SHANKAR PATIL

THE DAY GANGI ENTERED WOMANHOOD, ALL THE VILLAGERS WENT CRAZY. THEY ALL HAD EYES ONLY FOR HER. EVEN AFTER DAYS, HER BEAUTY HAS CAST SPELLS ON THEM. HER CURVY FIGURE HAS MADE THEM FORGOTTEN EVERYTHING. HER FAIR AND MILKY COMPLEXION HAS DISSOLVED ALL THEIR ANXIETIES. HER NOSE, OH YES, IT IS NOT AS SHARP AS IT OUGHT TO BE, YET IT SUITS HER, SO DO THE YOUNGSTERS THINK. AND THE GREENISH MOLE ON HER LEFT CHEEK REALLY ADDS TO HER BEAUTY. IT PROBES THE MIND OF ALL. NO OTHER WOMAN IN THE VILLAGE DARES TO PART HER HAIR IN A WAY GANGI PARTS THEM. HER BEAUTY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A TOPIC OF ENVY IN THE MINDS OF ALL, BE IT WOMEN OR THE MEN. AS THE MEN ARE UNABLE TO GET ENOUGH OF HER THEY HAVE COME UP WITH THEIR FAVOURITE PASSTIME, GOSSIPING ABOUT GANGI. THEY HAVE ALWAYS LINKED HER UP WITH SEVERAL CHARACTERS. STILL, THEY KNOW THAT AT LEAST FOR THE NEXT TEN YEARS OR SO NO OTHER WOMAN WOULD BE A GOOD COMPETITOR TO HER.

DUET "IT S ME, HAVE YOU RECOGNIZED MY VOICE? "I HAVE COME WITH AN IDEA. "YOU TAKE YOUR SCHOOL CHILDREN FOR A TRIP FOR 34 DAYS. "SHALL WE GO TO GOA THEN? "YOU BE WITH YOUR SCHOOL CHILDREN THROUGHOUT THE DAY, SHOW THEM THE BEACHES AROUND AND AT NIGHT WE WILL STAY AT HOTEL SAMRAT.

TACTIC XSAMPATRAO THOUGHT OVER IT AGAIN AND AGAIN, HE FIRMLY DECIDED IN HIS MIND, AS STRONGLY AS CEMENT OR CONCRETE. HE STARTED PULLING HIS HAIR, GOING OVER VARIOUS PLANS. HE WANTED NAME AND FAME, AND WAS WORRIED AS IT WAS NOT FEASIBLE EVEN AFTER SPENDING 15 LAC RUPEES. "WHAT SHOULD I DO? HOW SHOULD I DO IT? YES, I MUST FIND SOME IDEA SOMETHING NOVEL, SOMETHING THAT WOULD LEAVE EVERYBODY SPELLBOUND. IT SHOULD APPEAR IN ALL NEWSPAPERS. MY NAME SHOULD BE ON EVERYBODY S MIND. MY NAME SHOULD BE PROCLAIMED IF I AM NOT GOING TO BE FAMOUS, THEN WHAT IS THE USE OF MONEY, ESTATE, SERVANTS, TWO BUNGALOWS, VAST PROPERTY, HUGE INVESTMENT IN GOLD AND SILVER, ORNAMENTS, KASHMIRI CARPETS, ALL THE BEAUTIFUL PIECES COLLECTED FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD..." "WHAT DO I LACK IN ? I OWN THIS ENORMOUS FORTUNE, BUT WHAT IS THE USE? I AM NOT YET FAMOUS. OVERNIGHT, I SHOULD BECOME FAMOUS, MY NAME SHOULD APPEAR IN ALL NEWSPAPERS, I MUST COME UP WITH SOME IDEA AND ONE FINE DAY, SAMPATRAO CAME UP WITH A WONDERFUL IDEA

