Attribute of the Strong was first published by Sampad – inside their 'Inspired by Gandhi' anthology in October 2015. The story was one of the winning entries for their international competition of the same name.
Attribute of the Strong
Transsexual. A third gender. Hijra. Kinnari is all of these things. Once revered by royalty, now her kind is maligned by many – leading her into a life she had never envisioned for herself.
Nightfall promises a special fear for her, a time where she must return home alone, to be with the family she has forged for herself – a place where she is loved and accepted unconditionally.
The night air has a cutting chill to it and Kinnari gently lifts her sari further over her shoulders. The sari is more than just a garment to her, it is a symbol, each stitch sewn together to form an identity – a reflection of how she has always seen herself. That same treasured symbol also makes her a target.
Still shielding her shoulders under her sari, Kinnari senses footsteps behind her. Instinctively, she begins to walk faster but her stalker matches her pace. Afraid, she dashes down a pathway away from the main road, but she quickly finds herself face to face with the man. Kinnari's eyes lock with his for a moment – his burn with senseless fury, while hers are wet with tears – doused in strength.
He strikes her and she stumbles backwards, tripping over and collapsing onto the dirt path. A second passes before she raises herself onto her knees and looks back at her attacker once more – her eyes reflect a fearful calm, while a storm continues to rage in his.
He demands she fight back, she was born a man and should fight like one. With these words, Kinnari's look of frozen fear melts into one of pity. She slowly lowers her arm from her face, leaving herself exposed to his savagery.
"No matter what you do, I forgive you." The words leave her mouth effortlessly, each one imbued with warmth.
The man stares at her speechlessly.
Kinnari lifts herself from the floor and smiles at her attacker. "You cannot hurt me, you cannot change me. I am here," her voice quivers, "I am not going anywhere."
The man flares his nostrils like a furious bull and goes to strike her again. Kinnari closes her eyes and tenses in anticipation for the assault. Moments pass, and she reopens them to see that the man is gone.
Kinnari envelops herself in her sari once more, momentarily shielding herself from the unknowable night around her...
Nightfall promises a special fear for her, a time where she must return home alone, to be with the family she has forged for herself – a place where she is loved and accepted unconditionally.
The night air has a cutting chill to it and Kinnari gently lifts her sari further over her shoulders. The sari is more than just a garment to her, it is a symbol, each stitch sewn together to form an identity – a reflection of how she has always seen herself. That same treasured symbol also makes her a target.
Still shielding her shoulders under her sari, Kinnari senses footsteps behind her. Instinctively, she begins to walk faster but her stalker matches her pace. Afraid, she dashes down a pathway away from the main road, but she quickly finds herself face to face with the man. Kinnari's eyes lock with his for a moment – his burn with senseless fury, while hers are wet with tears – doused in strength.
He strikes her and she stumbles backwards, tripping over and collapsing onto the dirt path. A second passes before she raises herself onto her knees and looks back at her attacker once more – her eyes reflect a fearful calm, while a storm continues to rage in his.
He demands she fight back, she was born a man and should fight like one. With these words, Kinnari's look of frozen fear melts into one of pity. She slowly lowers her arm from her face, leaving herself exposed to his savagery.
"No matter what you do, I forgive you." The words leave her mouth effortlessly, each one imbued with warmth.
The man stares at her speechlessly.
Kinnari lifts herself from the floor and smiles at her attacker. "You cannot hurt me, you cannot change me. I am here," her voice quivers, "I am not going anywhere."
The man flares his nostrils like a furious bull and goes to strike her again. Kinnari closes her eyes and tenses in anticipation for the assault. Moments pass, and she reopens them to see that the man is gone.
Kinnari envelops herself in her sari once more, momentarily shielding herself from the unknowable night around her...
