Nar Nareeshwar by Perumal Murugan

Kaali and Ponna's love for each other could make any other couple jealous. Living in blissful harmony, there was only one flaw in their otherwise perfect lives - they were unable to conceive a child, even though they had tried everything - from religious to medicinal remedies. Finally, their only hope seemed to lie in the one night during the chariot festival in the temple of Ardhanareeshwara, the half-female god, when rules were relaxed and consensual union between any man and woman was sanctioned. While this night could end the couple's suffering and humiliation, it would also put their marriage to the ultimate test.

About the Author

Perumal Murugan is an author, scholar and literary chronicler who writes in Tamil. He has written ten novels, five collections of short stories and five poetry anthologies. Apart from these he has published six compilations of essays on language and literature. Four of his books have been translated into English - Seasons of the Palm, One Part Woman, Current Shows and Pyre. The poetry he wrote during his exile from writing has also been translated in English and published as Songs of a Coward. He was honoured at the Indian Language Festival 2015 for his contributions to Indian writing. Murugan is a professor of Tamil at the Government Arts College.

Mohan Varma is a Hindi-language poet and translator. His collection of poetry, Boond se Nadi Tak: Ek Kavita Yatra, was published in 2009. He has also published another poetry compilation, Samajik Nyaya Aevan Chetna ki Bharatiya Kavitayein and a translation of poems by Kannada poet Mamta Sagar, Aankh Michoni.