Maráthi
THIS SET OF SHORT STORIES IS BASED ON THE RURAL LIFE. EACH STORY IS LINED WITH THE CULTURE, RITUALS AND SOCIAL LIFE OF A RURALITE AND HENCE HAS A PERFECT RURAL BACKGROUND. A VILLAGE DOES NOT HAVE JUST ONE SINGLE ASPECT. IT IS AS MULTIDIMENSIONAL AS ANY TOWN. THERE ARE VARIOUS GRADES AMONG THE COMMUNITY HERE. THE LABOUR, FARMER, LANDLORD, THE COMMON MAN ALL ARE VERY WELL DESCRIBED IN MANY OF THESE SHORT STORIES. WE FEEL LIKE BEING THERE AND WITNESSING THE SCENES IN PERSON. THE LANGUAGE USED THROUGHOUT REFLECTS THE PERFECT TONE OF A VILLAGE AND HENCE EACH STORY BLENDS HARMONIOUSLY WITH ITS SURROUNDINGS. THE POWER OF SHRI KUMBHAR’S WORDS IS GREAT TO SUCH EXTENT THAT WE DO NOT FIND ANY DRAMA IN ANY OF THE STORIES. EACH STORY IS CAREFULLY PENNED DOWN REVEALING THE FINE AND TENUOUS MINDSET. MOST OF THE STORIES END UP IN RATHER SURPRISING WAYS. BUT ONE SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISED BECAUSE A HUMAN MIND HAS UNBELIEVABLE POWERS TO REFLECT AND REACT WHEN IN DIRE NEED. AT THE SAME TIME, AT NO TIME, WE COME ACROSS REPETITION. EACH STORY HAS ITS OWN POTENTIALS, OWN VALUES INCLUDING DRAMA, PITY, ADVERSITY, HELPLESSNESS, ETC. ETC. EACH STORY CAPTIVATES THE READER, EACH STORY ENTERTAINING YET MAKING ONE THINK ONCE MORE; ABOUT THE VALUES AND CULTURES. श्री. कुंभार गुरुजी यांची कथा प्रामुख्याने ग्रामीण समाजाचे अंतरंग उकलून दाखविणारी आहे. त्यांची कथा वास्तवातील नाट्य हेरणारी आहे. त्यांच्या कथेचा तो गाभाच असतो. ते कथेतील पात्रांना जिवंत करतात. वाचकांसमोर ही पात्रे या संवांदामुळे साकार होतात, त्यांना प्रत्यक्ष समोर घटना घडते आहे, असे वाटू लागते. गुरुजींच्या कथांतील विषयही हलकेफुलके, वरवरचे नसतात. या कथा एकूण मानवाच्याच सखोल, सूक्ष्म, तरल मनांचा शोध घेणा-या आहेत. अनेक कथांना शेवटी ज्या कलाटण्या दिलेल्या आहेत; त्यातूनही मानवी मनाची ऐनवेळी आकाराला येणारी वृत्तीच प्रकट होताना दिसते. एकंदरीतच कुंभार गुरुजींच्या कथांचं अनुभवविश्व अंतर्बाह्य विविधतेनं नटलेलं आहे. पात्रांच्या विविधतेमुळे तिच्यातील कलाटणीमुळे ती वाचकाची उत्सुकता वाढवते, ती वाचकांना गुंगवत ठेवते.
