Translated short fiction: Putali, a pregnant cow, tries to birth her calf during fearsome rain

The season of steady rains had receded and now an unreasonable rain started from clouds that seemed untimely pregnant. The sky would fill up once in ten to fifteen days. Occasionally it would sprinkle the hot, steaming yard with water. Seeming to winnow the woods, the rain would splash down in a circle for a while and then the sky would grow quiet again. And then there were times when the rain would pull no punches. The sky would fill up everywhere you looked. It would become dark as night. And it would rain uncontrollably, for hours at a stretch. The rain would then retreat after having stung the doggedly ripening crops.

From where she lay, Putali kept an eye on the eastern horizon where the clouds were gathered together like guests invited to an event. Slowly, the sun hid behind the clouds and it felt as if someone was holding a shade over one’s head. It looked as though it was going to rain soon. Putali shook her head vigorously to dislodge the flies from her tired eyes and wet nostrils. She stood up, just barely. Her entire body was trembling and her legs were about to collapse. Putali dug…

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