Kahaaniyaan Nai Purani/ Nana Ronger Golpo

This one is one of Mahashweta's few works of fiction short enough for this podcast. She still makes enough space for her heroine to wake up, rise and shine in it. Enjoy!

The master of the domestic is at her quirky best in this fun piece about love. Here too, she allows herself a dig at gender-based double standards. Enjoy!

A rare stream-of-consciousness experiment in Bangla short fiction, this story has a noticeable Chekhovian influence. Happy listening!

The original master of flash fiction brings us a story about hypocrisy and appearances. Enough said, happy listening!

A mind-bending story by the bard, one that is often lost amid his simpler, better-known works. A woman is always a peripheral being, always a shadow of her own self. So much so that one crazy incident can make her lose track of whether she is dead or alive. Give yourself some time to soak in the joys of this intense piece!

A sharply written tale of all the indiscretions that are allowed to pass in our society as mere jokes. Samaresh's signature disgust for misogyny and prudishness are on display here as is his ability to build up a scene. Happy listening!

Experience nostalgia and the pangs of leaving behind an ancestral home in this very representative Bibhutibhushan story. The glow of the author's warmth and his bright view of life illuminate the piece.

A lesser-known story by the master about the limits and possibilities of being a woman, 'Badnaami' set against the backdrop of the Swadeshi movement. Though not up there among the great legion of Tagorean heroines, Saudamini certainly has the makings of one.

Enjoy the magnificence of the language in this (relatively) early prose piece. It is one of the stories from 'Thakurmar Jhuli', which was intended as a repository of the orally transmitted fantasy tales from Bengal. The book also did its bit to make Bangla more pleasurable to read, and the trills and timbre in this story bear witness to the same.

The deeply underrated (and under-read) defines love for you in this beautiful representative story. Strong lines of character and the luminescent dialogue do their bit here.

A twisted journey into the darkest recesses of a lonely housewife's mind by the inimitable Ashapurna.

This one is from Bangla literature's master purveyor of domestic politics, Ashapurna Debi. Sharp and crisp, it examines class relations within the confines of a middle-class urban home. Don't miss the little sting in the end!

A fine piece of medical fiction, which also raises questions about the limits of responsibility and filial love. Hope you love it as much as I did!

A cute slice-of-life story about a time gone by and a fruit whose glory is eternal. Happy listening!

A biting satire about the idea of welfare in India, with even-handed tributes to all sides. Let this snappy little story speak for itself. Happy listening!