Chandana Pathak
ONE
–Deuta, will you buy me a doll? A fun fair is going on beside the red river. I want no toffees or bangles or even a beaded chain. Just a doll would be enough. It will cost you only a three.
-Dear aaijoni, I made a thirty this morning, after fixing the fence in the Mauzadar’s garden and paid half of it for lentils. The remaining amount was spent on rationed rice. Why don’t you take your meal with salt and khar and ask for a doll sometime else?
TWO
–Deuta, will you buy me a doll? Not the fat, fluffy bear cub owned by the Mauzadar’s daughter. Buy one from the roadside vendor. It will cost you only ten.
–Aaijoni, have you seen your mother’s sador? It is torn. Even your own dress has come undone. When I get my wage, I will buy you both some clothes. Let us leave the doll for some other day.
THREE
–Deuta, will you buy me a doll? You will find it at Bolen kai’s stall. The one with blue eyes and golden hair.
–Aijoni dear, you are a child no more. What would you get playing with a doll? Instead, I will tear down the bamboo pole where I have stashed some money and buy you a pair of sador-mekhela. If I can afford, I will also buy you the colourful paints the Mauzadar’s daughter smears on her face…”
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FOUR
–Deuta, why don’t you just buy me a doll? I do not want colours to paint my face. I can grind jetuka leaves from the tree in our yard and make my own colour instead.
–Aaijoni dear, you have almost come of age and taken after your mother in looks. How will you play with dolls now? After a few days, I will wed you off. When you enter your husband’s house, the kitchen will become your playmate.
FIVE
–Deuta, will you buy me a doll? No, not for me, but for my son- he harasses me. When I ask his father to buy him a toy, he shuts me up. What he earns after working in the fields is barely enough to feed the three of us…”
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Chandana Pathak is an Assamese writer and poet. She is the recipient of the ‘Gariyoshi Chandra Prasad Saikia Short Story Award.’ Pathak has two collections of short stories, ‘Antir Goli’ (2013) and ‘Livology’ (2021) and a novel, ‘Panthasala’ (2022) to her credit. Her stories and poems often appear in several Assamese journals. Besides being a writer, Pathak is also a lyricist. She lives in Barpeta, Assam with her family.
Anannya Nath holds a Master of Arts in Literature from Tezpur University. She is currently working as an Assistant Professor of English in Biswanath, Assam. Her short stories, poems and translations have appeared or is forthcoming in The Chakkar, The Pinecone Review, Yearbook of Indian Poetry in English (2023), Muse India, Monograph, Rhodora, Gulmohur Quarterly, etc. She was longlisted for the Mozhi Prize, 2023 for translating Lakshminath Bezbaroah’s Assamese short story, “Madhoimaloti” into English and shortlisted for The BWW Short Story Award (The R K Anand Prize), 2024. Some of her published works can be found here: https://linktr.ee/anannyanath
