Page 4 - LN3- MODULE

summary

This story is all about a simple village girl named Bholi. Her real name was Sulekha. But fate
deceived her and when she was ten months old, she felt off the cot damaging some part of
her brain. As a result, she could pick up speech only after she was five years old, but she
stammered. Later on, when she was two – years old, she had an attack of small pox that left
her with black spots all over the body. The other children often made fun of her and
mimicked her. Therefore, she talked very little. Ramlal had seven children in all – three sons
and four daughters. Bholi was the youngest. All other were healthy and strong except Bholi.
Bholi was seven years old when a primary school opened in their village. The tehsildar came
to perform the opening ceremony of the school. He told Ramlal that as a revenue official and
as a representative of the government in the village, he should send his daughter to the
school and set an example before the villagers. When he consulted his wife about the issue,
his wife did not agree with him. Yet she decided to send Bholi to the school.
The next day, Bholi was given a bath, and a new dress to wear. Her mother combed her hair
and then she was sent to the school. When her father left her in the school, she sat in a
corner in the class. When her teacher asked her name, she stammered and the children
started laughing. At this Bholi started weeping. But the teacher’s voice was soft and
soothing. She encouraged her a lot and finally she could tell her full name. Then the teacher
told her that if she would come daily to school, she would speak without a stammer and one
day she would become the most educated girl in the village. Then no one will dare to laugh
at her. Then they will listen to her carefully. Years passed and the village now turned into a
small town. One night Ramlal consulted his wife about the proposal made by Bishamber, a
grocer in the neighbouring village. His wife readily agreed to it. Bholi was also listening to
this conversation. The day of her marriage came. When the bridegroom was about to
garland her, some lady pulled her veil down showing her face to him. The bridegroom had a
quick glance at her face and noticed pox marks on her face. At this, He asked Ramlal to give
him five thousand rupees as dowry in order to marry that ugly girl. After some arguments,
Ramlal handed over the money to Bishambar. But Bholi asked her father to take the money
back from him as she did not want to marry that old, lame and greedy person. Everybody
was surprised because Bholi was not stammering at all. The bridegroom went back with his
baraat. Ramlal could not lift his head due to shame and grief. He asked Bholi who would
marry her now. But Bholi said to him that she would serve his parents in their old age and
teach in the same school where she had learnt so much.

Check Your Understanding: Questions
1. Why was Ramlal worried about Bholi and not about his other children?
2. Why did the Tehsildar come to Ramlal’s village? What did he ask Ramlal to do?
3. Who is the artist in the story? What is masterpiece? How did she become a
masterpiece?
4. Why didn’t Bholi’s mother want to send Bholi to school?
5. Why did Bholi look at her school with ‘fear laden eyes’?