Tahmima Anam's shortlisted tale of an impoverished woman paying a high price for seeking a better life. Read by Ayesha Dharker.

Tahmima Anam was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, educated at Mount Holyoke College and Harvard University and now lives in Hackney, London. An anthropologist and novelist, her debut novel, A Golden Age, was winner of the 2008 Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Book. In 2013, she was named one of Granta's Best Young British Novelists. She is a Contributing Opinion Writer for The New York Times and a judge for the 2016 Man Booker International Prize.

The five shortlisted stories for the BBC National Short Story Award 2016 comprised a mix of established and new writers of this most inventive and imaginative of genres. Human connection, the desire for it, and what happens when it falls away are at the heart of this year's shortlist, which takes us across the globe and the generations, shining a light on the intimate inner lives of each story's protagonist.

The winner and the runner up were announced on Tuesday 4th October 2016

Abridged by Sally Marmion
Produced by Julian Wilkinson. Show less