CHUTKYACHYA GOSHTI

The very first story from this book is “Maharaj”. Indians have many qualities and disqualifications as well. But they are very innocent in certain aspects. They easily agree to believe people. One Maharaj comes in to stay in Shiva’s village. Shiva gets impressed by the way the Maharaj carries himself. He insists and takes Maharaj to his home. Very soon most of the villagers begin consulting Maharaj for their problems. Within no time, they all start worshipping him. But when the wrestler loses the match, he realizes that the Maharaj has no real power. This makes others realize that indeed the so called Maharaj has cheated upon them in many ways and has robbed them of their money. They decide to take back what belonged to them. All in a group reach Shiva’s home to reveal the true colours of Maharaj, mad with a mob psychology difficult to understand. Do they succeed in revealing Maharaj’s true colours? 

गावात आलेल्या भोंदू ‘महाराजा’ची साक्ष शिवा जमदाडेबाबत खरी ठरते, तेव्हा...घरात शिरलेल्या चोरांना एक ‘धोरण’ ठरवून रामभाऊ किल्ल्या देतात, तेव्हा..गावाचा ‘विकास’ करायला विकास-योजना अधिकारी नकार देतो, तेव्हा... अपघातात सापडलेल्या तलाठ्याविषयी गावकरयाना वाटणारी ‘हळहळ’ तिरस्कारात बदलते, तेव्हा... पैज लावणारया दामूची फजिती होते अन् ती त्याच्या जीवावर बेतते, तेव्हा... बायको आजारी पडावी यासाठी खटाटोप करणारया नवराच्या प्रयत्नांना यश येते, तेव्हा..पारावरच्या पाटलांची थाप खरी ठरते, तेव्हा..ग्रामसुधार योजनेच्या माध्यमातून शाळेची ‘प्रगती’ होते, तेव्हा..‘हेळातील भीषण प्रकार’ पोरखेळ ठरतो, तेव्हा...भविष्य बघण्याचा ‘नाद’ असलेल्या दत्तूचं भविष्य खरं ठरतं, तेव्हा..द.मां.च्या ‘चुटक्याच्या गोष्टी’मधून मानवी स्वभावाचे विविध पैलू आपल्या समोर येतात. त्यातील काही आपल्याला अंतर्मुख करतात... तर काही हसवतात...!