நவீன விருட்சம்

A short story CHICKENS I t has been written on that board that ‘country chickens and broiler chickens are available here – live and dressed.’ Next to it a couple of chickens and an egg had been drawn. One side of the board has prices of them marked in Kg’s and grams. Above all, it has been clearly written as ‘Sri Devi chicken stall’ in English and in Tamil, along with the sub title of ‘protein shop.’ There were many white-feathered chickens in those thin coops inside the shop. Some of them were standing while some were moving here and there, looking vaguely and yet few others were eating Ragi* that’s been kept in small aluminium bowls. A piece of wood stalk has been laid in front of the shop. On it, a knife has been put with bloodstains in it. Nearer were a big cauldron, small bowls, and a wastebasket with torn feathers, chickens crests and talons. The shopkeeper was standing outside and smoking beedi*. The shop emitted a stale odour that belongs to only a chicken coop, which ma...