The call on the abortionist’s new cell had come today at a most inappropriate time—right in the middle of her granddaughter's puberty function. To hear that particular ringtone go off during such an auspicious event was nothing short of embarrassing.
But she had to admit that the contraption itself was useful. It made her more accessible and brought in business she would have otherwise missed while away on assignments. She was still grappling with all the cell's functions, but at least she knew how to answer calls and how to keep the phone charged. All that remained was to learn to use the radio. And learn to change the ringtone. Her grandson would have a lot to answer for when she returned home from work that evening.
She hoped that, just like the cell, the arrival of an apprentice would also usher in more business. Just yesterday, her niece from the city had expressed a keenness to earn a living in the business of taking lives. The abortionist had been surprised that, in this day and age, somebody actually wanted to learn this skill. It was also news to her that there was demand for people like her in the city. It would be a whole new market. She could send supplies to her niece every week with the help of her neighbour who drove a lorry.
But she was not sure the girl was up to the task. As someone who had grown up in the city, she would not have the stomach for getting the job done by any means necessary. The abortionist believed that in her line of work one could not afford to have qualms. Her mother had been an abortionist and, when the situation had demanded it, she had taken over.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April - June 2020-Ausgabe von The Indian Quarterly.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April - June 2020-Ausgabe von The Indian Quarterly.
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The Image-Maker
Sukumar Ray’s most vivid images were saved for his classics of nonsense verse, but his singular eye, writes Nabarupa Bhattacharjee, found its earliest expression in photography
The Nawab's Last Sigh
Rudely awakened by the fact of independent India, an aristocrat in Meerut clung to his past. Now, he tells Sunaina Kumar, all he has left are his memories of a glorious age.
The Guest
Vaiyavan is the nom de plume of MSP Murugesan. Born in 1936, he did sundry jobs before obtaining postgraduate degrees by correspondence and then served as an English and Tamil teacher till his retirement in 1996. His writing career began in 1956. Multifaceted and prolific, he has to his credit a long list of short story collections, novels, plays, literary essays, poems and children’s stories. He has won several awards including Tamil Nadu government awards for best book on culture (1982) and best science book (1992) and the Malcolm Adiseshiah award for active participation in neo-literacy activities (1996). In his short stories and novels, Vaiyavan revels in a zest for life. Humaneness is the hallmark of his work, as the pain and pleasure, trials and tribulations of people in different rungs of society are described in minute detail. —CGR
The Birth of an Anthem
From right-wing slogan to moving patriotic song and now back to Hindu nationalistic war cry. Rimli Sengupta on the evolution of Vande Mataram
The Birth of a Parent
The beginning of a new life can create other strange new lives, reflects Manidipa Mandal
The Unknown Soldier
One man wondered and worried about his disappeared brother all his life.His granddaughter continued the search. Preksha Sharma resurrects a man and his story
The Art Scene
For the new kid on the block, it certainly has pedigree. The Centre for Con-temporary Art, housed within Delhi’s Bikaner House complex, finally opened its portals to welcome art aficionados during this year’s edition of the India Art Fair. Nature Morte was invited to stage the centre’s much-awaited inaugural show, an opportunity the gallery found too irresistible to pass up. The ambitious exhibition it mounted, The Idea of the Acrobat, occupied both floors of the recently renovated building and brought together the works of a dozen well known artists in a multitude of media. The line-up included Bharti Kher, Atul Dodiya, Dayanita Singh, Shilpa Gupta, Ayesha Singh, Khyentse Norbu and LN Tallur to name but a few.
Long, Long Ago
Arundhuti Dasgupta and Utkarsh Patel recount obscure creation myths from around the world, many echoing each other
Family Business
AT THE DINDUKKAL BUS DEPOT, the abortionist pushed her way through the crowd thronging the bus and finally managed to board it. She placed her travel bag beside her on the seat, calling out to her niece to hurry up. The young woman renewed her efforts to break free of the tangle of limbs and claim the seat reserved for her.
A Goan Childhood
Fragments of memory of a time long gone, from a life lived far away. By Selma Carvalho
