Karuppu

Karuthamma, born to a Yamadoot, turns fourteen on Earth while Sigappan, an intersex child taken to the underworld in exchange, grows up with the Yamadoots. When their paths cross, the world is at the brink of destruction.

Yama has disappeared. His twin Yami, an immortal on Earth, is trying to hold the fort. At the centre of the chaos is one person: Yami’s daughter. Karuthamma’s birth mother. Sigappan’s adopted mother. Yama’s only female Yamadoot: Karuppu.

In the underworld death, dreams, and memories are living, breathing entities, and carry with them seeds of quiet hope. This is not a retelling or reimagining of myth—but a re-building of a world facing the terrifying consequences of single-minded devotion. 

PRAVEENA SHIVRAM is an independent writer based in Madras. She holds a Master’s in Writing for Performance and Publication from the University of Leeds, UK, and a PG Diploma in Social Communications Media from Sophia Polytechnic, Mumbai. She is a single mother who loves both her children as much as she loves to deadlift. She is exploring life as a writer in a High School teacher’s avatar and firmly believes that the answer to life, the universe and everything is embedded in an afternoon nap.