JKBOSE 10th Class English Solutions chapter – 3 Abhiley
JKBOSE 10th Class English Solutions chapter – 3 Abhiley
JKBOSE 10th Class English Solutions chapter – 3 Abhiley
Jammu & Kashmir State Board JKBOSE 10th Class English Solutions
J&K class 10th English Abhiley Textbook Questions and Answers
Abhiley Summary in English
This story centres round a traditional Ladakhi woman who knows nothing of the world around her. She is an old village woman and has never stepped out of her village. To her, Srinagar is as distant a place as Turkey. Her home in the village is the only place where she feels comfortable and contented. The main characters in the story are:
1. Rukhsana — a village girl who is living in Srinagar to pursue her studies.
2. Abhiley — Rukhsana’s grandmother.
3. Aba — Rukhsana’s father.
4. Agu — Rukhsana’s uncle.
5. Achey — Rukhsana’s aunt.
6. Kaga — Rukhsana’s elder brother.
The story, through various unrelated episodes, illustrates how ignorant, innocent and loving Abhiley is. She remains deeply worried about Rukhsana who she thinks has gone to some distant unknown part of the world. In spite of all assurances from every member of the family, she can’t give up her fears about Rukhsana. But when at last she is taken to Rukhsana in Srinagar, she can’t stay there with her for more than four days. On the fifth day she says, “I will return to Leh. I miss the children.” She insisted on this so much that the return journey was at once started.
Abhiley Summary in Hindi
कहानी का संक्षिप्त सार
यह कहानी एक पारंपरिक लद्दाखी औरत पर केन्द्रित है जो अपने गिर्द के संसार के बारे में कुछ नहीं जानती है। वह एक बूढ़ी ग्रामीण औरत है तथा उसने अपने गांव से बाहर कभी कदम नहीं रखा है। उसके लिए श्रीनगर उतनी ही दूर है जितना कि तुर्की। गांव में उसका घर ही एकमात्र जगह है जहां वह सुविधापूर्ण और सन्तुष्ट महसूस करती है। कहानी के मुख्य पात्र हैं –
1. रुखसाना — गांव की एक लड़की जो पढ़ाई करने के लिए श्रीनगर में रह रही है ।
2. आभिले — रुखसाना की दादी ।
3. अबा — रुखसाना का पिता ।
4. अगु — रुखसाना का चाचा ।
5. अचे — रुखसाना की चाची ।
6. कागा — रुखसाना का बड़ा भाई ।
कहानी अनेक अलग-अलग उपकथाओं के माध्यम से बताती है कि आभिले कितनी अनजान, भोली और प्यार-भरी है। वह रुखसाना के बारे में गहरी चिन्तित रहती है जिसे वह समझती है कि वह संसार के किसी बहुत दूर के और अनजाने हिस्से में गई हुई है। परिवार के प्रत्येक सदस्य द्वारा दिए गए सभी आश्वासनों के बावजूद वह रुखसाना के बारे में अपनी चिन्ताओं को भुला नहीं पाती है। किन्तु जब अन्त में उसे श्रीनगर में रुखसाना के पास ले जाया जाता है तो वह वहां उसके साथ चार दिनों से ज्यादा रह नहीं पाती है। पांचवें दिन वह कहती है, “मैं वापस लेह जाऊँगी । मुझे बच्चों की याद आ रही है।” उसने इस पर इतनी ज़िद की कि वापसी की यात्रा तुरन्त शुरू कर दी गई ।
कठिन शब्दार्थ तथा संपूर्ण कहानी का हिन्दी अनुवाद
When Abhiley heard the news of the earthquake in Turkey, her face turned ashen. Choked with tears, she said, “Oh Protector, you are Rahim va Karim, so merciful and benevolent. Have pity on my granddaughter Rukhsana. Keep her safe !”
All of us burst out laughing. Kaga, my elder brother, said, “Abhi, Rukhsana is in Srinagar. The earthquake has hit Turkey which is thousands of miles away from Srinagar.”
But tears rolled down Abhiley’s sunken cheeks. It is not an easy task to cajole our Abhi or make her understand. How can one explain that the world has nearly two hundred countries and that all places are not like our village with its mere forty, fifty houses ?
