Charulata Panigrahi

It was the seventies and India was changing for the better. A huge number of girls were getting into higher education. They were actively seeking a university degree, thanks to the feminist movement and the work of reformists. The practice of marrying girls

“Ashu is on his way.”, Masterbabu went to each person in his neighborhood to declare his son’s expected arrival.  Antaryami Mohapatra was the headmaster of the Upper Primary school of village Balianta in Odisha. Everybody in the village addressed him fondly as

How am I supposed to recognize you, if you don’t send me your pic?”, she had asked exasperatedly on the phone. “Hey… let the blind date be blind”, he had replied in that heavenly baritone. “I will be wearing a

Even as a toddler, Binita had shown signs of taking a liking to the profession. Her parents worked in Mumbai. Binita was born and brought up in that big city. The parents tried their best for their darling daughter’s comfort

“Mama, there is a bone stuck inside my throat.” I cried out while eating my lunch. Mama ran to me from the kitchen. She asked me to drink water. “It’s still hurting”, she looked worried. There came my grandmother. “Bohu

Munna finds them a job. “Yes we are going to Amsterdam’,screamed Pranab after a talk with Munna. Sujata’s joy knew no bounds. Sujata and Pranab were trying to save money for a flat in Gurgaon. They wanted to have two

“Death is inevitable. Here goes the most talented, intelligent and beautiful woman”, said a sombre but scary voice. The voice subsided, and the sound ‘thud’ of a body dropping was heard. Draupadi fell from the side of the snowclad mountain.

Our errand boy Gopal handed over a letter to me. “Sir, the postman brought this”, he said. It was an inland letter. “Who writes letters these days!”, I thought while turning it over. I saw the sender’s name – it