Book excerpt: A brave new voice from Assa On a still, moonlit night, Goroi jumps into the lake, hoping to meet the father he has never known in life. Bhanubala and her daughter-in-law Behula dance naked at midnight in a remote field to appease the rain god. Firewood-seller Rabeya and her niece Dulali rebel against the Shariat. An opium-eater undertakes the challenge of eating a basketful of red hot chillies for a little opium and some money.In one sweep, Imran Hussain's writing examines the historical, the social, the individual and the assertion of the self in the face of hard-wired traditions. Entrenched in folklore, his stories weave in protest and perspective into contemporary realities. The stories in this collection are a rare portrait of Assam, a duet of darkness and beauty, a blend of mysticism and earthiness. Available in translation for the first time, Hussain is one of India's most compelling new voices.