She had become increasingly apprehensive since the evening Rukhsana departed to Srinagar. The bus in which Rukhsana was travelling had broken down near Kargil. Abhiley argued that if the bus had broken down, it must mean that Rukshana had not survived. To convince her otherwise, we had to use our eloquence to the utmost.
Kaga consoled her : “Abhiley, if the bus stopped working it doesn’t mean that it has had an accident. Buses often break down down during a journey. Sometimes the oil freezes due to the cold. Sometimes nuts and bolts of the engine don’t function or a certain part stops working. The driver parks the vehicle on one side of the road, repairs it, and then the vehicle takes off.”
We also had to take extreme precautions before commenting on the news in front of Abhi. The mention of daily happenings, like the rolling of a bus into a ditch at such and such place, the derailing of a rail cart, the disappearance of an aeroplane, or the firing of a bullet at some procession or other was enough to trigger an interminable series of questions. “Is my Rukhsana safe? Was Rukhsana travelling in that bus ? Rukhsana is very curious. She must have gone to see that procession.”
We would start laughing and Abhi would admonish us yet again for us yet again for sending Rukshana to Srinagar. When she expressed her helplessness, we comforted her, saying that Srinagar is a mountain resort, that it’s called Paradise on Earth, and every year thousands of tourists visit Kashmir to explore it. We tried to make her understand that Rukshana was in Srinagar not out of some desperation but to get further education and seek a better life. When we promised that next spring we would take her to Srinagar too, Abhi fell silent. If we had brought up the subject of her visiting Srinagar before Rukshana left, she would have risen in anger and pursed her mouth, declaring, “I won’t leave my children and grandchildren to go anywhere.”
Srinagar aside, our Abhi has not even ventured beyond a distance of ten miles from our village. Two years ago, after a gap of eight years, she had made it to Leh town for the annual Dosmoche festival, held every winter to purge the town of evil. She saw masked dancers and musicians leading a procession from the palace through the main bazaar. She came across monks burning effigies and making crosses of thread to trap harmful spirits and hungry ghosts of the old year. There was much hustlebustle But that evening, when Abhiley returned home, she could only complain, “Oh dear, my head is spinning. There were so many people there that the breath was squeezed out of me. I will never go again.” .
During those days, a daughter of a distant relative came to visit us in our village. She lived in Delhi. Abhiley did not recognize her and kept staring at her. We stifled our laughter and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.
Finally, when Abhiley was told that this was Dolma she was astonished. “La Dolma, I was wondering from where this memsahib had descended upon our house. What kind of clothes have you put on ?”
Dolma smiled.
“Where have you come from, Dolma ?”
“I live in Delhi, Ama.”
“Oh, then you must be meeting Rukhsana every day !”
“Ama, Delhi is very far from Srinagar.”
“Have you never met Rukhsana ?” Abhiley sighed in disappointment.
“I spent two days in Srinagar on my way here. I tried to meet Rukhsana but couldn’t locate her house, Ama.”
“Oh, what have you done !” Abhiley was miffed. “You were in Srinagar and couldn’t find the house of my granddaughter.”
“It’s a big city,” my sister-in-law interrupted. “It has a population of five to six lakhs, Abhiley. How will people know where someone lives unless they have the complete address ?”
“Everyone says the same thing.” Abhiley’s tone became serious nd her eyes filled with tears.
I remember another funny episode regarding my Abhi. I was very young those days. My uncle sometimes came to the village to hunt. Once, my uncle returned to the town but left his doublebarrelled gun behind. Agu had kept his gun in the kitchen where a big battalion of children of various relatives and in-laws often gathered. Abhiley was so tense that she couldn’t sleep for two nights. She guarded the kitchen all day to make sure no child touched the gun, convinced that as soon as it was touched, the bullets would explode instantly and everyone would die. She would have locked the door if it had been any other room, but how could she close off the kitchen ? When Aba and Agu returned to the village on the third day and heard about the situation, they rolled on the floor with laughter.
