Ramgolam

Horisongkor Joldash's 'Ramgolam' tells the story of a young boy troubled by his unusual name. When he asks his mother about it, she suggests it might come from his grandfather or grandmother, even his father Sheucharan. The question nags at him until one day he gathers courage to confront his grandfather, a man he is terrified of. Gurucharan, the colony's headman, has a fearsome presence — a monstrous moustache that he waxes, curling up beside his flaring nose, blazing eyes, and charcoal-black skin. His minatory appearance makes the boy tremble, yet the mystery of his own name drives him to face this intimidating figure. The story captures a child's struggle to understand his identity in the shadow of a formidable patriarch.