Understanding the text.
Mention
1. The three phases of the author's relationship with his grandmother before he left the country to study abroad.
Ans:-The first phase of the author's relationship initiated in his early childhood. Then his grandmother used to tell about the games which she used to play as a child. The author along with the other children used to listen to the grandmother very carefully. The second phase started when the author became a school-going child. His grandmother used to get him ready for school. She used to arrange his slate, inkpot, and a pen. Also, she used to go to school because it was attached to the temple. They used to go to school and walk back from school together. It was a regular routine for both of them. The third phase of the author's relationship with his grandmother started when he went to the city school. She was a bit upset thinking that English school would spoil her grandson because there was no teaching of God and scriptures. She hated western science and music. Now they did not see more of each other. When the author started his higher studies he was given a separate room. It was very painful for his grandmother. Her friendship with her grandson was almost snapped.
2. Three reasons why the author's grandmother was disturbed when he started going to the city school.
Ans:-(i)Grandmother was disturbed because she was not required to go with the author to the city school. She was to stay at home almost all the time. There was no temple near her residence.
(ii)She could not feed the dogs in the city. She was bereft of religious opportunities. She saw less of each other. Her only work was fond of feeding sparrows in the courtyard.
(iii)The author started learning in English school. Grandmother could not help in his studies. When she knew that her grandson was taught western science and music she was completely upset. She thought music had a lewd association. It was only for harlots and beggars. She thought God and the scriptures to be the base of teaching, so she did not like the teachings of a city school.
3. Three ways in which the author's grandmother spent her days after he grew up.
Ans:(i)When the author started for his city school, the friendship between grandmother and the author was almost snapped. Now, grandmother accepted to stay alone reciting her prayers. But that was not enough for her.
(ii)She started spending her time at the spinning wheel. She used to sit by the spinning wheel from sunrise to sunset reciting her prayers.
(iii)She used to sit in the verandah to feed the sparrows. She would break the bread into crumbs and used it to feed the sparrows. This was her routine for every afternoon.
4. The odd way in which the grandmother behaved just before she died.
Ans:-After five years when the author came back home, she did not look a day older. While she clasped the author in her arms he could hear her reciting prayers. In the evening a change came over her. She collected the women of the neighborhood and started singing of homecoming of warriors. She was tired of singing and got a mild fever. The doctor said it would go but grandmother said that her end was near and. She lay peacefully in bed praying and telling her beads. All of a sudden the rosary fell from her finger because she was now dead.
5. The way in which the sparrows expressed their sorrow when the author's grandmother died.
Ans:-After the grandmother of the author died, thousands of sparrows sat scattered on the floor. They did not chirrup at all. The author along with the members of his family felt very sorry for them. His mother brought some bread for them. She broke it into crumbs and threw them to the sparrows, but they took no notice of the crumbs. When the corpse of the grandmother was carried off the sparrows flew away quietly.
Talking about the text.
Talk to your partner about the following.
1. The author's grandmother was a religious person. What are the different ways in which we come to know this?
Ans:-The author's grandmother was a religious person. She used to get up early in the morning. She recited her prayers regularly. She used to go to school with the narrator regularly because school has attached a temple. She would sit in the temple to recite scriptures. She used to carry pieces of bread for the dogs. She used her rosary all the time. When they were sent for the city she felt disturbed. She did not like the teachings of the city school. According to grandmother western, science and music were not at all any lessons for teaching. She hated music thinking that it had a lewd association of harlots and beggars. In the city house, she started feeding sparrows. On the arrival of the narrator after five years from abroad, grandmother started singing home-coming with the women of her neighborhood enthusiastically. She got ill but said no medicine was useful because her end was near. After sometimes her rosary fell from her hands, and she died.
4. Do you know someone like the author's grandmother? Do you feel the same sense of loss with regard to someone whom you have loved and lost?
Ans:- The very my grandmother was the same as the author's grandmother. She was also a religious lady. She would get up early morning and did her morning prayers reciting Bhajans every day. She used to feed our cows every day at first. She did not allow anybody to get inside the kitchen without taking bath. She used to tell the stories of Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Puranas. On the occasion of religious ceremonies, all the members of our family were ordered to take bath in the early morning. Unfortunately, she died with the Gita in her hand while she was reciting her morning prayers.
Thinking about language.
1. Which language do you think the author and his grandmother used while talking to each other?
Ans:-Of course it was Hindi.
2. Which language do you use to talk to elderly relatives in your family?
Ans:-I used to talk to elderly relatives in my family in Hindi or Magadhi.
3. How would you say 'a dilapidated drum' in your language?
Ans:-Jirn-sirn awastha wala dholaka.
4. Can you think of a song or a poem in your language that talks of homecoming.?
Ans:-Aaja mere apne aaja mere pas
Tarap rahi nigahen tarap rahi thi aas
Warson se baithe hain tumhen lagaye aas
Nam pari thi jiwan meri bachi hui thi shans
Aaja mere apne aaja mere pas.
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