“Lion” by Nandini Bhattacharya (Fiction ’23)
Fiction alum Nandini Bhattacharya’s story, “Lion,” was featured in Cincinnati Review.
Read an excerpt below.
Lion
My mother kept in the house, as pets, not only smaller feral and wolfish creatures and cats but also a large full-grown lion. She wouldn’t hear of sending the lion away. “He’s tamed,” she said. “He won’t hurt anyone.”
“It’s a ticking bomb,” I said. “An animal acts on instinct, and you can never predict what it might do if aroused or provoked.” She wouldn’t hear a word. I said it had to be either me or the lion in the house. She was unmoved. I couldn’t fathom it.
Read the rest of the story here: Lion.
