Bitter: A Short Story
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About this ebook
A story earlier published in London Literary Review and Elsewherelit. With an ending that will leave your skin crawling.
India. 1947. A bloody event changed the country's fabric. A family was annihilated. Only one among them survived. But she turned into a living shell, because of the secret that was eating her inside.
'Bitter' is the story of a woman who escaped to India during the Bengal (India) partition of 1947 and saw better days but had to live with a bitter secret all her life. The story is narrated by her niece, a reluctant observer, who learns of her aunt's escape from her elders and watches her grapple with nightmares from that day on. But while her aunt's life purportedly turned for the better, only after her death does her niece discover what the escape cost her.
Smita Bhattacharya
Traveler, author, consultant, and—attempting to be—creative nomad, Smita Bhattacharya lives and works in Mumbai, India. Her psychological thriller novel Dead to Them was published by Story Mirror in January 2018 and is gathering rave reviews. Her other two books, He Knew a Firefly and Vengeful, rank among the top 100 Asian Literature & Fiction on Amazon.com. He Knew a Firefly was a 2016 Indie Next Generation Book Award Finalist in the global multicultural category. Her short stories have appeared in Indian and international publications (The Statesman, DNA, Fiction Magazines, Chicago Literati, Litro.co.uk, Eastlit, Earthen Lamp Journal, Elsewherelit, Tall Tales, Slink Chunk Press, Planet Scumm, Pithead Chapel). More about her can be found at www.smitabhattacharya.com
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Bitter - Smita Bhattacharya
Bitter
Smita Bhattacharya
This story was earlier published in London Literary Review, Elsewherelit, and has won the Tall Tales short story prize.
Copyright © 2018 by Smita Bhattacharya
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.
For more on the author, visit www.smitabhattacharya.com
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Today, I looked for a sign
With flames in my hands
A line in the sand
Between yours and mine
And it came like fire from below
Your greed led the call, my flag had to fall
But little did you know
Another day, your truth will come
You're gonna pay for what you've, pay for what you've done
You'll tell them give me back what's mine
Give me back what's mine.
— A Line in the Sand, Linkin Park
Contents
Preface
1. About Gouri Mashi
2. Divisions
3. Memories and Nightmare
4. All Things End
5. The Bitter Fruit
About the Author
Also by Smita Bhattacharya
Preface
The Partition of Bengal (1947)
The Partition of Bengal in 1947 divided the British Indian province of Bengal into West Bengal (predominantly Hindu) which became a state of India, and Bangladesh (predominantly Muslim) which became a part of Pakistan. There was a mass migration of refugees as a result of this from both the sides, accompanied by violence, rape, loot, and murder. Thousands died and nearly 7 million were displaced. It was a painful period in India’s history.
Glossary of Bengali words used in the story
Ma: Mother
Baba: Father
Mashi: Mother’s sister
Dadu: Grandfather
Dida: Grandmother
Shona: A term of endearment
Babai: A term of endearment, used to address a young boy
Zamindar: a rich landowner
Apsara: Nymph
Lotkon: A sweet fruit
Jhuli: