Short Story: The Train that Umma was Not On (Originally written in Malayalam as Umma Kayaratha Theevandi by Arshad Bathery and translated to English by Gayatri Devi)

Gayatri Devi translates a poignant tale of love and redemption originally written in Malayalam by Arshad Bathery, into English.

He walks through Mithai Street that had no hint of sweetness to it at all. A street that hooks pedestrians with banal commerce! Whoever thought of calling it Candy¹ Street! Before he could finish that thought, he disappeared, drowning in the waves of people crashing ashore on the street.  The roaring cataract of noises. Overcrowded vehicles bumped into each other for the tiniest bit of space. Mithai Street tipped over with the glut of people multiplying like cockroaches.

Suddenly the mercury lamps spot-lit the shoppers exiting Mithai Street in different directions announcing the arrival of night.