ALL THE 13 STORIES HAVE BEEN WRITTEN DURING MY STAY IN THE SERENE VICINITY OF GOMANTAK SINCE LAST FOUR YEARS. EACH WOMAN APPEARED TO SOLVE THE LIFE PUZZLE IN HER OWN UNIQUE WAY. THOUGH THE CHARACTERS ARE FICTITIOUS, THE QUESTIONS THAT THEY HAVE ARE TRUE TO THEIR FULLEST. A FEW OF THESE WOMEN HAVE FACED LIFE SENSIBLY AND IN SANE MANNER. INDEED, THEY WERE CONFRONTED WITH A VICIOUS TURN IN LIFE WHICH THEY CROSSED IN A POISED MANNER. I GUESS THIS WAS POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE EQUILIBRIUM WITH WHICH THEY LED THEIR LIVES AND ALSO BECAUSE THEY WERE BASICALLY MATURED IN ALL ASPECTS. 'LADY DIANA' AND 'JASWANDI' PORTRAY TYPICAL WOMEN FROM GOMANTAK HAVING COMPLETE FAITH UPON LOVE. THE OTHERS LIKE 'ASAWARI', 'POORVA', 'RESHMA', OR THOSE WHOM WE COME ACROSS IN STORIES LIKE 'MOKAL ZAAD', 'LEKURWALA' OR 'HARAVALELA CHANDRA' HAVE THE ABILITY TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT THEY HAVE COME ACROSS. THEY HAVE INDEED REACHED THEIR FINAL DESTINATION. THE CHARACTER IN 'KATHA SAWALICHI' IS THE ONE WHO HAS WILLINGLY ACCEPTED TO BE A SHADOW. TO BE A SHADOW OR TO HAVE A SEPARATE IDENTITY IS AFTER ALL INDIVIDUAL PERSPECTIVE. I HAVE TRIED MY BEST TO PORTRAY THESE CHARACTERS IN SHADES I UNDERSTOOD...गेली चार वर्षे, गोमंतकातल्या निसर्गरम्य गावी वास्तव्य झाले व याच कालखंडातील या कथांचा जन्म! यामधल्या तेराही कथा स्त्री-जीवनकथा आहेत. कथेमधली प्रत्येक स्त्री ही मला पडलेल्या स्त्री-जीवनाचे कोडे सोडवणारी स्त्री बनली. सर्व पात्रे काल्पनिक आहेत पण त्यांचे जीवन व प्रश्न मात्र वास्तव आहेत. काही स्त्रिया विलक्षण समजूतदारपणाने जीवनाला सामऱ्या जातात. त्यांच्या जीवनाला आलेले वाईट वळण, समंजसपणाने त्यांनी ओलांडलेले असते, याचे कारण त्यांच्या विचाराची मूळ बैठकच प्रौढ, समंजस असावी, असे मला वाटते. 'लेडी डायना' आणि 'जास्वंदी' या खास गोमंतकीय स्त्रिया, प्रेमावर अतूट विश्वास बाळगणाNया, तर 'आसावरी', 'पूर्वा', 'रेशमा' या कथानायिका अगर 'मोकळं झाड' किंवा 'लेकुरवाळा', 'हरवलेला चंद्र'मधल्या कथानायिका यांनी स्वत समोरची प्रश्नचिन्हे... स्वत च सोडवून त्या पूर्णविरामाला पोहोचल्या आहेत. 'कथा सावलीची' ही एका सावलीची भूमिका स्वीकारणारी स्त्र