I must confess that I take advantage of Abhiley’s simplicity. The army of children always present at our home tears my notebooks to make kites and boats, ripping the sheets to shreds with scissors-like fingers. I put on a tearful face before Abhi and tell her that these papers are official. If they are torn, I will be penalized. These words work like magic on her and she preserves my papers with such intense care that no child would dare to even look at them. Not stopping at that, she saves all sorts of scraps and titbits even when I am away and when I go to the village, she presents them to me. Among them are papers from the grocer and snuffseller for wrapping spices and snuff.
All grandmothers, despite their varied backgrounds, are similar, particularly in their reaction to modern technology, like one of the grandmothers in our neighbourhood. When she refers to an aeroplane, she switches to honorific speech, “The plane-sahib has arrived”, “The plane-sahib must be facing a lot of difficulties”, (on hearing it make noise) and “Today, plane-sahib was very big.” They say that when another Abhi saw a plane for the first time, she went to greet the plane with bundles of grass in her basket.
There is another episode associated with our Abhi. She and another Abhi from our community went to see a film. It was their first film and will probably be their last. Due to their weak eyesight the moving images on the screen held no more truth for them than a dream. They watched ल the film less and complained more of headaches and nausea. Shortly, with my elder sister’s help, they understood that one of the important themes in the film was about a mother-in-law’s harassment of her daughter-in-law. The next day saw both Abhis sitting on the rooftops of their houses, spewing venom on the mothers-in-law of the world. God save us from their wrath ! Incidentally a girl from our neighbourhood had been married into a household where she did not get along with her mother-in-law.
So from then on, whenever anyone mentioned the film, the two Abhis would all immediately start rebuking all mothers-in-law bitterly.
The neighbouring Abhi is of the same age as our Abhiley. She is a frightening woman indeed. When she is annoyed, she roars like a lioness. She has her own style of relaying all matters ranging from politics to domestic tales. A few months ago, when I was leaning on the staircase, reading a book, I heard the two Abhis telling each other their stories, the same everyday talks with which my ears were familiar, “Surely, it’s an omen signalling that the day of judgement is near.” They must have been referring to a fatal accident or to the simultaneous death of two men. Or “Demon ! Disgrace ! Ignoramus !” all aimed at chastising a well-dressed. woman.
During the conversation, the nextdoor Abhi asked about Rukhsana’s wellbeing and before Abhiley could reply, she informed her that there were severe floods in Srinagar. I closed the book I was reading in dismay, and awaited Abhiley’s reaction.
“La,” screamed Abhiley. “Floods. Where did you hear this news, Hajira ?”
“It was on the reldi yesterday.” The next-door Abhi always referred to the radio as Reldi.
“Wallah, no one told me about this.” “Didn’t Bashir tell you ?”
Abhiley sighed, “You don’t know how my sons are.”
After a few moments, she said, “I will go down, Hajira. My heart is thumping loudly.” I heard the echo of her footsteps. Now calamity has befallen us, I thought and sped down, leaping across the stairs. The echo of Abhi’s weak footsteps could soon be heard on that part of the staircase where I had been reading a few moments ago. As soon as she came down, she stormed at us, “Did I not say not to send Rukhsana to Srinagar? But no one paid heed to my words.”
“What’s the matter ?” asked Kaga.
“There are floods in Srinagar. Floods !” Abhiley waved her hands in agitation.
“So what ?” Kaga was irritated “It’s a big city. Floods come. Storms come. Fires_blaze.”
“Enough, enough. I have heard enough.” She placed both her hands on her ears. Her eyes brimmed with tears.
For several days, Abhiley’s doubts did not abate and she became very quiet.
She decided to accompany Kaga and me on a trip to Srinagar. On the way, she was very uncomfortable with vomiting and dizziness. We spent the night in Kargil and reached Srinagar the next day.
Kaga said, “Abhi, you were worried about Rukhsana. See how hale and hearty she looks. Her face is fair and her cheeks have turned red.”
Abhiley clung to Rukhsana and wept a lot. After resting for two days, Rukhsana took her for a tour around Srinagar. “Abhi, look what a big and beautiful city Srinagar is ! This is the Dal Lake. This is Nishat Bagh. These are the Shalimar Gardens. Nehru Park. Char Chinar….”
Four days passed without incident. On the fifth day, Abhiley declared, “will return to Leh. I miss the children. I miss my daughter Jamila. My grand- daughter Halima. I miss little Javed.”
