And the men were away again. Off with their ten-paathi jute sack of supplies anchored across their forehead, small nut-filled cans rattling against their back, re-sharpened khukuri dangling by the waist, treading on muddy trails through unforgivingly humid Terai forests.

Between them, things had felt somewhat constrained and claustrophobic ever since Ramesh had returned from Saudi. It should not have been so strenuous, for Shanta had been the one who had pestered Ramesh for the last two years to return to Nepal.

Ninamma knew better than to challenge these men. A smile could be mistaken for an invitation; a frown could invite greasier hands. She had cut her hair short — almost ugly — and wore the same oversized, full-sleeved shirt and jeans every day.

All day from the dusty couch – no jumping on the couch, Kristy said to him – Arya watched the pig. It was black like a bottle of paint, its nose flat like the bottle’s cap. It crouched behind the door, bunched against the point where the door and the wall formed a triangle, and made pig sounds.

I started walking the hard trails about ten years ago. I was young and strong, unmarried, with an independent source of income from my small café and shop on Swotha Road, selling hot coffees and antiquities.

Sarita was up at the crack of dawn to practice her walk in the new high heels. She just hadn’t been able to garner the grace that those Hindi film heroines were famous for; she admired the ease with which they moved their feet in rain-soaked dances, perfectly balanced in their high heels.

‘This wonderful story is told from the point of view of a young boy who is discovering that the vibrant community where he lives contains some pretty tantalizing secrets.’

Till you Remember to Forget me by Lalahang won second prize in Writing Nepal: A Short Story Contest 2023. About the story, Samrat Upadhyay, author of Arresting God in Kathmandu and judge of Writing Nepal, said, ‘Till you Remember to Forget me(a great title!) is a dystopian story set around Singha Durbar and Teku. A cyborg is assigned […]

Dia Yonzon’s Unwritten Letters won third place in Writing Nepal: A Short Story Contest 2023. About the story, Samrat Upadhyay, author of Arresting God in Kathmandu and judge of Writing Nepal, said, “In Unwritten Letters a transgender person debates whether they ought to reveal their true identity to their lover and thereby risk rejection. While the actual letter doesn’t […]