MUMBAI, July 21 -- For over seven decades, Room No 29 in Vakadi Chawl on New Prabhadevi Road has been a second home to the people of Dolegaon, a village in Satara district. A 'gavkiche ghar', or 'village shelter', it is one of many such rooms hidden away in chawls in working-class areas in the island city. These compact spaces have for decades offered a place to stay when villagers from rural Maharashtra visit Mumbai for, say, work, education or medical treatment - a room built not only with brick and cement, but also on a foundation of collective spirit and deep-rooted trust. Now, one villager from Dolegaon has broken the code. Entrusted with the upkeep and redevelopment of the residential unit, he has allegedly sold it to a private company without informing the rest of the community. The complaint, lodged by Santosh Godse, a 45-year-old farmer from Dolegaon, accuses him and eight other villagers of cheating and criminal breach of trust. Godse lodged a First Information Report (FIR) with the Dadar police on July 11. "People would stay for a few days, a few weeks, sometimes even months. No one was turned away. Everyone from Dolegaon who came to Mumbai for work, hospital visits, or family matters knew they had a place in Mumbai," says Godse. In September 1998, a collective decision was taken to grant the redevelopment rights to one of the villagers through a formal agreement. Twelve villagers from Dolegaon, including Godse, signed the agreement, giving authority only to coordinate the redevelopment-not ownership. All decisions regarding the room were to be taken jointly and only with the consent of the community. But the villager entrusted with the redevelopment has broken the code. "The sale," says Godse, "was never discussed or approved by the other villagers." Rajendra Awadh, senior police inspector of the Dadar police, said, "We have registered a complaint and the investigation is in its primary stage. We have not concluded anything yet." Dolegaon's villagers are preparing for a legal battle to save their gavkiche ghar in Mumbai - and a cherished community tradition. Meanwhile, in other chawls, similar village shelters continue to serve their intended purpose. Room Nos 175 and 176 at Anand Estate in Chinchpokli were bought for 50 paise each. The sum was so unaffordable in 1945 that it had to be pooled by eight villagers from Belmachi village in Satara district. Room No 176 is run by the Belmachi Gramastha Mandal. Abhijeet Jadhav, 30, who works in the finance sector, moved into the unit in 2017. "My father used to stay here when the mills were open. Thanks to our forefathers, each of us pays just Rs. 400 a month." Seven residents live in the room. Until 2021, the rent was just Rs.150. The addition of modern amenities - WiFi, a television and CCTV - pushed up the rent to Rs.400 a month. Jadhav says there was a time when 100 people used to stay in the 600-sq ft space, in rotating shifts determined by their mill schedules. "There wasn't a single day when all of them were present at once." Its twin, Room No 175, is owned by the Shivthar Gamastha Mandal. Prasad Sabale, who works at the Dadar Flower Market, has been living here with five others since 2016. "When newcomers arrive from our village, they come straight to us," says Sabale. Many gavkiche ghars trace their origin to the time when Mumbai's mills were booming. These 'village shelters' allowed them to save money, support each other, and stay connected to their roots. Rents are still as low as Rs.500 per month. Some gavkiche ghars have moved into high-rise buildings after chawl redevelopment. One of these is Shelap Gramastha Mandal, originally from BDD chawl No 4. Now, their gavkiche ghar is located in Prakash Mill Coop Housing Society in Lower Parel. "We may live in a tower now, but nothing beats the old chawl days," said Pundalik Madbhagat, 56, who arrived in Mumbai at the age of 16. "When redevelopment began, all 21 villagers gave their consent, in order to retain the room for communal use. In the new building, we have been promised a 500sq ft flat-still for the village." Redevelopment has cost them dear. "Earlier, we paid Rs.100 a month. Now our monthly expenses are Rs.2,500," says Mahendra Tejam, 36. Madbhagat adds, "Our expenses have shot up but the trust, the unity-you cannot put a price on that."...