She insisted on this in such a manner that on the very same evening we had to purchase return tickets to Leh for ourselves and our Abhiley.
जब आभिले ने तुर्की में आए भूकम्प का समाचार सुना तो उसका चेहरा पीला पड़ गया। आंसुओं के कारण रुंघे हुए स्वर में उसने कहा “अल्लाह, तुम रहीम वा करीम हो, इतने दयालु और परोपकारी हो । मेरी पोती रुखसाना पर रहम करो। उसे सुरक्षित रखो । “
हम सब की हंसी फूट पड़ी। मेरे बड़े भाई कागा ने कहा, ‘आभि, रुखसाना श्रीनगर में है। भूकम्प तुर्की में आया है जो श्रीनगर से हज़ारों मील दूर है । “
किन्तु आभिले के पिचके हुए गालों पर से आंसू नीचे बह निकले। हमारी आभि को बहलाना या समझा पाना कोई आसान काम नहीं है । कोई कैसे समझा सकता है कि संसार में लगभग दो सौ देश हैं और यह कि सभी स्थान हमारे गांव के जैसे नहीं हैं जहां केवल चालीस-पचास घर ही हैं ?
जिस शाम को रुखसाना श्रीनगर के लिए रवाना हुई थी तब से ले कर वह ज्यादा ही ज्यादा चिन्तापूर्ण होती जा रही थी। जिस बस में रुखसाना यात्रा कर रही थी, वह कारगिल के नज़दीक ख़राब हो गई थी । आभिले की यह दलील थी कि अगर बस ख़राब हो गई थी, तो अवश्य ही इसका मतलब यह था कि रुखसाना बच नहीं पाई थी। उसे विश्वास दिलाने के लिए, कि ऐसा बिल्कुल नहीं था, हमें अपनी भाषण-कला का पूरा इस्तेमाल करना पड़ा ।
कागा ने उसे यह कहते हुए दिलासा दिया, “आभिले, अगर बस ने काम करना बन्द कर दिया तो इसका यह मतलब नहीं कि यह दुर्घटनाग्रस्त हो गई है। किसी यात्रा के दौरान बसें अकसर खराब हो जाती हैं। कई बार तेल ठण्ड की वजह से जम जाता है। कई बार इन्जन के कई नट और बोल्ट काम नहीं करते या कोई पुर्ज़ा काम करना बन्द कर देता है । चालक गाड़ी को सड़क के एक किनारे लगा देता है, इस की मरम्मत करता है और तब गाड़ी फिर से चल पड़ती है । “
आभिले के सामने समाचारों पर कोई टिप्पणी करने से पहले हमें अत्यधिक सावधानियां बरतनी पड़ती थीं। नित्य होने वाली घटनाओं का ज़िक्र, जैसे किसी बस का फ़लानीफ़लानी जगह पर खाई में लुढ़क जाना, किसी रेलगाड़ी का पटरी से उतर जाना, किसी वायुयान का लापता हो जाना या किसी जूलूस, आदि पर गोली चल जाना – ऐसी कोई बात पर्याप्त होती थी कभी न समाप्त होने वाले प्रश्नों की एक लड़ी शुरू करने के लिए। “क्या मेरी रुख़साना सुरक्षित है ? क्या रुख़साना इस बस से यात्रा कर रही थी ? रुखसाना बहुत उत्सुक स्वभाव वाली लड़की है । वह अवश्य उस जुलूस को देखने गई होगी।”
