E Kon Matal Nritya' (first published in 2022).

Time to set sail for a new cruise, oh dear voyager Sindbad!

A story of an ordinary man and his very ordinary journey.

Time, heavy as a thousand suns combined,/ Bends mothers, smaller than the ones they bore,

What’s life if a sense of darkness/ doesn’t connect night to sunlight

'1 new message' is the top winner of DS Books and Star Literature's Halloween writing contest Spook-off in the two-sentence fiction category.

'New home' is the top winner of DS Books and Star Literature's Halloween writing contest Spook-off in the 100 word fiction category.

'The car' is one of the winning entries of DS Books and Star Literature's Halloween themed writing contest "Spook-Off". One winning 100-word flash fiction or a two-line horror story will be published each day of the week all the way till Halloween.

'Last visit' is one of the winning entries of DS Books and Star Literature's Halloween themed writing contest "Spook-Off". One winning 100-word flash fiction or a two-line horror story will be published each day of the week all the way till Halloween.

'Midnight visitor' is one of the winning entries of DS Books and Star Literature's Halloween themed writing contest "Spook-Off". One winning 100-word flash fiction or a two-line horror story will be published each day of the week all the way till Halloween.

As she looked up, Rukhsana noticed her eyeballs missing.

This universe’s heart is hollow now for humanity has died inside it.

I think it was closer tonight. I really did not want it inside the lift.

For a wistful moment, he was born to me. Eyes closed and never to open.

Back at home, food used to narrate stories. Here, food does not travel far to the nooks and crannies of Velutha’s heart; it only reaches his stomach well enough to leave him looking healthy and strong.

The hush of dawn and the whispered breeze,/ that caresses nature's resting face

She stands in front of the canvas and stares.