Bholi

 

SUMMARY

The lesson "Bholi" was written by K. A. Abbas. The story is about a young girl named Bholi. When she was an infant, she fell from her cot, which caused severe brain damage. She was also affected by smallpox, and the ugly scars ruined her beauty. Her parents were concerned about how to arrange for her to get married when she grew up. One fine day, Tehsildar Sahib had come to perform an inaugural ceremony of a primary school for girls in the village. He told Ramlal to send his daughters to school. Ramlal discussed the matter with his wife, who disagreed but decided to put Bholi in school later. Initially, Bholi felt uneasy about going to school, and due to her class teacher's caring, she started loving to go to school. Many years passed, and Bholi received a marriage proposal. Bishamber Nath, the prospective groom, was an elderly man with a disability. The marriage day had arrived, and when the groom was about to put on the garland, he saw Bholi's face. The groom was shocked to see the pockmarks on her face and refused to marry her without a dowry of five thousand rupees. Bholi's father, Ramlal, somehow arranged the amount and gave it to Bishamber Nath. When the groom was about to put the garland, Bholi refused it. All the wedding attendees were stunned to see how confidently she spoke without stammering. Later, everyone scolded her; Bholi then assured her father that she would take care of him and her mother in their old age. Looking at the events, Bholi's teacher felt a deep sense of relief and satisfaction at Bholi's courage and confidence she exhibited in front of so many people.

