‘A Pinch of Snuff’ is a very humorous and interesting story written by Manohar Malgaonkar. Thi story has been taken from ‘Contemporary Indian Shor Stories in English’. It is full of wit and adventure.
The story is about Nanukaka who is the maternal uncle of the writer. The writer is an Under-secretary on probation in the government. Nanukaka has come to meet a minister. He is a cunning and shrewd man. He always tells a lie. He can befool anyone with his lies. He can manage any difficult situation and get rid of any difficulty. He travels second class on a third class ticket. Taking snuff is his habit.
Nanukaka goes to meet the minister, but he fails to meet him. He comes back and thinks a plan. He changes his clothes and goes to Sohanlal, the Party Boss in Delhi. Nanukaka tells him that Hajrat Barkat Ali, the ambassador of India in Beirut, is his close friend. Sohanlal is highly impressed by the talk and personality of Nanukaka. He wants the favour of the ambassador for his son. Nannukaka promises to help his son. By the reaction of Sohanlal he knows that the minister wants to marry his daughter to the prince of Ninnore. Then, he plans to meet the minister. He manages an outlandish car. He asks the writer to act his liveried driver. He goes to the minister’s residence and poses as the hereditary astrologer of the Maharaja of Ninnore. He writes his name and designation on the visitor’s register. This trick helps him and the Welfare Minister himself comes to meet him. After the meeting with the minister, Nanukaka returns the next day.
Thus, the whole story revolves round Nanukaka, who knows every trick of every trade. He changes his feather according to weather. The story shows that a person like Nanukaka will be successful in the present society.