A Word from Author

'Pentachord' is my second book of short stories, and the first in English. My first book of short stories 'tsók módúr in Kashmiri language was published last year on Navreh.

I have not been very much inclined to write short stories in a language other than Kashmiri. So I don't consider myself even an amateur writer in English language. One of my stories in Kashmiri 'nåsîhath' (from the 'tsók módúr' collection), was translated into English by a well wisher of mine, and the story was published in the 'Milchar' of Mumbai under the title 'Advice'. Since this story dealt with the innocence and psyche of small school going children in the background of our way of living during the old days in Kashmir, the story was liked by many, young and old. This encouraged me to write another short story 'The Last Game' in English, English - because our children do not have much interest in Kashmiri language and the parents, by and large, do not seem to be inclined to promote this language any more, though as a writer in Kashmiri language, I wish I could prove myself wrong. 'The Last Game' also dealt with the same subject and the background as that of 'Advice'.

In order to keep the Kashmir scenario restricted to my stories in Kashmiri, I took up entirely different subjects with different backgrounds to the taste of young and wrote three more stories. Story 'Charu & the Witch' deals with the character of a witch and a lone boy's pledge to save his friend from her clutches. 'Three Questions' carries forward our ancient legacy of story writing, where the main character is asked to search for correct answers to a number of questions, so as to enable him to marry a princess, or claim right to his ancestral treasures, or the like. 'Kaal Chakra' has yet a different plot, where a boy killed by his cousin, is resurrected decades after his soul wandered in search of a body.

Some of these stories have already appeared in our community magazines and are now published in a consolidated form as 'Pentachord'. I hope the young ones will like these stories and the elders, if some of them go through the pages, will try to catch me for my weak points.

M.K. Raina

101-A, Pushp Vihar, Shastri Nagar

Vasai Road (W), 401 202, Dist. Thane

E-mail: rainamk1@yahoo.co.in

Website: www.ikashmir.net/mkraina

April 10, 2005