Meanings of the difficult words from the lesson "Bholi":
S.No	Words	Meanings	HINDI MEANING
1	Childhood	The state or period of being a child	बालक होने की अवस्था या काल
2	Simpleton	A person without the usual ability to use reason and understand	एक व्यक्ति जिसके पास तर्क और समझने की सामान्य क्षमता नहीं है
3	Pretty	Of a person, especially a woman or a child attractive in a delicate way without being truly beautiful	किसी व्यक्ति का, विशेष रूप से एक महिला या बच्चा जो वास्तव में सुंदर न होते हुए भी नाजुक तरीके से आकर्षक हो
4	Mimic	Imitate someone or their actions or words, especially in order to entertain or ridicule	किसी का या उसके कार्यों या शब्दों का अनुकरण करना, विशेष रूप से मनोरंजन या उपहास करने के लिए
5	Prosperous	Successful, usually by earning a lot of money	सफल, आमतौर पर बहुत सारा पैसा कमाने से
6	Bridegroom	A man who is about to get married or has just got married	वह पुरुष जिसकी शादी होने वाली हो या अभी-अभी हुई हो
7	Consult	To discuss something with someone before you make a decision	कोई निर्णय लेने से पहले किसी से चर्चा करना
8	Courage	The ability to control your fear in a dangerous or difficult situation	किसी खतरनाक या कठिन परिस्थिति में अपने डर को नियंत्रित करने की क्षमता
9	Disobey	To refuse to do something that you are told to do	कुछ ऐसा करने से इंकार करना जो आपको करने के लिए कहा गया हो
10	Ugly	Unpleasant to look at; not attractive	देखने में अप्रिय; आकर्षक नहीं है
11	Terror	Extreme fear	अत्यधिक भय
12	Grip	A firm hold on something or someone	किसी चीज़ या व्यक्ति पर दृढ़ पकड़
13	Mend	To repair something that is torn or damaged	किसी ऐसी चीज की मरम्मत करना जो फटी या क्षतिग्रस्त हो
14	Headmistress	A woman who is in charge of a school	एक महिला जो एक स्कूल की प्रभारी है
15	Friend	A person who you know well and who you like a lot, but who is usually not a member of your family	एक व्यक्ति जिसे आप अच्छी तरह से जानते हैं और जिसे आप बहुत पसंद करते हैं, लेकिन जो आमतौर पर आपके परिवार का सदस्य नहीं है
16	Slate	A small, thin, rectangular piece of slate (= rock), usually in a wooden frame, used for writing on, especially by children	स्लेट (= चट्टान) का एक छोटा, पतला, आयताकार टुकड़ा, आमतौर पर लकड़ी के फ्रेम में, विशेष रूप से बच्चों द्वारा लिखने के लिए उपयोग किया जाता है
17	Fascinate	Extremely interested	अत्यधिक रुचि
18	Orchard	An area of land where fruit trees but not orange trees or other citrus trees are grown	भूमि का वह क्षेत्र जहाँ फलों के पेड़ उगाये जाते हैं लेकिन संतरे या अन्य खट्टे पेड़ नहीं
19	Sob	To cry noisily, taking in deep breathe	गहरी साँस लेते हुए जोर-जोर से रोना
20	Soothing	To make someone feel calm or less worried	किसी को शांत या कम चिंतित महसूस कराना
21	Achievement	Something very good and difficult that you have succeeded in doing	कुछ बहुत अच्छा और कठिन जिसे करने में आप सफल हुए हैं
22	Astonish	Very surprised	बहुत हैरान
23	Throb	A strong, regular beat	एक मजबूत, नियमित धड़कन
24	Limp	To walk slowly and with difficulty because of having an injured or painful leg or foot	घायल या दर्दनाक पैर या पैर के कारण धीरे-धीरे और कठिनाई से चलना
25	Mutter	To speak quietly and in a low voice that is not easy to hear, often when you are worried or complaining about something	धीरे-धीरे और धीमी आवाज़ में बोलना जिसे सुनना आसान न हो, अक्सर जब आप किसी बात को लेकर चिंतित हों या शिकायत कर रहे हों
26	Witless	Stupid or showing no intelligence	मूर्ख या बुद्धिहीनता दिखाना
27	Wonder	To ask yourself questions or express a wish to know about something	अपने आप से प्रश्न पूछना या किसी चीज़ के बारे में जानने की इच्छा व्यक्त करना
28	Unmarried	Not married	शादीशुदा नहीं
29	Envious	Wishing you had what another person has	काश आपके पास वही होता जो दूसरे व्यक्ति के पास है
30	Procession	A line of people, vehicles, or objects moving forward in an organized manner, especially as part of a ceremony	लोगों, वाहनों या वस्तुओं की एक पंक्ति जो संगठित तरीके से आगे बढ़ रही है, खासकर किसी समारोह के हिस्से के रूप में
31	Garland	A wreath of flowers and leaves, worn on the head or hung as a decoration	फूलों और पत्तियों की एक माला, जिसे सिर पर पहना जाता है या सजावट के रूप में लटकाया जाता है
32	Triumphant	Having won a battle or contest; victorious	कोई लड़ाई या प्रतियोगिता जीतना; विजयी
33	Downcast	Sad and without hope	दुःखी और आशाहीन
34	Shameless	Not ashamed, especially about something generally considered unacceptable	शर्मिंदा नहीं, खासकर किसी ऐसी चीज़ के बारे में जिसे आम तौर पर अस्वीकार्य माना जाता है
35	Izzat	Honour, reputation, or prestige	मान, प्रतिष्ठा या प्रतिष्ठा
36	Masterpiece	A work of art such as a painting, film, or book that is made with great skill	कला का एक काम जैसे पेंटिंग, फिल्म या किताब जो बड़ी कुशलता से बनाई गई हो
37	Bandsmen	A person who plays a musical instrument in a military band or a brass band	एक व्यक्ति जो सैन्य बैंड या ब्रास बैंड में संगीत वाद्ययंत्र बजाता है

Bholi

Read and Find Out (Page No. 54)

Question 1. Why is Bholi’s father worried about her?

Answer: Bholi was different from other children. She neither had good looks nor intelligence. Bholi’s father

was worried about finding a good bridegroom for Bholi.

Question 2. For what unusual reasons is Bholi sent to school?

Answer: The Tehsildar had ordered Bholi’s father Ramlal to send his daughters to school to set an

example. Ramlal’s wife felt that sending daughters to school would impact their marriage prospects.

However, she said that Bholi could be sent to school because there is anyway less chance of her getting

married with such an ugly face and no intelligence. Thus, Bholi was sent to school.

Read and Find Out (Page No. 55)

Question 1. Does Bholi enjoy her first day at school?

Answer: Yes, Bholi enjoyed her first day at school. Initially, she was frightened. But, she was delighted to

find so many girls of her own age present there. She felt that one of the girls might become her friend. Also,

there were a lot of pictures on the classroom wall that enticed her.

Question 2. Does she find her teacher different from the people at home?

Answer: Yes, she finds her teacher quite different from the people at home. At home, she is never spoken

to in a polite manner, but her teacher speaks to her in a very soothing way.

