Rangandhala (रंगांधळा) by Ratnakar Matkari (रत्नाकर मतकरी)

"Rangandhala (रंगांधळा)" a Marathi (मराठी) book by Ratnakar Matkari (रत्नाकर मतकरी). This book is published by  Mehta Publishing House in 2012 (first edition 1977) and has 196 pages. I read the book through Grantha Tumchya Dari (ग्रंथ तुमच्या दारी) scheme of Kusumagraj Pratishthan (कुसुमाग्रज प्रतिष्ठान). This book is a collection of 15 mystery and enigmatic stories.

'Rangandhala (रंगांधळा)' is a story of a painter assumed and taken over by colors (रंग) and his muse. 'Waras (वारस)' is the story of a villa (वाडा) that shows a ghost only to it's inheritor. In 'Pulawarcha Manus (पुलावरचा माणुस)' a man sees another man on the bridge of his ancestral home. Who is he? In 'Baki rahilela kalokh (बाकी राहिलेला काळोख)' a man has a strange repetitive dream of cheating on his wife. His wife has a similar dream. Then there is a murder. Who's it? 'Chikhal (चिखल)' is the story of Ketki who fares to love a servant. She is convinced that her father has killed him and dumped in the marshland (चिखल). Has he? 'Hatmoje (हातमोजे)' is the story of gloves purported to belong to a killer. They want blood and make a murderer out of the wearer. 'Head-study (हेड-स्टडी)' is the story of an artist who specializes in making head statues and his friends psychiatrist. Both do head study.
'Ti don mule (ती दोन मुलं)' is a story of two cute, poor and dirty kids who land in the house of an agent who sells children for being? Or did they?

In 'Talyakathchi hirwal (तळ्याकाठची हिरवळ)' a middle aged, well to do, man starts an affair with a girl half his age and meets her on the lawn at the lake. Who's she? 'Zumbar (झुंबर)' is the story of hate remaining years after the death of a couple. 'Mhatarichi tarun mulgi (म्हातारीची तरूण मुलगी)' is the story of three Casanova friends and a Jakhin (जाखीण). In 'Interview (इंटरव्ह्यू)' Jagannath goes for an interview. But the condition of contract is very tough. 'Washikaran (वशीकरण)' is the story of a verbally challenged girl and what she does to get a young man fall in love with her.
In 'Jalmate (जळमटं)' we meet two old ghosts, their urge to love a child and their feelings.
'Tada geleli kach (तडा गेलेली काच)' shows us the world of a physically fit young man and his not so fit mind.

Ratnakar Matkari is known for his excellent enigmatic stories. He is one of the pioneers of such stories in Marathi literature.

The presence of unknown & the inexplicable has always fascinated human mind. These stories provide a glimpse into this unknown world. These stories are not gross, gory or vulgar, they are classy. They have a literary value.

Almost all the stories are good, however Waras, Mhatarichi tarun mulgi, Washikaran & Jalmate were especially good. A number of stories either have an undercurrent, intention or overt sex in them. A number of stories have ghosts (भुतं, पिशाच्च, जाखीण) or such creatures in them. Some stories also have mental illness. Almost all the stories use the shock technique and unexpected endings. As the book progresses, you start expecting the unexpected.

This book is a masterpiece of the genre. A must read if you are not against the genre.

Khekda (खेकडा) by Ratnakar Matkari (रत्नाकर मतकरी)

"Khekda (खेकडा)", a Marathi book, by Ratnakar Matkari (रत्नाकर मतकरी). This book is published by Mehta Publishing House in 2013 (First edition 1970) and has 116 pages. Ratnakar Matkari is known as best Marathi writer of horror (भय) and enigmatic (गूढ) stories. This book is a collection of 11 such stories. All these stories were published in Hans (हंस) magazine between 1965 & 1969.

'Khekda (खेकडा)' is a story of a man who wants to kill his polio affected daughter to marry his lover. 'Kunastav kunitari (कुणास्तव कुणीतरी)' is about a beggar boy and an unknown and dying woman. 'Antaray (अंतराय)' is a tale of revenge after death. 'Kalkiche bal (कळकीचे बाळ)' is about a women giving birth to a Mondor, or is it? 'Pavsatla pahuna (पावसातला पाहुणा)' is about a soul (आत्मा) roving for more than 400 years. 'Shalecha rasta (शाळेचा रस्ता)' is about a girl who thinks to much and had difficulties finding road to her school. 'Ti, Mi ani To (ती, मी आणि तो)' is about a serial killer and his intended victim. 'Nimachi Nima (निमाची निमा)' is about a small motherless girl Nima and her doll called Nima. 'Ek vilakshan aarsa (एक विलक्षण आरसा)' is a story of a mirror that shows you the true yourself. 'Album (अल्बम)' is about deaths when photo is pasted in the album. 'Tumchi goshta (तुमची गोष्ट)' is a possible story that can happen in anyones life and ruin it.

Fear (भय) is the common ingredient of all these stories along with shock (धक्का). It's the shock that multiplies the  fear factor. Every story has a twist. The stories caress you, entice you, surprise you and don't let you sleep because you want to finish the story, if not the book.

Ratnakar Matkari is a master story teller. Fear lurks in the stories and you don't know at which turn you will encounter it. Real shock comes generally towards the end of each story. You should read it alone at night in the light of a night lamp.

I remember having read some of these stories. The one I liked most are Kalkiche bal (कळकीचे बाळ), Pavsatla pahuna (पावसातला पाहुणा), Ti, Mi ani To (ती, मी आणि तो) and Tumchi goshta (तुमची गोष्ट). The one that I liked least was Shalecha rasta (शाळेचा रस्ता). Description of "You - the common man" in 'Tumchi goshta (तुमची गोष्ट)' is so good that it applies to most of the middle class men.

One doesn't read horror stories very often unless you are an aficionado of such stories or you happen to come across one in a Diwali ank (दिवाळी अंक). It's a good change. The stories have been written almost 50 years ago but they have not lost their relevance.

A must read, if you like the genre.