Frequently changing house help, a disintegrating marriage and a girl coming of age make up the ingredients of this emotionally resonant story.

An isolated writer in a Goan village finds a muse of sorts in this tale of missed opportunity, timing and the creative process.

A wealthy widow has to manage the inheritance of her late husband and changing family dynamics while reflecting on the past in this sparse and affecting short story.

A translated story about a boy who wanders far from his village into the forest is about formative experiences, told with the simplicity and fluency of a time gone by.

A gripping trip down memory lane questions the laws of timing, potential and fidelity in this short story.

A hilarious and absurd tale about friends in the afterlife and final requests.

An eerie, dystopian work of speculative fiction follows a woman trying to reconstruct her childhood Kheer recipe.

A heartfelt, reflective look at returning home while coming into your own is this week’s short story.

An exploration of class, bias and ageing, set in a New Delhi building society.

This reflective story of caregiving and age is one of the awarded stories in the 2023 Deodar Prize.

An immersive tale of drunken despair from the heartland.

Translated by Srikar Raghavan

On motherhood, legacy and Shahrukh Khan.

A story of Kashmiri wedding feasts, family ties and more.

A shocking speculative tale in which it’s literally raining men.

An excerpt from a poignant book on Kashmir.

The poignant, hilarious tale of an old man’s haircut.

This story of lost innocence and the conservatism of Indian housing societies was a runner-up for the 2024 Deodar Prize.

A memorable folk-leaning tale from Shillong that was a runner up from this year’s Deodar Prize.

A deeply compelling story of a woman who thinks she is turning into sand.

An excerpt from a riveting new novel about Noida, murder and more.

A Northeastern folk tale that blends magical realism and sensitive writing.

A wise, funny and speculative tale of development and progress, or what passes for it.

A propulsive tale of gender, family weddings and siblings.

The odyssey of a grieving queer man traveling across Italy.

A thoughtful urban tale from the perspective of a water pump.

An excerpt from Earthbound: Climate Stories from South Asia, a forthcoming anthology.

This anatomy of a minor incident in a taxi showcases the many ways women are threatened even when 'nothing' happens.

A runner up from the most recent edition of The Deodar Prize, this is a tale of gender, menstruation, family and more.

A brilliantly arresting short story from this year's Deodar Prize selection