At home, she was disregarded for stammering, but her teacher encouraged her to speak with confidence

instead of making fun of her. This touched her heart.

Read and Find Out (Page No. 58)

Question 1. Why do Bholi’s parents accept Bishamber’s marriage proposal?

Answer: Bholi’s parents accepted Bishamber’s marriage proposal because they thought that Bholi might

never get another marriage proposal and might stay unmarried for her entire life. Bishamber was a well-to

do grocer and had not asked for dowry too.

Question 2. Why does the marriage not take place?

Answer: When Bishamber saw the pock-marks on Bholi’s face, he demanded five thousand rupees from

Ramlal. Due to the demand for dowry, Bholi refused to get married to him.

Think About It

Question 1. Bholi had many apprehensions about going to school. What made her feel that she was going

to a better place than her home?

Answer: Bholi had many apprehensions about going to school. She had seen Lakshmi, their old cow,

getting sold out.

When Bholi was given clean clothes to wear, was bathed, and her hair was oiled, she felt that she was going

to a better place than her home.

Question 2. How did Bholi’s teacher play an important role in changing the course of her life?

Answer: Bholi’s teacher did not make fun of her stammering like others used to do. She encouraged her to

speak without any fear. Unlike others, she was polite to Bholi. The teacher played an important role in NCERT Solutions Class 10 English - Ch

changing the course of her life and making her a confident person who could read, write and speak with

clarity.

Question 3. Why did Bholi at first agree to an unequal match? Why did she later reject the marriage? What

does this tell us about her?

Answer: Bholi agreed to an unequal match at first because she had overheard her parents talking about the

marriage proposal. They were concerned about her marriage and thought that this was the best proposal

Bholi could get as the man had not even asked for dowry.

On the day of marriage, when the bridegroom saw Bholi’s pock-marks, he demanded a dowry of five

thousand rupees. He humiliated her father for the dowry. That is why she rejected the marriage.

This tells us that Bholi has self-respect and confidence. She did not want her father to give dowry for her

marriage. She was able to take a brave and wise decision on her own.

Question 4. Bholi’s real name is Sulekha. We are told this right at the beginning. But only in the last but one

paragraph of the story is Bholi called Sulekha again. Why do you think she is called Sulekha at that point in

the story?

Answer: Bholi means simpleton. She never takes her stand. She follows what is told. She even agrees to

an unequal match for the sake of her parents. But, towards the end of the story, when she sees her father

pleading in front of the bridegroom and getting humiliated, she refuses to get married. She is called Sulekha

at that point in the story because she is now a mature and intelligent girl who is able to take her own

decisions. She is aware of her rights and does not let anyone humiliate her family.

Question 5. Bholi’s story must have moved you. Do you think girl children are not treated on par with boys?

You are aware that the government has introduced a scheme to save the girl child as the sex ratio is

declining. The scheme is called Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Save the Girl Child.

Read about the scheme and design a poster in groups of four and display on the school notice board.

Answer: Do it yourself.

Talk About It

Question 1. Bholi’s teacher helped her overcome social barriers by encouraging and motivating her. How

do you think you can contribute towards changing the social attitudes illustrated in this story?

Answer: We can contribute towards changing the social attitudes illustrated in the story by:

 Ensuring that girls and boys are aware of their rights

 Treating girls and boys equally

 Giving them equal right to education and employment

 Saying ‘No’ to dowry

Question 2. Should girls be aware of their rights, and assert them? Should girls and boys have the same

rights, duties and privileges? What are some of the ways in which society treats them differently? When we

speak of ‘human rights’, do we differentiate between girls’ rights and boys’ rights?

Answer: Yes, girls should definitely be aware of their rights and assert them. Girls and boys must have the

same rights, duties and privileges.

People treat boys and girls differently, especially in villages and small towns. Parents tend to spend more on

the education of boys as compared to girls. They train their daughters to be polite, calm and an expert at

household chores.When we speak of ‘human rights’, the law does not differentiate between girls’ rights and boys’ rights. But

this disparity exists in society.

Question 3. Do you think the characters in the story were speaking to each other in English? If not, in which

language were they speaking? (You can get clues from the names of the persons and the non-English

words used in the story.)

Answer: No, the characters in the story were not speaking to each other in English. Words in the text like

pitaji, tehsildaar, izzat, numberdar, etc. indicate that the characters in the story were speaking in Hindi.