The Aunt Who Wouldn't Die

by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay

“There’s not a human being without desire.

This touch of melancholy, this slight sadness, this little weight on my heart of past humiliation, this delicate unhappiness, this trivial needle of envy—all of these garnished my existence. It would have been far too bland otherwise.

wrong. Very well, that’s what we’ll do.” I don’t give in to emotions. I have fears, I feel anxiety, I make the effort to move the pieces of real life around in a way that helps me survive.