The Musk and Other Stories

About the Book The Musk and Other Stories, an eclectic mix of short stories and a novella by acclaimed Assamese writer Arupa Patangia Kalita, sheds light on some of the burning issues that reverberate through the Assam Valley. Set against the breathtaking scenery of Assam with its lush green fields, meandering rivers and mighty mountains, the book pushes one to reflect upon the current political situation of Assam.

'While going to light an earthen lamp in Mineswar's paddy field for Kati Bihu, the royal princess stood still. The field leaned against the hill, the paddy stalks swayed with their heads bent heavy with the milky-white liquid which hardened into grains of rice when mature. Everything had taken on a golden hue in the setting rays of the sun. All of a sudden, darkness descended on the field, as if the hill had hastily grabbed the sun and hidden it in its lap. In the darkening sky, a flock of herons were flying towards the hills. Were they going looking for the sun? This was the prince's magical kingdom.

About the Author Arupa Patangia Kalita one of the most accomplished refined writers to her credit over 19 publications (some of which have been adapted films and tele-films). has been number awards for her contribution Assamese literature-the Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad Literary Award (1995), Katha Award (1998), Sahitya Akademi Award (2014) the Assam Literary Award (2017).

A number short stories written Arupa Patangia Kalita have been translated into English, Bengali and Hindi. works used extensively for research MPhil and PhD students. her stories have been prescribed texts universities, including the Gauhati University.

Foreword As a young, budding writer of the Little Magazines of Assam Aduring during the seventies, Arupa Patangia Kalita (born in 1956) soon made a mark in Assamese literature. The Little Magazines in the seventies of Assam formed a hotbed for the second wave of the Progressive Movement in Assamese literature. Arupa Patangia Kalita, imbued with progressive ideas of the time, shows in her short stories and novels an unabated and unwavering sympathy for the hapless, suffering humanity. And yet, her fiction never smacks of propaganda born out of a political agenda.

In fact, her novels and short stories are always pleasantly saturated with fine artistic qualities. It is this combination of thought and art that has distinguished Arupa Patangia Kalita in today's Assamese literature as a writer of the front rank. Her sympathy for the oppressed and exploited class has also added another dimension to her oeuvre-the feminist dimension. Of course, her feminist leaning always gets revealed as a part of her broader humanist outlook. Her first novel (rather a novelette) Mriganabhi, which appears in this collection with the title The Musk, is a pointer to this fact.

**Contents and Sample Pages**