"BY GOD, I DID NOT TOUCH WINE, I DID NOT DRINK IT. UNNECESSARILY DO NOT BLAME ME. AS RAU KHOT TOTALLY REFUSED EVERYONE PRESENT WAS ASTONISHED, THEY ALL STARTED LAUGHING HEARTILY. SEEING THIS RAU KHOT SAID, "DO NOT LAUGH AT ME, I AM TELLING YOU THE TRUTH. I DID NOT DRINK. RAMBHAU SAID WITH A SMILE, "MY DEAR, YOUR EYES ARE DECEIVING YOU. "ANNA, WHAT ARE MY EYES SAYING? NOW JUST SHUT UP FOR GOD S SAKE. "OH, YOU MEAN TO SAY THAT WE SHOULD KEEP QUIET TILL YOU ARE OFF THE HANGOVER? "BUT AS I DID NOT DRINK, SO THERE IS NO QUESTION OF A HANGOVER "ARE YOU STILL DENYING THAT YOU ARE HAVING A HANGOVER? "DO NOT MENTION IT AT ALL. I DID NOT EVEN TOUCH IT, FORGET ABOUT HAVING IT. ONE OF THE SPECTATORS CAME FORWARD AND SAID LOUDLY, "IF YOU DID NOT EVEN TOUCH IT, THEN WHY WERE YOU HIDING? "OH NOW LOOK, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? WHY DO YOU THINK I WAS HIDING? "YES, YOU WERE HIDING ON THE LOFT, OTHERWISE, WHY WOULD YOU GO THERE? "WHAT WAS I DOING ON THE LOFT? WHAT A QUESTION, I WAS FAST ASLEEP ON THE LOFT. "WHY SO? WAS THERE NO SPACE ON THE GROUND BELOW? "WHY ARE YOU SO CONCERNED WITH IT? IT IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. I WILL SLEEP WHEREVER I PLEASE, BE IT THE GROUND OR THE LOFT. LISTENING TO RAU S DIALOGUE EVERYONE AGAIN STARTED LAUGHING HEARTILY.

SHANKAR PATIL HAD ONCE MENTIONED, RAIN IS MY BEST FRIEND WHEN MY MIND BURNS IN THE PYRE, I FEEL SUFFOCATED, LIFELESS, BUT WHEN IT STARTS RAINING, I FORGET MY RESTLESSNESS, BREATHLESSNESS. THERE IS DEFINITELY SOME RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HIM AND THE RAIN. HE HAS PICTURED THE RAIN IN VARIOUS FORMS THROUGH MANY OF HIS STORIES LIKE AABHAL, VALIV. SOMETIMES, THE RAIN JUST DRIZZLES, SOMETIMES IT COMES WITH THUNDER AND STORMS, SOMETIMES IT RAINS VERY HEAVILY, SOMETIMES IT BRINGS THE HAILSTONES WITH IT, SOMETIMES IT APPEARS LIKE AN OLD MAN WALKING, TAKING TIME BETWEEN EVERY TWO STEPS, SOMETIMES IT APPEARS AS A NAUGHTY CHILD. WHATEVER THE FORM MAY BE IT ALWAYS GIVES IMMENSE PLEASURE. THIS PLEASURE IS BEYOND ANY HAPPINESS. I REMEMBER ONE OF VINOBA BHAVE S MEETING. IT HAD JUST STARTED DRIZZLING AND HE HAD SAID, "TODAY, I AM VERY MUCH HAPPY. THE TOUCH OF THESE RAINDROPS IS DIVINE, I FEEL THAT THE GOD HIMSELF HAS COME OVER HERE. IT IS LIKE THE THOUSANDS OF RAINDROPS ARE EMBRACING THE EARTH. BHALCHANDRA PHADKE

