ABSTRACT
Human-animal conflict is a favourite of Goswami’s themes. So is her love for elephants. Both are evident in this story. But the ‘Beast’ of the title is not an animal, but the human counterpart. The story is told from the point of view of a mute mahout in a mahal, where a group of elephant trainers go out to the forest to catch wild elephants for captivity. Sahabuddin sees a love affair blossom between his friend and a local tribal girl, and he revels in it. Then his friend goes missing and after braving a search for his friend, he discovers the ultimate betrayal, how his friend exchanges the body of his lover for money and power.
