stories

“BheemjiHajir ho... (Mr.Bheem present yourself) SuniljiHajir ho... (Mr.Sunil present yourself) JuliejiHajir ho...” (Ms.Julie present yourself) The court attender shouted loudly, so his voice echoed from the court entrance to the far end of the veranda. The entire veranda was bustling with activity. Above the entrance, there was a board written in Hindi indicating that it is the honorable judge K.N. Srivatsava's court, Court No. 4. There were many such courts

“If you meet Kamlididi, give her this honey, Bujji. She drinks water mixed with lemon juice and honey first thing in the morning, right? She is such a thin person”, said Sanni placing a honey bottle in the bag on the cot. Budri, who was sitting near the fire burning next to the cot and chatting with her friend Seedho, nodded her head without looking at her mother. “Oh, I

Sannu was walking, taking each step with a broad smile. He just started to learn how to walk. Maybe because he slept all day and woke up after drinking milk to his heart's content from his mother, his face looked even more peaceful and happy than ever. In the evening sunlight, his dusky body was glowing. He extended one hand forward as if trying to hold onto something, taking each

It was nearing seven in the morning. Ranitha set off towards the village along with two people from her team. It was a tiny hamlet with just four houses, known as Makadichuvva. This village was situated in the ChamorshiTaluka of Gadchiroli district. Among the four houses, two belonged to the OraonAdivasis, who had migrated from Rayagada, while the other two were owned by the local residents. It was the rainy

In the past, the squad had bombed Shivalingam and the temple. This was the first time they had returned to the village after that incident. Squad Area Committee (SAC) member Kosi, commander Ramdev and squad member Budral went to the village to ask the residents to come to the meeting and also bring some vegetables and rice. It was almost a year since they had visited the village. It was

A professor, who is an academician, was coming from a neighbouring state to attend a meeting. Crowds of people were eagerly waiting for his arrival. There, he has come at last! The diligent looking, respectable professor was crossing the road, smiling and waving magnificently. But suddenly a motor cycle rode past him at jet speed, pumping a number of bullets into the dignified academician, and he fell down instantly. This

It was the month of December. The night was chilly, the air crisp and still. The full moon hung low, casting its silver glow upon the world. There was heavy dew. Kumari stepped out of the tent after packing the necessary things for the next day’s journey. Cold breeze struck her face. She shivered and her teeth chattered. She rubbed her hands together and placed them on her cheeks. It

“Run! The Police are coming! Run!” The entire village was alarmed with the news of police coming to their village yet again. Dandakaranya is not new to the police raids. Still, every time the police enter any village, the villagers, including the babies, are afraid of their arrival and the baggage of humiliation, abuse, and harassment that comes with them. The moment these words fell in the ears of the