NO SOONER DID SARJA SAT DOWN; THE WHIP STARTED ITS WORK OVER ITS BACK SEASONED WITH THE CONTINUOUS THRASHING OVER THE YEARS. BLOOD DROPLETS STARTED OOZING OUT FROM THE MARKS MADE BY THE WHIP. AS IF THIS WAS NOT ENOUGH, THE WIDE STICK PLAYED ITS PART IN HURTING IT. THROUGHOUT THIS HARASSMENT, SARJA REMAINED MOTIONLESS; AS ALWAYS. IT NEITHER TURNED, NOR MOVED. THIS HAD BECOME A ROUTINE. PEOPLE HAD STARTED CALLING THE IMMOVABLE OX. ITS OLD AGE WAS BLEMISHED BY THIS. WHEN THE MONSOON BROUGHT RAINS WITH IT, SARJA WAS LEFT IN A HOPELESS CONDITION. NO ONE HAD TIME TO FEED IT. THE OPTION OF EITHER THE HAY HALF EATEN BY THE BUFFALOES OR THE OIL CAKES SOAKED IN THE EXCRETIONS OF THE COWS WERE OPEN FOR IT. THOUGH THE HUNGER COMPELLED IT TO EAT AND EVEN ENJOY IT SOMETIMES, THE HUNGER WAS NEVER SATISFIED. THE ENDLESS WORK WAS ALSO TAKING ITS TOLL. NOW SARJA COULD EITHER STAND OR SIT DOWN.

THE BEANS IN A FARM. SHANKAR PATIL S STORIES ARE A TREASURE OF MARATHI LITERATURE. HE HAS A VERY UNCOUTH MIND. HE DOES NOT INTEND TO EXPOSE THE RURAL LIFE TO GAIN POPULARITY. HE DOES NOT WRITE JUST WITH THE URBAN READERS IN HIS MIND. HE WRITES TO FIND HIMSELF IN THE WORDS, IN THE INCIDENCES, IN THE STORIES. HE HAS RECOGNIZED THE VALUE OF STORY WRITING, HE UNDERSTANDS THAT WRITING IS A MEAN TO FIND THE TRUE SOUL. HE STARTED HIS JOURNEY AS A STORY WRITER IN 1950. THE RURAL MIND AND SOUL LIVES IN A SOCIETY, YET THE SOCIETY FAILS TO INCULCATE THE VALUES LIKE FREEDOM, EQUALITY; THIS IS WHAT HE ALWAYS REGRETS. PATIL HAS MORE FAITH ON TRANSMOGRIFICATION THAN TRADITIONS. HE REALIZES THE PROBLEMS OF RURALITES, HE DOES NOT AIM AT ENTERTAINING, BUT WRITES OUT OF HIS SOCIAL AWARENESS. WHAT FACES HIM IS THE SOCIETY BASED ON THE ABODE OF VALUES AND CULTURE. HE EXPOSES THE SHOWY BUT USELESS TRANSFORMATION IN HIS UNIQUE STYLE, SARCASTIC YET WITH A TOUCH OF HUMOUR. DOES ANYONE FIND EXPERIENCES? NO, THEY COME TO US AUTOMATICALLY; WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP ALL OUR SENSES OPEN TO THEM. PATIL MUST HAVE REALIZED AND PRACTICED THIS. STILL, A LOT HAPPENS BETWEEN HIS FEELING OF THE EXPERIENCES AND REPRODUCTION OF THEM. IT IS A VERY INTRICATE PHENOMENON. HIS STORIES TAKE BIRTH FROM THE DEPTH OF HIS CONTEMPLATION. THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN CONTINUOUSLY GOING ON FOR OVER A PERIOD OF 25 TO 30 YEARS NOW. HIS STORIES HAVE ENRICHED MARATHI LITERATURE WORDLESSLY, CAN WE REFUSE THIS?