हम हंसने लगते और आभि हमें एक बार फिर से डांटने लगती, रुख़साना को श्रीनगर भेजने की वजह से। जब वह अपनी बेबसी प्रगट करती तो हम उसे यह कहकर तसल्ली देते कि श्रीनगर एक पहाड़ी सैरगाह है, और यह कि इसे धरती का स्वर्ग कहा जाता है, और प्रतिवर्ष हज़ारों पर्यटक इसे देखने के लिए आते हैं। हम उसे समझाने का यत्न करते कि रुख़साना किसी निराशापूर्ण वजह से श्रीनगर में नहीं थी, अपितु वहां और आगे पढ़ने के लिए और अपने जीवन को बेहतर बनाने के लिए रह रही थी। जब हमने वादा किया कि अगली बसन्त के समय हम उसे भी श्रीनगर ले जाएंगे तो आभि खामोश हो गई। अगर हम रुख़साना के जाने से पहले उसके (आभिले) श्रीनगर जाने की बात करते, तो वह क्रोध में उठ खड़ी होती और अपने मुंह को भींचते हुए कहती, “मैं अपने बच्चों और पोते-पोतियों को छोड़कर कहीं नहीं जाऊंगी।”
श्रीनगर की बात छोड़िए, हमारी आभि ने हमारे गांव से दस मील से ज़्यादा दूर जाने का भी कभी साहस नहीं किया है। आठ साल के अन्तराल के बाद, दो साल पहले वह वार्षिक डौसमोचे त्योहार के समय लेह गई थी, जो हर सर्दी के मौसम में नगर को बुराई से मुक्त कराने के लिए मनाया जाता है। उसने मुखौटे पहने नर्तकों और संगीतकारों को देखा जो महल से शुरू हुए और मुख्य बाज़ार में से गुज़रते जुलूस के आगे-आगे चल रहे थे। उसने उन भिक्षुओं को देखा जो पुतलों को जला रहे थे और धागों के क्रॉस बना रहे थे ताकि पुराने साल वाली हानिकारक आत्माओं को और भूखे प्रेतों को काबू में किया जा सके। वहां बहुत भीड़-भड़क्का था । किन्तु उस शाम जब आभि घर वापस आई तो वह यही शिकायत करती जा रही थी, “ओह, प्रिय, मेरा सिर चकरा रहा है। वहां इतने लोग थे कि मेरी तो सांस ही घुट कर निकली जा रही थी। मैं दोबारा कभी नहीं जाऊंगी।”
उन दिनों के दौरान, एक दूर के रिश्तेदार की बेटी हमारे गांव में हमसे मिलने आई । वह दिल्ली में रहती थी । आभिले ने उसे न पहचाना और उसकी तरफ़ देखती रही। हमने अपनी हंसी को दबा लिया और खूब मजा लिया।
अन्त में जब आभिले की बताया गया कि यह डोलमा थी तो वह हैरान रह गई। “ला डोलमा, मैं तो हैरान हो रही थी कि यह मेम साहब हमारे घर कहां से आ धमकी थी। तुमने ये कैसे कपड़े पहने हुए हैं ?”
डोलमा मुस्करा दी।
“डोलमा, तुम कहां से आई हो ?”
“अम्मा, मैं दिल्ली में रहती हूँ’ओह, तब तो तुम रुखसाना से रोज़ मिलती होगी !”
“अम्मा, दिल्ली श्रीनगर से बहुत दूर है। “
“क्या रुख़साना से तुम कभी नहीं मिली हो ?” आभिले ने निराश हो कर गहरी सांस ली।
“मैंने यहां आते हुए रास्ते में दो दिन श्रीनगर में बिताए । मैंने रुखसाना से मिलने की कोशिश की किन्तु मैं उसके घर को ढूंढ न पाई । “
“ओह, तुमने क्या कर दिया !” आभिले परेशान हो उठी । “तुम श्रीनगर में थी और मेरी पोती का घर नहीं ढूंढ पाई । “
“यह एक बड़ा शहर है, ” मेरी भाभी ने बीच में टोकते हुए कहा । “आभिले, उसकी आबादी पांच से छ: लाख है, लोग कैसे जान पाएंगे कि कोई कहां रहता है जब तक उनके पास पूरा पता न हो ?”
