Bhulan the Maze

Set in the tribal village of Mahuabhata in Chhattisgarh, the story revolves around two residents, Bhakla and Birju, who get into a violent fight over a land dispute that tragically ends with Birju's accidental death after falling on a plough. The villagers, unwilling to send Bhakla to jail because he has a family to support, collectively decide to ask Ganjha, a lonely old man from the same village, to falsely confess to the murder in Bhakla's place. Ganjha accepts this sacrifice and is sentenced to life imprisonment, where his noble behavior and honest conduct eventually lead the jailor to believe that he cannot actually be a murderer. The jailor appeals to the high court on Ganjha's behalf, and during the proceedings, the truth is revealed that the villagers had orchestrated the false confession to protect Bhakla. When the real facts come to light, the court releases Ganjha from prison while the villagers who hid the truth are sent to jail. During the court proceedings, the prosecutor proves Bhakla guilty by exploiting his habitual tendency to say "hao" (yes) before every sentence, which initially leads to Bhakla receiving the death penalty, though he is later acquitted. The narrative concludes with the villagers, while being taken to jail, making a profound observation that people in big cities appear to be under the influence of the mythical "bhulan" plant, remaining asleep and unaware of their surroundings, while they themselves awaken to the consequences of their deception.