THE SOCIETY WHERE WE LIVE WITH OTHERS WE COME ACROSS MANY PEOPLE, SOME ARE EASILY UNDERSTANDABLE WHILE SOME SEEM TO BE FATHOMLESS. THE ROADS THAT WE PLAN TO RIDE ACROSS SOMETIMES RESEMBLE THE FATHOMLESS CHARACTERS. SO MUCH THAT AT TIMES, WE MAY FIND OUT THE DEPTH OF THESE FATHOMLESS PEOPLE BUT WILL NOT BE ABLE TO FIND OUT THE LENGTH OF THESE TRACKS. THESE ARE THE PATHWAYS TRAILED BY THE PEDESTRIANS OVER THE AGES AND ARE ENDLESS. IT IS MEANINGLESS TO ATTEMPT MEASURING THEIR LENGTHS, NO ONE HAS EVER TRIED TO MEASURE THEM. THE STATE HIGHWAYS, THE NNATIONAL HIGHWAYS ARE ALL MEASURED AND MARKED WITH THE MILESTONES, BUT NOT THE PATHWAY CREATED BY THE TRAILS. THE ZIGZAG PATHWAY MAKES THE MEASUREMENT IMPOSSIBLE. HAVE YOU EVER TRIED TO WATCH THE WAY A TRAIL WINDS ITSELF ALONG THE LINE? SOMETIMES IT SWAYS ALONG THE WAY WHILE SOMETIMES ALL OF A SUDDEN IT SIMPLY DISAPPEARS FROM OUR SIGHT. AT MOMENTS, IT BEHAVES IN AN ELEGANT LADYLIKE MANNER WHILE AT TIMES, IT HAS THE NAUGHTINESS SURROUNDING IT. YOU WILL FIND HER TURNING BACK AT MOMENTS MAKING IT SURE THAT YOU ARE STILL FOLLOWING HER. WILL YOU BE ABLE TO MEASURE HER?

THE SKY THE NAME SHANKAR PATIL IS NOW WELL RECOGNIZED IN THE WORLD OF MARATHI LITERATURE. HIS SAVOUR DIALOGUES AND LANGUAGE WITH ITS RURAL TOUCH BINDS TOGETHER PERFECTLY WELL GIVING IT A DEFINITE TOUCH AND FRESHNESS. HE VERY APTLY COMBINES THE VARIOUS CHANGES IN THE NATURE, THE SOCIAL CHANGES AND THE COMBINED EFFECT OF IT ON THE RURAL LIFE AND CULTURE, IN HIS STORIES. MEMORIES ARE LIKE THE CLOUDS, FULL OF RAINS, READY TO POUR ANYTIME, ENDLESSLY. SOMETIMES, THEY POUR LIGHTLY AND SOMETIMES VERY STRONGLY. BUT THE MEMORIES HAVE THE STRENGTH TO EVOKE THE DEEPEST CORDS, TENDEREST MOMENTS. THE MEANINGS OF MEMORIES CHANGE FROM PERSON TO PERSON YET THEY FILL THE MIND WITH THE RESONANCE OF THE MONOTONOUS RAIN AND THE CLOUDY MIND MERGES INTO THE CLOUDY SKY.

GARVEL, A TYPE OF VEIL WHICH KEEPS THE SURROUNDINGS COOL WAS THERE SINCE SHIVA'S CHILDHOOD. NOW IT HAD REACHED THE HUGE TAMARIND TREE AND HAD ACTUALLY HALFCOVERED IT. IT HAD CLEVERLY AND ARTISTICALLY WOVEN ITSELF THROUGH THE DENSE BRANCHING OF THE TAMARIND, OCCUPYING EVERY INCH OF ITS BLOSSOM. SO MANY YEARS HAVE PASSED. IT WAS STILL STANDING ERECT, FACING THE STORMS, READING BETWEEN THE RAINS. IT WAS MANY TIMES TORN APART FROM THE STORMY WINDS AND THE TORRENTIAL RAINS. YET, IT WAS THERE, FACING EVERYTHING BRAVELY. NEITHER THE WINDS NOR THE RAINS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ROOT IT OUT OF ITS BIRTHPLACE. BUT NOW THE STORY HAD TAKEN ANOTHER ROUTE, COMPLETELY. THE FAMINE SINCE THE LAST THREE YEARS WAS STARTING TO SHOW ITS EFFECT DESTRUCTING THE GARVEL. THERE WAS HARDLY ANY TINGE OF GREEN LEFT, FORGET THE FLOWERS. THE BRANCHES WERE AS GOOD AS THE DRIED STICKS. IT WAS SOMEHOW SURVIVING, LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DRY SUMMER PASS AWAY. IT WAS SURE OF FLOURISHING THROUGHOUT THE MONSOON, IF IT COULD ENDURE THROUGH THE SCORCHING SUMMER. BUT THIS WAS NOT TO HAPPEN. THE FAMINE CONTINUED THROUGHOUT. THE SUN BAKED EVERYTHING. IT MADE THE GARVEL LIMP AND GO LAME, IT LOST ITS LAST STRUGGLE AND SLID DOWN FROM THE AGEOLD TAMARIND TREE GIVING AWAY ITS VERY LIVING. IT WAS SO SUDDEN; THE OLD TAMARIND LAY FLABBERGASTED OVER THIS LOSS.

