Purushottam Laxman Deshpande, popularly known as Pu La, is a legend in Marathi literature whose work continues to resonate across generations. One of his most celebrated and hilarious short stories is "Mhais" (The Buffalo), a masterpiece of observational humor that perfectly captures the quirks of rural and urban life in Maharashtra. Summary of "Mhais"

The Passengers: Each character represents a different archetype of Marathi society, from the impatient professional to the overly helpful bystander.

The story centers on a public transport bus that comes to a grinding halt after a buffalo (mhais) refuses to move from the middle of the road. What follows is not just a delay, but a hilarious breakdown of human behavior:

Mhais is not a long novel, but a brilliant character study centered around a singular, disruptive event: a bus hitting a buffalo.