Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Notes on Contributors
- Foreword
- EDITORIAL ARTICLE
- ARTICLES
- FEATURED ARTICLES
- LITERARY SUPPLEMENT
- My Mother (Nawal El Saadawi) – Poem
- And the Stars Beckoned – Short Story
- Hijack in Hurghada – A Travelogue
- Childless – Short Story
- The President's Change Agent
- TRIBUTE
- REVIEWS
- Reviews of Nigerian Poetry
Childless – Short Story
from LITERARY SUPPLEMENT
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 August 2019
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Notes on Contributors
- Foreword
- EDITORIAL ARTICLE
- ARTICLES
- FEATURED ARTICLES
- LITERARY SUPPLEMENT
- My Mother (Nawal El Saadawi) – Poem
- And the Stars Beckoned – Short Story
- Hijack in Hurghada – A Travelogue
- Childless – Short Story
- The President's Change Agent
- TRIBUTE
- REVIEWS
- Reviews of Nigerian Poetry
Summary
As usual, shereached the Princep Ghat railway station for circular rail,overlooking the majestic Ganges. It used to be their regularmeeting place since they had met there for the first time.And, as usual, she reached right on time on June 27, 2002.Little did she think that a day like this will ever come inher life! But fate generally has something in store which wenever imagine – even in our nightmares. It was undoubtedlytheir first meeting after their split which had come due tothose five words, after a strong relationship of fivebeautiful springs –
‘This kid isnot mine!’
A cold chillran down her spine. She was not prepared – at least forthis! After a silence of three seconds, in a shivering voiceSheema said, ‘How could you even say that? Is this reallywhat I should get after five long years of commitment to youeven by going against my family?’
With tears liketwo drops of pearl she tried to look up in to the eyes ofher love. But as her eyes went up to confront his eyes,Gourav had already moved ten steps away from her. She triedto move towards him and hold his hand. But those ten stepsnow seemed to be more than ten miles! From a distance Sheemaheard him saying, ‘Listen, I can't get married to you.’
After atumultuous step taken by her to go against her family'sdecision and the society's rebukes, Sheema was ordained thestatus of a ‘slut’ by the person whom she loved more thananyone else in her life. In vain she tried to convinceGourav to get married as soon as possible – not to saveherself from being beaten to death by her parents or to saveher family's honor and reputation in the society where herown aunt was brutally murdered in the name of ‘honorkilling’; but only to bring their love-child into this world– a place which she imagined as the ‘most beautiful place’till she heard those words which she couldn't believe.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- ALT 35: Focus on EgyptAfrican Literature Today 35, pp. 251 - 264Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2017