Padmavati the Harlot and Other Stories by Kamala Das [Hardcover]

Padmavati the Harlot and Other Stories is a significant collection by Kamala Das, one of India’s pioneering feminist writers, celebrated for her candid exploration of female sexuality and desire. The collection features some of her finest fiction, including the story "A Little Kitten," where a newly married woman grapples with the monotony of her marriage; "The Princess of Avanti," in which an elderly woman revels in the attention of three suitors while believing she is royalty; and "The Sea Lounge," where a man comes to the painful realization of his love for the woman he is about to break up with. Through these narratives, Das boldly addresses complex themes such as violence, desire, sex, marriage, family dynamics, communalism, and mortality, making her work both provocative and insightful. The collection includes a foreword by Jaisurya Das.