साहित्य सङ्ग्रहालय

~Karuna Chettri ‘Sitara’~

    I heard the crash before I felt the blow to my head. The accordion door of the bedroom closet had collapsed, knocking me over like a spinning top that had lost its rhythm. Hangers, choked with my traditional sarees, had ripped out the five-foot pole along with the closet door. Yards of vibrant, lustrous silks spilled into a heap on the dusty berber carpet. I angrily massaged my head and  surveyed the damage: the door hung precariously on one hinge; blue French chiffon, like diaphanous jellyfish, Continue reading →

~Karuna Chettri ‘Sitara’~

The single light bulb swung from a naked wire attached to the low ceiling. The glare penetrated the blindfold as it moved back and forth like a pendulum. The heat from the fine filament seared the tip of the woman’s nose every time the bulb swung close to her face. The room reeked of urine mixed with sweat. But for the blindfolded woman, the stench of past terrors penetrated her nostrils every time she heard the sounds of boots approach her—near, almost touching her. She smelled his breath — tobacco and beetle nut. 

She sat straight Continue reading →