ASHRU ANI HASYA

I STARTED STORYWRITING IN 1925. THE NEXT 1213 YEARS I WAS WRITING STORIES AS AND WHEN TIME WOULD PERMIT. DURING THOSE YEARS I WAS TEACHING IN A SCHOOL.`` TODAY WHILE GOING THROUGH THE 13 STORIES INCLUDED IN THIS BOOK ASHRU AND HASYA` MANY A THOUGHTS ARE SURFACING MY MIND. MOST OF THESE STORIES ARE WRITTEN DURING MY 15 YEARS` STAY IN SHIRODA. WHILE GOING THROUGH THEM I AM RECOLLECTING MY STAY AT SHIRODA WHICH I HAD ALMOST FORGOTTEN. IT WAS A SMALL VILLAGE HAVING NATURAL BEAUTY BEAUTIFUL ATMOSPHERE THOSE VILLAGERS WHO UNKNOWINGLY HAD ENLIGHTENED MY MIND FOR A STORY MANY SWEET AND SOUR INCIDENCES THESE ALL HAVE A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY MIND. TODAY AT THIS STAGE I CAN EVEN EYE THE KHANDEKAR` DURING THOSE DAYS WITH A NEUTRAL MIND. 1925 WAS THE PEAK PERIOD FOR MARATHI SHORT STORIES I WAS AN ACTIVE MEMBER BUT BY 1940 THIS GOLDEN ERA OF MARATHI SHORT STORIES HAD COME TO AN END.``