July 27, 2026

KITAAB

Connecting Asian writers with global readers

Short Story: Portrait of Madonna

1 min read
renaissance religious art with gilded frame

Photo by Dila Soğuktaş on Pexels.com

In this short story, Humayun Malik throws a critical lens on the beauty standards of the society and how deeply it impacts women.

Whenever Mom went to the hospital she used to tell me, I’m going—bye…

But when she left me forever, she told me nothing!

How do I explain her—through surgeries how her mother lost the ability to talk.

She also questions, How my mom stays away without me!

Come on, she then proposes, let’s bring her back digging the soil of her grave.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us

Leave a Reply

Discover more from KITAAB

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading