saat sakkam trechalis

I recently read Kiran Nagarkar's book "Saat Sakkam Trechalis".

This literally means "Seven and six equal forty three". On the bottom of the cover page, one can see written "kya farak padta hai" = "how does it matter?" and below that the reaction (and not answer) to this question that "padta hai, padta hai". yes it does!!

this is the theme of the novel. even if one says seven and six are forty three, how does it matter ... but it does ... at least to leader (?) of the story. Kushank. he knows that he is not driving his life but his life drags him. from some remote village, working with some NGO, digging well, to BHU in banaras, from mumbai, living with a lady friend and her husband in one room, to childhood with uncle-aunt, from streets of mumbai, getting beaten by goons, to jails of mumbai getting beaten by police and from many more places to many more places! life takes on him and yes .. it matters to him ... and in his own words, he is used to this bhadvegiri since he is borne. Kiran leaves us unanswered, what next, what happens to kushank then .. is there a happy ending ?? but he never says Kushank is sad ... He just lives ... , writes letters to his love. she asks how does it matter even if we dont live togather ... how does it matter if we dont get married ... and he says it does !! dont know what but it does ...

it does matter when one gets beaten by goons .. not to goons but to the one .. it does ...

it does matter when his friend asks him to become her second man ... it does matter when his three cousins no more love him, and leave their widow mother with kushank, and he has to take care of her throughout ...

writing style of this novel is unique .. i have never read a novel with such a writing style. never before in marathi, nor in english or kannad (translated)

Kiran has used so many flashbacks, jump cuts, so well, that head spins after reading 15-20 pages.

each line must be read carefully, u never know when it shall be referred/was referred ..

language of this novel is "bindast" ... very open, gone beyond sophistication, manners, etiquates ... very free ... and wow the way he describes incidents and portrays Kushank's reactions at the same time ...

its a must read ..too good ... fabulous ... but dont read english translation. read marathi only. also read the foreword after you finish reading the novel. i read some reviews of english translation ... saying they missed the point !!

happy reading!!