Story Overview:

Chubhan (“Pin-Prick”) is a poignant short story that explores the subtle emotional dynamics between a father and his young son during a seemingly ordinary walk through the city. The narrative follows the pair as the child, full of innocent desires for balloons, chocolates, and toys, is repeatedly met with his father’s gentle postponements and philosophical responses. Beneath these everyday interactions lies the father’s deep internal struggle, marked by sorrow, fatigue, and a sense of helplessness that he tries to mask for his son’s sake. As the walk progresses, the boy’s persistent yet innocent questions—especially his repeated hope that things will be fulfilled “on the way back”—become increasingly painful for the father, highlighting his inability to provide immediate happiness or shield his child from life’s disappointments.

The story culminates in a moment of shared silence and emotional exhaustion, as the father’s burdens and the child’s growing awareness of his father’s distress bring them both to tears. Through simple yet powerful scenes, “Pin-Prick” delicately captures the generational gap, the weight of unspoken sorrows, and the small but piercing moments that reveal the depth of love and pain within a parent-child relationship.

Read the English Translation