Odia Podcast of first Odia short story "Rebati" which was penned by Fakir Johan Senpati ,published in 1898. It is considered first ever short story published in Odia language.
Rebati is the story of a young girl whose desire for education in the backdrop of a conservative Odia society in a backward village, which is hit by a Cholera epidemic. The story itself also opens a third dimension when it deals with a very well bonded relation between Rebati and a school teacher. By displaying a forbidden desire for learning, Rebati, the female protagonist of the story, seems to invite misfortune for herself and her community. Over time "Rebati" has become an icon and her story an allegory for female education and emancipation. However the story itself does not advocate for or against these ideas. It is a story about helplessness before fate