TARPHULA PICTURES THE TRANSFORMATION OF A VILLAGE. THIS NOVEL HAS QUESTIONED THE UNIFORMITY OF THE TRADITIONAL MARATHI NOVELS. THIS NOVEL POSSESSES THE QUALITY OF GIVING AN ALLEGORICAL MEANING TO THE SOCIETY THROUGH THE ANARCHY OF A VILLAGE, THROUGH THE QUESTIONED SECURITY OF THIS VILLAGE. ACTUALLY, THE COUNTRY ITSELF WAS PASSING THROUGH THIS PHASE IN 1964 AND THIS NOVEL REPRESENTS IT. SO, IT INCLINES TOWARDS THE ETHICAL DETAILS LIVING OUT THE BOUNDARIES OF THE PLACE. THIS NOVEL REVEALS THE FACT THAT THE COMMUNITY ALWAYS NEEDS A STRONG RULER WITH HIS STRICT RULES. HIS BEING ALIVE RUNS EVERYTHING SMOOTHLY WHEREAS HIS DEATH GIVES RISE TO ANARCHY. THE AUTHOR HAS MADE USE OF DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES TO PICTURIZE THIS. AABA KULKARNI IS UNABLE TO TAKE PROPER CARE OF THE DISINTEGRATED SOCIETAL LIFE. SHANKAR PATIL HAS PENNED THIS DOWN VERY EFFECTIVELY CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT AROUND AN UNSTABLE AND WEAK FAMILY. HE HAS SUCCEEDED IN BRINGING BACK THE YEAR 1964 TRULY. THE FAMILY LIFE OF MANY IN THE VILLAGE, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MANY COUPLES, THEIR DIALOGUES, THE ROWDY PEOPLE HAS BEEN VERY SKILLFULLY PRESENTED BY HIM. HIS RESTRAINT ON SHOWING THE NEED FOR A POWERFUL LEADERSHIP THROUGH EACH AND EVERY DETAIL, PLACES HIS WRITING AT THE TOP. THIS NOVEL IS COMPLETE IN ITS OWN SENSE AS IT STARTS WITH THE SIMPLE ROUTINE LIFE OF THE WORRIED AND DIFFIDENT VILLAGERS AND COVERS THE EFFORTS OF THE NEW PATIL TO ESTABLISH HIMSELF PROPERLY.

SHANKAR PATIL PORTRAYS THE RURAL LIFE AND THE RURALITES AND WE FIND THAT EACH ONE OF THEM HAS BEEN BESTOWED UPON WITH SOME SPECIAL RELIGION. THE AUTHOR POSSESSES THE IMMENSE WORD POWER TO GIVE JUSTICE TO EACH OF THE SPECIAL RELIGION. HE VERY CLEARLY UNDERSTANDS THE TEMPERAMENT OF EACH EXPERIENCE AND COMPLETES THE "HERCULEAN TASK OF DISCLOSING IT PROPERLY. THROUGH HIS STORIES, THE MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCES OF THESE RURALITES ARE REPRODUCED GENUINELY, ACHIEVING UNIQUENESS. AT THE END, IT SUCCEEDS IN GIVING A SPECIAL FRAGRANCE TO THEIR UNIVERSE, FULL OF HAPPINESS AND SADNESS.

