V. S. Khandekar

Kraunchvadh V. S. Khandekar

ONCE UPON A TIME, A COUPLE OF HERONS WAS ENGROSSED IN LOVEMAKING. SUDDENLY, A HUNTER CAME OVER THERE AND WITH HIS BOW AND ARROW KILLED ONE OF THE HERONS. THE BIRD WHICH WAS KILLED INSTANTLY COLLAPESED FROM THE TREE. UPON SEEING THIS, THE PARTNER OF THE BIRD GAVE OUT A LOUD OUT CRY. IT STARTED WAILING IN GRIEF. SO LOUD AND TRUE WAS THE SORROW THAT SAINT VALMIKI WAS TOUCHED BY THE IT. THE PAIN HE EXPERIENCED STARTED FLOWING OUT IN THE FORM OF "SHLOKAS`. A TRUE POETRY TAKES BIRTH IN EXACTLY THE SAME MANNER. V. S. KHANDEKAR HAS WRITTEN THIS NOVEL BASED ON THE SHLOKAS SO FORMED. EVEN TODAY THE INNOCENT COUPLES OF HERONS ARE KILLED EVERY NOW AND THEN, THESE INNOCENT COUPLES REPRESENT THE INNOCENT PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD. THE HUNTER WHICH KILLED ONE OF THE BIRD WAS SINFUL, VERY VERY SINFUL, BUT SO ARE TODAY`S POLITICAL LEADER. THEY ALL ARE EQUALLY CRUEL, WICKED. SINCE THE DAY INTELLIGENCE AND POWER JOINED HANDS TOGETHER, THE KINDNESS OF THE HUMAN HEART HAS ABRUPTLY ENDED. THE DAY WHEN MAN STARTS RETHINKING ABOUT THE FEELINGS ALONG WITH INTELLIGENCE, THEN SUCH KILLING WILL BE STOPPED. IN THIS NOVEL, THE AUTHOR IS TRYING TO GIVE US THE MESSAGE THAT IF WE FOLLOW OUR HEAD AS WELL AS OUR HEART THEN THERE ARE STILL CHANCES FOR SURVIVAL.