“हर कोई यही बात कहता है ।” आभिले का स्वर गम्भीर हो गया और उसकी आंखें आंसुओं से भर आईं।
अपनी आभि के बारे में मुझे एक अन्य हास्यपूर्ण घटना याद है। उन दिनों मैं बहुत छोटा हुआ करता था। मेरे चाचा कभी-कभी हमारे गांव में शिकार के लिए आया करते थे। एक बार मेरे चाचा नगर लौट गए किन्तु अपनी दुनाली बन्दूक पीछे छोड़ गए। आगू ने अपनी बन्दूक रसोई घर में रख दी थी जहां अनेकों रिश्तेदारों और ससुरालियों के बच्चों की एक बड़ी पलटन इकट्ठी हुई रहती। आभिले इतने तनाव में थी कि वह दो रात सो न पाई । वह पूरा दिन रसोईघर की रखवाली करती रहती यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए कि कोई भी बच्चा बन्दूक को हाथ न लगाए, इस बात को पक्का मानते हुए कि ज्यों ही उसे हाथ लगाया जाएगा, उसी समय गोलियां चलने लगेंगी और हर कोई मारा जाएगा । उसने दरवाजे को ताला लगा देना था अगर यह कोई दूसरा कमरा होता, किन्तु वह रसोई को कैसे बन्द रख सकती थी ? जब अबा और अगू तीसरे दिन गाँव से वापस आए और उन्होंने स्थिति के बारे में सुना तो हंसते हुए फ़र्श पर लोट-पोट होने लगे।
मुझे मानना होगा कि मैं आभिले की सादगी का फायदा उठाता हूँ। बच्चों की सेना जो हमारे घर में हमेशा मौजूद रहती है, प्रायः मेरी कापियां फाड़ देती है, पतंग और किश्तियां बनाने के लिए, अपनी कैंची जैसी अंगुलियों से पन्नों को फाड़ कर और चिन्दी – चिन्दी बनाने के लिए। आभि के सामने मैं रोनी सूरत बना लेता हूं और उससे कहता हूं कि यह कागज़ सरकारी हैं । अगर उन्हें फाड़ दिया गया तो मुझे दण्डित किया जाएगा । यह शब्द उस पर जादू जैसा असर करते हैं और वह इतनी सावधानी से मेरे कागज़ संभाल कर | रखती है कि कोई बच्चा उन पर नज़र भी डालने की हिम्मत नहीं करता । केवल इतने से संतुष्ट न हो कर वह कागज़ की छोटी-छोटी पर्चियां या टुकड़े भी संभाल कर रखती है जब मैं कहीं गया भी होता हूँ और जब मैं गांव में लौटता हूं तो वह उन्हें मुझे प्रस्तुत कर देती है। उनमें ऐसे कागज़ होते हैं जो पंसारी और नसवार विक्रेता के यहां से आए होते हैं और जो मसाले और नसवार लपेटने के काम आए होते हैं ।
सभी दादियां अपनी भिन्न-भिन्न पृष्ठभूमि के बावजूद, एक जैसी होती हैं, विशेष रूप से आधुनिक तकनीक के प्रति अपनी प्रतिक्रिया में, जैसे कि हमारे पड़ोस में रहने वाली दादियों में से एक है। जब वह किसी वायुयान की बात कर रही होती है तो वह इज्ज़त भरे लहज़े में बात करने लगती है। “जहाज़ साहब आ गए हैं, “, “जहाज साहब को बहुत सी कठिनाइयों का सामना करना पड़ता होगा” (इसके शोर को सुन कर) और “आज जहाज साहब बड़े – लग रहे थे।” कहते हैं कि जब एक अन्य आभि ने पहली बार वायुयान देखा तो वह अपनी टोकरी में घास के गट्ठे लेकर उसका अभिनंदन करने चल पड़ी।
हमारी आभि से संबंधित एक अन्य कहानी है । वह तथा हमारे समुदाय की एक अन्य आभि एक फिल्म देखने गईं। यह उनकी पहली फिल्म थी और शायद उनकी अंतिम होगी । अपनी कमज़ोर दृष्टि के कारण पर्दे पर घूमती हुई तस्वीरें उनके लिए किसी सपने से ज्यादा सच नहीं थीं। उन्होंने फिल्म तो कम देखी किन्तु सिरदर्द और उल्टी जैसी हालत होने की शिकायत ज़्यादा की। कुछ देर बाद, मेरी बड़ी बहन की मदद से, वे समझ गईं कि फिल्म के महत्त्वपूर्ण प्रसंगों में एक था सास द्वारा अपनी बहू को परेशान करना। अगले दिन दोनों आभियां अपने घरों की छतों पर बैठी हुई दिखाई दीं, संसार की सासों पर ज़हर उगलती हुई । अल्ला हमें उनके क्रोध से बचाए ! संयोग से हमारे पड़ोस की एक लड़की एक ऐसे घर में ब्याही हुई थी जहां उसकी अपनी सास के साथ बनती नहीं थी।
