The Gate of the Hundred Sorrows by Rudyard Kipling

Told in the form of a monologue, this story recounts the life of an opium addict who spends his days at a den in a back alley of Lahore. Through his reflections, we witness the slow decay of ambition, hope, and identity. The plot is minimal, serving instead as a cautionary confession of spiritual ruin. Kipling paints a haunting picture of addiction and colonial despair. A somber, introspective portrait of self-destruction.