Shivnarayan Gour’s book, Barah Sau ki Baati aur Anya Kisse, has fascinating anecdotes based on real-life incidents, memories, and experiences. The anecdotes are deeply connected to the people around us, their habits and everyday life. They are like character-oriented short stories and have storytelling power. When you read them, it feels as if someone is telling these tales to you.
Gour has put these memorable characters and their habits into words with great sensitivity and ease. It mostly has anecdotes of people who have lived or are living their lives in a completely original way, and they don’t care much about how people view their quirks. The evocative water-coloured illustrations by Nilesh Gehlot give the book a charming look. They help set the spatial context for the anecdotes.
There are fourteen such anecdotes in this book; each unique in itself. The originality of each character is central to the anecdote and leaves a deep impression on the reader’s mind. For example, ‘Cycle wala Chacha’ is great not only because of its humour, but also because of its paradox. Chacha has property and wealth, yet his greatest passion is stealing bicycles. The irony is that here the theft is not motivated by need, but by habit, even a kind of ecstatic pleasure. What makes the story really interesting is how his hobby reshapes his entire social life. His frequent imprisonments become opportunities to meet people, collect stories and gain extensive knowledge about villages and individuals across the region. In other words, this bad habit of his becomes the source of his storytelling ability.
‘Mahesh ka Saanp-Prem’ is an interesting anecdote about Mahesh’s love of, and living with snakes since his childhood, carrying them to school and taking them for a ride on his motorcycle. Mahesh doesn’t just keep snakes as a hobby; he builds an entire world around them. His separate house, his carefully designed pots with air holes, his daily routine of taking each snake for a walk—all these details turn his fascination into a way of life. This anecdote isn’t just ‘interesting’ because it is shocking; it is also interesting because it challenges our notions of fear, danger, and human relationship with snakes. Mahesh embodies a deep affinity with creatures that most people instinctively avoid. In doing so, he highlights how relative fear can be; what is normal for one person can be life-threatening for another. That tension is what makes this anecdote unforgettable.
‘Barah Baras Baad’ is one of the most emotional and memorable anecdotes of the collection. The return to home of Kaka, the protagonist of the anecdote, after a long time, takes the reader to a world of surprise, nostalgia and emotions.
There has been an old and rich tradition of telling and listening to anecdotes and stories in Indian society. We gain insight into our surroundings through the anecdotes of Akbar-Birbal, Tenali Rama, Vikram-Betal, and the stories told by elders in the family to their children about the times of their time. The same tradition seems to come alive in this book.
The book is written in a chatty style, almost conversational. There is a familiarity in Gour’s style of narration, which connects with the reader deeply. With every rereading, a new layer opens up and new emotions come to the fore. This is the reason the anecdotes of the book touch the heart and are remembered for a long time. Books of this genre are rarely seen. These anecdotes not only describe character-oriented stories; they also illustrate how the unique quirks of different human characters can become anecdotes or narratives.
The quirky temperament of the book’s characters lends a unique colour to these anecdotes. Sometimes their innocence, sometimes their craziness, sometimes their frankness—all these bring a smile to the face while reading, and sometimes make one think deeply. The biggest strength of these anecdotes is that they present a live picture of our society and time, without any pretense.
Barah Sau ki Baati aur Anya Kisse introduces children and young readers to social diversity, originality and the complexities of human behaviour, breaking away from traditional children’s literature. This book strikes a balance between humour and sensitivity, which not only engages readers but also makes them empathetic. In today’s times, when literature is distancing from everyday life, this book bridges that gap. It is a priceless experience for those readers who want humour, sensitivity and the depth of human relationships simultaneously.