इसलिए तब से लेकर, जब भी कोई किसी फिल्म की बात करता तो दोनों आभियां उसी समय सभी सासों को बुरी तरह कोसने लगतीं ।
पड़ोस वाली आभि की आयु हमारी आभिले के जितनी ही है। वह सचमुच एक भयानक औरत है। जब उसे क्रोध आया होता है तो वह एक शेरनी के समान गरजने लगती है। सभी बातों का प्रसारण करने की उसकी अपनी ही एक शैली राजनैतिक मामलों से लेकर घरेलू कहानियों तक। कुछ महीने पहले, जब मैं जीने पर झुके हुए खड़ा था, एक पुस्तक पढ़ते हुए, तो मुझे दोनों आभियों की आवाज़ सुनाई दी, एक-दूसरी को अपनी कहानियां सुनाते हुए, वही प्रतिदिन की बातें जिनसे मेरे कान अच्छी तरह परिचित थे। “निश्चित ही यह एक संकेत है जो इस बात का इशारा करता है कि प्रलय का दिन आने वाला है । ” वे अवश्य ही किसी घातक दुर्घटना या दो आदमियों के एक साथ मारे जाने के बारे में बात कर रही होंगी । या ऐसे शब्द बोलतीं – “पिशाचिनी ! लानत है ! मूर्ख !” इन सभी शब्दों के बोलने का उद्देश्य किसी ऐसी स्त्री की निन्दा करना होता था जिसने अच्छे ढंग के वस्त्र पहन रखे होते थे। ।
बातचीत के दौरान साथ वाले घर में रहने वाली आभि ने रुखसाना की कुशलता के बारे में पूछ लिया और इसके पहले कि आभि जवाब दे पाती, उसने उसे बताया कि श्रीनगर में भयंकर बाढ़ आई हुई थी । बहुत निराश और व्याकुल होते हुए मैंने वह किताब बंद कर दी, जो मैं पढ़ रहा था, और आभिले की प्रतिक्रिया की प्रतीक्षा करने लगा।
“ला, ” आभिले चीख उठी । “बाढ़। हजीरा, तुमने यह खबर कहां से सुनी ?”
“कल यह रेल्डी पर आई थी । ” बगल में रहने वाली आभि रेडियो को हमेशा रेल्डी ही कहती थी ।
“वल्लाह, मुझे किसी ने इस बारे में बताया तक नहीं।” “क्या बशीर ने तुम्हें नहीं बताया ?”
आभिले ने ठंडी सांस भरते हुए कहा, “तुम नहीं जानती मेरे बेटे कैसे हैं । “
कुछ पल बाद उसने कहा, “हजीरा, मैं नीचे जाती हूँ। मेरा दिल ज़ोर-ज़ोर से धड़क रहा है।” मैंने उसके कदमों की गूंज सुनी। अब हमारे ऊपर मुसीबत आ पड़ी है, मैंने सोचा और नीचे को भाग लिया, सीढ़ियों को फलांगते हुए। आभि के कमज़ोर कदमों की गूंज जल्दी ही सीढ़ियों के उस भाग पर सुनाई पड़ने लगी जहां मैं कुछ क्षण पहले पढ़ रहा था । ज्योंही वह नीचे आई, वह हम पर बरस पड़ी, “क्या मैंने नहीं कहा था कि रुखसाना को श्रीनगर मत भेजो ? किन्तु किसी ने मेरी बात पर ध्यान नहीं दिया।”
“क्या बात है ?” कागा ने पूछा ।
” श्रीनगर में बाढ़ आई हुई है। बाढ़ !” आभिले ने उत्तेजना में अपने हाथ लहरा दिए ।
” तो क्या हुआ ?” कागा ने चिढ़ते हुए कहा। “वह एक बड़ा शहर है। बाढ़ें आती रहती हैं। तूफ़ान आते रहते हैं। आग लगती रहती है । “
“बहुत हुआ, बहुत हो गया । मैंने बहुत सुन लिया है । ” उसने अपने दोनों हाथ अपने कानों पर रख लिए। उसकी आंखें आंसुओं से छलकने लगीं।
कई दिनों तक, आभिले के संदेह कम न हुए और वह बहुत खामोश रहने लगी ।
उसने कागा और मेरे साथ श्रीनगर जाने का निश्चय कर लिया । रास्ते में वह उल्टियां आने और सिर में चक्कर आने से बहुत परेशान रही । हमने रात कारगिल में गुजारी और अगले दिन श्रीनगर पहुंच गए।
कागा ने कहा, ‘‘आभि, तुम रुखसाना के बारे में चिंतित थीं। देखो वह कितनी स्वस्थ और प्रसन्न लग रही है। उसका चेहरा गोरा हो गया है और उसके गाल लाल हो गए हैं।”
आभिले रुखसाना से चिपट गई और बहुत रोई। दो दिन आराम करने के बाद रुखसाना उसे श्रीनगर का चक्कर लगाने के लिए ले गई । “आभि, देखो श्रीनगर कितना बड़ा और सुन्दर शहर है ! यह डल झील है। यह निशात बाग़ है। यह शालीमार बाग़ है। नेहरू पार्क। चार चिनार ……… “