PATIL S WRITING HAS TWO BANKS, ONE HAVING THE HAPPY SIDE AND ONE HAVING THE SAD SIDE. ONE AWAKENS THE SORROW AND ONE BRINGS CHEERFULNESS. PATIL NEVER WROTE FOR THE SAKE OF HUMOUR, BUT HIS STORIES HAVE MANY UNSEEN SOWN SEEDS OF LAUGHTER. THEY ARE FULL OF THE CONTRAST IN LIFE, THE CONTRAST IS THE CENTRAL THEME OF HIS STORIES. PATIL MUST GET THE CREDIT FOR ADDING THIS CARICATURE TYPE STORIES TO MARATHI LITERATURE. THE HUMORISTS ARE THE WISE MEN OF THE WORLD BECAUSE THE MOST FORCIBLE WAY TO IMPART TRUTH IS THROUGH LAUGH. YES, PATIL PROVES TO THIS TEST. HE IS A VERY CLEVER, ASTUTE, INGENIOUS, NAUGHTY AND MISCHIEVOUS WRITER. THIS BOOK IS A PROOF OF HIS QUALITIES.

VILLAGERS OFTEN USE"CHANCHI , A BAG SEWN FROM CLOTH HAVING MANY POCKETS. WHENEVER SOMEONE WANTS TO EAT "VIDA HE TAKES OUT THE DESIRED MATERIAL FROM THE VARIOUS POCKETS OF THE "CHANCHI AND HAS HIS "VIDA . SHANKAR PATIL HAS PRESERVED MANY EXPERIENCES DEEP IN HIS MIND JUST LIKE THE"CHANCHI . HE USES THEM TO MAKE HIS WRITING SAVOURY. OPENING PATIL S MODERN "CHANCHI WITH THE SPECIAL KOLHAPURI LANGUAGE, GUARANTEES AN INTERESTING READING.

WEIR. "WHO IS THERE IN YOUR HOUSE?" "DO YOU POSSESS ANY LAND?" "DO YOU BELIEVE IN GOD?" "LOOK AT THESE CLOTHES FOR THE BABY, THESE FROCKS, THESE CAPS. THE BABY WAS BORN AFTER A LONG TIME, NATURALLY, WE MUST MAKE THIS OCCASION SPECIAL." "HAVE SOME LADDU. MOTHER HAS ESPECIALLY MADE THEM FOR HER DAUGHTERINLAW." "WAIT A MOMENT. LET ME SHOW YOU A NOVEL ITEM, WORTH SEEING " HE TOOK OUT A BIG MERRY GO ROUND. IT HAD PLASTIC ELEPHANTS, HORSES. WHILE ROTATING IT BROUGHT IMMENSE AFFECTION IN THE EYES OF THE OWNER. SEEING THIS, THE FELLOW TRAVELLER S EYES ALSO BECAME WET. HE TOOK OUT HIS HANKY FROM HIS POCKET, WIPED HIS EYES AND SAID, "YOU ARE SO ENTHUSIASTIC " THROUGHOUT THE JOURNEY FOR 23 HOURS, THE FELLOW TRAVELLER WATCHED THIS ASTONISHINGLY. BUT NOW TRAVELLER STOPPED TALKING, HE LOST ALL HIS STRENGTH, HE WAS NOT ABLE TO UTTER A SINGLE WORD, AS IF HIS TONGUE WAS TIED UP. HIS LUGGAGE BECAME UNBEARABLY HEAVY FOR HIM NOW. WHO DIED? HOW WAS HE RELATED? WHOM WAS HE RELATED TO? HE FELT THE PAIN. HE WAS CHOKED WITH EMOTIONS. HE STARTED SOBBING UNCONTROLLABLY. HE STOOD THERE FOR SOME TIME. HE THOUGHT THROUGH HIS SOBS AND THEN WITH A HEAVY MIND STARTED WALKING FORWARD. HAD A WEIR BURST?

