Now coming to the main part, the novella is very small an avid reader can finish it in a day or two, took me more than a month so early part is all faded by now. It a love story over 4 nights and a small morning. Its hard for me to say I got some insights on life, I am again short of getting the philosophical and emotional depth here. But I have noticed few things. I can not recall any event where protagonists have described the physical beauty of their love interest. The discussion and thoughts mostly portray the longing, the need to belong. Maybe that's the point author wants to make. The protagonist is allured as dreamer (in between somewhere) probably because his unrealistic notion of love. What we go through in 4 nights slowly, somewhere hoping this idea of exquisite love makes it into possibility comes crashing at the end of 4th night, and there is no one to blame for. Or maybe the unrealistic expectations of highly effective post system (How to you expect a reply/action in 24 hrs after sending a letter? Moreso, how does a letter gets delivered by post man just over the night, and whom is it addressed to Mr. Unaproachable/Dreamer?) Maybe it is the effect of movies, that the characters behaving so thoughtfully, respectfully and sensibly feels like idealism.

“My God, a whole moment of happiness! Is that too little for the whole of a man's life?”

दोन महिन्यांनंतर उघडती डोळे एरवी तर साजरे युद्धविरामाचे सोहळे

देशहित सर्वोपरी म्हणतात संघी निवडणूकांनंतरच दिसते आम्हा तंगी

मजबूत म्हणे होईल रुपया – डॉलरचे सुत्र यांचे धुर्त साधूमित्र आता म्हणती तेलगॅस जपून वापरा मात्र

Once upon time, when I was waiting at a bus-stand, I had dodged a scam by offering to get a man a meal when he claimed to have stuck in Bengluru who refused the meal after walking with me for few minutes towards a restaurant. Point being, I was kind of ready and confident that I can dodge these kinds.

So I went back, he was around the same place only, but I noticed a woman and a girl child with him. I asked him “What? What do you need?” He said, “Hindi, hum marathi, hindi samazega kya?” (Here onward we spoke in Marathi only, following is English translation.) Me: “ohh, then let's talk in Marathi only. I can understand.” He: “wow, you have met like a god, no one here is understanding the language or helping. We had came a couple of weeks back here from Hyderabad and we worked at the construction site for last two weeks but contractor betrayed and is not paying a dime. It is now not possible to feed ourselves here, we are going back home but do not have means to carry out the long journey.” The accent seemed little familiar. Me: “Where do you want to go?” He: “Washim, Akola.” Now, to give a little context, Washim is just an hour drive from my hometown and thus I know area a little too well. I am at least familiar with major town names, have directional sense. I immediately thought to myself, how coincidental? Maybe I can probe more and make sure about the details. But being from nearby area there was already the development of a soft corner. He was winning, without even trying. Moreover, having traveled multiple times by train I know the how hectic and long the journey can be. It is a more than 24 hrs and there is no daily direct train to Washim. Me: “Where in Washim?” He: “Aasegaon Pen” I had in recent past visited Lonar crater and coincidentally a family friends in-laws are from a village named Maslaa Pen. That village was basically in-route from the Lonar to hometown. So I remembered the name well. Me: “Is it near Maslaa Pen?” (Because of same suffix, that was an obvious guess) He: “Yes, there is Karkhana (factory) there”. There was puzzled look on his face, probably saying, how do you know so better. Me: “I am from Pusad” They all got relieved hearing that. He reiterated that I have met him like a god ( now I think that could have worked too well). He: “I am embarrassed to even beg like this with (in front) of wife and a child. Never thought I will have to see this day.” And few more lines on the same line. The woman also pitched in now. She: “My sister was given to (married to a guy from) Kali Tembhi, but after her passing away we are estranged now. There is not much connection. (My guess, Kali Tembhi is supposed to be nearby Pusad, I am not particularly aware, there are multiple Kali nearby.) I think, by this time, I had already decided subconsciously to help, but still wanted to do more checks. Me: “So how are you going to go now?” He: “There is a train to Nanded at 11.” Me: “Hmm, it will take 24 hrs to reach” He: “Yes. Then from there another train to Washim and then bus to Aasegaon Pen” Me: “We have family friends from Maslaa pen, surname is Deshmukh” I got my phone out and searched for Aasegaon Pen on google maps. It showed around where I had hoped it would, and I also searched for Maslaa Pen and it was nearby, the details were checking out. I asked for the phone number, he gave a number, I called that number, that rang but it wasn't his handset. No one answered. That was a red-flag. He said, he might have made a mistake. Then he asked for my number and rang my number. I asked if he has UPI, he said he does not. I still copied the number and checked on the Gpay, and at least it was not registered there. I asked for name – he said – “Sunil Pawar”. Now I have saved this as 'Sunil Pawar Scammer? Aasegaon Pen', and the number is 9075**8790. He: “See help as you can.” He did not specifically ask for money or food or anything. Seeing that it is already around 9pm and train scheduled around 11.30pm, it was not prudent to offer dinner at some nearby restaurant, cause in here, it takes at least 1.5 hrs to reach railway station by city bus. I was still not so sure, and I remembered I only have a couple of hundred rupees notes in my pocket. He repeated the same sentence again a couple of times. The woman chiked in that it is already late and they need to reach station also. This was a case of 'an appeal to urgency' I did spot that and it did raise a red flag in my mind but I guess the my emotional self had already took over, I took out the pocket got 2 notes out. Told them I have only this much right now. I was kind of glad also and guilty at the same time, I wasn't so sure of my decision. Gave him the notes, told him I will call you to check if you reached. I immediately took the leave, thinking about the encounter. I thought, even if fraudster ₹200 is not going to kill me and make him millionaire, anyday better than indirectly giving away to some Vantara island. Make-believe to feel better about oneself. ₹200 in (अक्कल खातं) learning account.

