The King’s Harvest

In the village above the Rangeet river in Sikkim, a chilling event unfolds on New Year’s Eve. Kamala, a woman driven by unknown motives, commits a gruesome act by dismembering her husband, Police Constable Puran, into forty-seven fragments. Strangely, she then walks to the nearby police station and surrenders herself. Initially, the case appears straightforward to Dechen, a tough and sharp-tongued lady cop leading the investigation. However, as she delves deeper into Kamala and Puran’s lives, she uncovers a labyrinth of falsehoods, treachery, and twisted love. In this intricate web of deception, nothing is as it seems, and establishing the guilt of the murderers becomes an arduous task.

Amidst a ceaseless downpour, a man emerges from thirty-two years of isolation, venturing forth to meet his king, whom he owes a portion of the harvest from his fields. Enduring treacherous forests infested with leeches and forbidding valleys, he narrates the remarkable story of his life to his children—a life replete with drama and enchantment. However, the most extraordinary miracle awaits him in Gangtok…

The King’s Harvest, penned by Chetan Raj Shrestha, intertwines these two novellas with a palpable sense of place. Displaying the author’s immense talent as a storyteller, this debut work seamlessly blends elements of magic, gritty realism, nerve-wracking suspense, and stylish prose. Prepare to be captivated by this exceptional literary journey.