THE "PATIL OF THE VILLAGE, VERY SHREWD, CONNOISSEUR, FLIRT FALLS IN LOVE WITH A FRIVOLOUS WOMAN, AND MARRIES HER, IN SPITE OF BEING MARRIED. THIS STORY PRESENTS HIS DISMAY IN LOOKING AFTER BOTH THE WIVES. THIS IS A DRAMA BY THE FAMOUS AUTHOR SHANKAR PATIL WITH HIS MIDAS TOUCH, FULL OF DIALOGUES, TUSSLES, LAWANIS, AND THE EVER SPECIAL RURAL LANGUAGE, AS THE TITLE SUGGESTS.....

PATILS S LITERATURE IS FULL OF CHARM, BEAUTY, ENERGY AND LIVELINESS. HE VERBALIZES HIS LITERATURE IN VIBRANT WORDS. HIS LITERATURE HAS THE SMELL OF TRUE MARATHI SOIL. THE COLOURS, THE FRAGRANCE AND THE FLOW PRESENT IT VERY SMARTLY. HIS LANGUAGE HAS A TYPICAL MARATHI FLAVOUR, IT FLOWS CONTINUOUSLY IN A NARRATIVE STYLE, IT HAS A RHYTHM, THUS MAKING MARATHI LITERATURE MORE WHOLESOME, COMPETENT AND AFFLUENT. ALL THESE QUALITIES HAVE MADE HIM VERY POPULAR.

THOUGH SHANKAR PATIL HAS TRIED HIS HANDS ON ALL THE FORMS OF LITERATURE INCLUDING STORIES, NOVELS, CREATIVE WRITING HE IS MORE POPULAR AS A RURAL STORY WRITER. THE PRESENT COLLECTION OF STORIES BY SHANKAR PATIL PROVES TRUE TO THESE WORDS. ALL THE STORIES INCLUDED ARE EVERGREEN. THEY PRESENT THE FACTS OF LIFE WITH A SILVER LINE OF HUMOUR. THE STORIES INCLUDED HERE HAVE PICTURED RURAL POLITICS, RURAL LIFE AND SOME UNIQUE CHARACTERS IN THE DAYTODAY LIFE. EACH STORY IS FILLED WITH HUMOUR AND SAVOURY. ALL THE STORIES ARE A RESULT OF SPONTANEITY. THEY TOUCH THE READER S MIND THOUGH THEY ARE VERY SIMPLE AND NATURAL YET TOUCHY.

THE TITLE ITSELF SUGGESTS THE MEANING; SOMETHING THAT WAS SOLD AND BOUGHT SIMULTANEOUSLY WITHOUT ANY COMPULSION OR OBLIGATION. BABU WAS GOING DEEPER DOWN THE HELL. HE WAS UNDER OBLIGATION TO PAY THE AMOUNT OF TEN THOUSAND THAT HE HAD TAKEN AS LOAN FROM TAVANAPPA AND NOW WAS UNABLE TO REPAY IT. IT WAS A CUSTOM IN THEIR VILLAGE TO SOLVE THEIR DISPUTES MUTUALLY. HENCE A FEW WISE HEADS SAT TOGETHER AND FOUND OUT A SOLUTION. IT WAS DECIDED THAT TAVANAPPA WOULD BE THE NEW OWNER OF THE BABU'S HOTEL AND WOULD IN FACT GIVE BABU TWO THOUSAND RUPEES IN RETURN. BABU AGREED TO THIS AND DETACHED HIMSELF COMPLETELY FROM ALL THE THINGS THAT WERE THE PART OF HIS HOTEL 'SWALPAVIRAM'. WHILE BABU OPENED ANOTHER HOTEL CLOSE BY, TAVANAPPA STARTED REGULATING THE BUSINESS AT SWALPAVIRAM. WHEN A FEW DAYS PAST AFTER THIS TRANSACTION, SOMEONE PUT AN IDEA INTO TAVANAPPA'S MIND SAYING THAT HE WAS ENTITLED TO RECEIVE EVERYTHING THAT WAS UNDER THE ROOF OF THE HOTEL, INCLUDING THE BEAUTIFUL WOMAN