I did call that number a day later and later 2 times also, it rings but no answer. I was earlier not inclined to put out the number in the post, but I guess I don't care about the privacy of the individual.

प्रत्येकाच्या घरामध्ये एक तरी (भोंदू)बाबा प्रत्येकाच्या डोक्यावरती घेतला त्याने ताबा प्रत्येकाच्या जीवनामध्ये कुठली तरी चिंता प्रत्येकाच्या डोक्यामध्ये कसला तरी गुंंता प्रत्येकाच्या पत्रामध्ये दोषारोप नशीबा

प्रत्येकाच्या डोक्यामध्ये ओसंडून भक्ती प्रत्येकाच्या प्रश्नावर लगेच यांची उक्ती प्रत्येकाच्या व्याधींकरता यांच्याकडे थांबा

प्रत्येकाच्या आश्रमी उत्पादनांची जंत्री प्रत्येकाच्या खिशाला स्वतःहून कात्री प्रत्येकाच्या तर्कावर यांच्या उलट्या बोंबा

फिटावेत जर तरी शब्दांचे देणे एक तरी विडंबन असे लिहावे बहाणे प्रत्येकाच्या पानी कशी विशुद्ध प्रतिभा?

#विडंबन घसा खवखवला

ने मजसी ने परत वर्षावारीला अजितदा प्राण तळमळला खूर्चीचे चरणतला तुज धुता मी नित्य पाहिला होता मज वदलासी प्रातः समयीच जाऊ राजभवनी घास हा घेऊ तै अमृताहृद विरहशंकितही झाले परि तूवा वचन तिज दिधले काकांसी स्वये मीच घोडे लावीन आमदारही फोडीन विश्वसलो तुज ह्या शब्दी मी न विचार करता गजनी मी तव सशक्त आकडा घेउनी त्वरे येईन बोलिला तिजला

लक्षे पंधरा वा जलयुक्त शिवारे जैशी ही फसगत झाली तैशी सत्ताविरह कसा साहू या पुढती माध्यमंही साहेबमय होती नाईकविखे वेचियली या भावे की त्यांनाही अच्छे दिन यावे जरी उद्धवा व्यत्यये आणिला हा व्यर्थ भार राणेचा ती कोटयेवृक्षतपासिता रे नव युगुलगीता किनारी सरिता रे तो बुलेट प्रकल्पही आता रे मज नाणार म्हणुनी गेला

पक्षि नेते बहु बहुजनी, एक परि प्यारा मीच संघभूमिचा तारा मातोश्री इथे भव्य, परि पुज्य भागवती माहेरची माणसेच मोती तिजविण नको राज्य, नच सामना वाघाचा मज प्रियवास जरी भ्रष्टांचा दंगलीही व्यर्थ ह्या आता रे बहू भिडे मनोहरी सत्ता रे तुज शिखर संचिता जी सिंचता रे तद्विरहाची इडी घालितो तुजला

या अर्धकेशे हससि निर्दया कैसा, का शब्द मोडिसी ऐसा त्वस्वामित्वा सांप्रत जी मिरविते भिऊनी का बारामतीते मन्संघाला सांप्रदायिक म्हणून फसविशी मज द्विजाला दोन दिवसची देशी तरि काकाखालच्या मांजरा रे फाटकी न मजपक्षाची झोळी रे कथिल हे माफीवीरास आता रे जो नथुहस्ती हे राम करवेल तुजला

पाडगावकरांना वंदन करून -

त्याने बीफ खाल्लं किंवा तिने पॉर्क खाल्लं खाऊ दे की मला सांगा त्यात तुमचं काय गेलं?

तो फार धावपळीत बेकन घेऊन आला घरी येताच लगेच चुलीशी खेटला लाल लाल निखाऱ्यावर बारबेक्यू पेटला खेटला तर खेटू दे की पेटला तर पेटू दे की! तुमच बुड कशासाठी इतकं गरम झालं

त्याने बीफ खाल्लं किंवा तिने पॉर्क खाल्लं खाऊ दे की मला सांगा त्यात तुमचं काय गेलं?

एकदा ती त्याच्यासाठी बिफ घेऊन आली श्रावण होता तरी भिजत त्याच्या घरी गेली, घरात तेव्हां कोणीच नव्हतं लगेच किचन गाठलं तिला फोडणी द्यायला सांगून त्याने चक्क कूकर लावलं, लावलं तर लावू दे की शिजलं तर शिजू दे की तुमच्या आमच्या पूर्वजांनी वेगळं काय केलं ?

त्याने बीफ खाल्लं किंवा तिने पॉर्क खाल्लं खाऊ दे की मला सांगा त्यात तुमचं काय गेलं?

भाज्यांत नसतात प्रथिने सारी मग असेलचं कि पोषणावर नयन, ते थोडेच खाणार आहेत सपक पातळ वरण, दुखत असतील तुमच्या भावना तर वेद देतील की मलम खाल्ले तर खाऊ दे की व्हायचे ते होऊ दे की तुमच्या घरचं तेल त्याने थोडंच उचलून नेलं ?

त्याने बीफ खाल्लं किंवा तिने पॉर्क खाल्लं खाऊ दे की मला सांगा त्यात तुमचं काय गेलं?