चार दिन बिना किसी विशेष घटना के गुजर गए। पांचवें दिन आभिले ने घोषणा कर दी, “मैं लेह वापस जाऊंगी l मुझे बच्चों की याद आ रही है l मुझे अपनी बेटी जमीला की याद आ रही है। मेरी पोती हलीमा । मुझे नन्हें जावेद की याद आ रही है। “
उसने इस बात पर इतनी ज़िद की कि उसी शाम हमें अपने और अपनी आभिले के लिए वापसी के टिकट खरीदने पड़े ।
TEXTUAL QUESTIONS
Thinking about the Text :
Q. 1. Do you think that Abhiley represents the simplicity of Ladakhi women ? Cite two examples of her innocence and ignorance from the text.
Ans. People living on hills are usually very simple at heart. It is all the more true about people who live in villages and know nothing about modern technology and the outside world. Abhiley is also such a woman. She is an old Ladakhi woman and has never gone far from her village. To her, Srinagar is as distant a place as Turkey. An earthquake in Turkey brings tears in her eyes because her granddaughter, Rukhsana, is living in Srinagar. Dolma tells Abhiley that she lives in Delhi. At this, Abhiley at once concludes that she must be meeting Rukhsana daily. She knows nothing of the distance between Delhi and Srinagar. If she hears of a bus breaking down on a road, she feels certain that none of the passengers can be alive. Abhiley is truly a very innocent and ignorant woman. If she hears of a mishap anywhere, she at once becomes worried about her Rukhsana. She starts praying to God for her safety. The narrator himself admits that their Abhiley was a very simple woman. He says, “I must confess that I take advantage of Abhiley’s simplicity.” He derives pleasure from her worries born out of trivial things.
Q. 2. Why didn’t Abhiley recognise Dolma and why did she call her a memsahib?
Ans. Dolma was a young girl. Abhiley had not seen her for years. She was the daughter of a distant relative. She lived in Delhi. Once she came to village and met Abhiley and others in her family. Abhiley could not recognise Dolma. She kept staring at her. At last she was told that it was Dolma. Abhiley was astonished. She was astonished that she had not recognised Dolma. But she was more astonished because now Dolma looked so (109) different. She did not look like a village girl now. She looked very modern. She had dressed herself in a western manner. That was why Abhiley called her a memsahib. Memsahib’ (maam + sahib) was formerly used as a word of respect for a European married woman. Here by ‘memsahib’, Abhiley simply means a girl who has dressed herself in the western style.
Q. 3. How will you estimate Abhiley’s response to modern technology ?
Ans. It is good to hold on to one’s tradition. But the tradition must be a healthy one. Unhealthy traditions do more harm than good. Traditions that hold up good moral values ought to be respected. They must be maintained. But some traditions smack of backwardness. They smack of ignorance and superstition. They must be given up. There is no doubt that Abhiley is a loving old woman. She is a nice mother-in-law. She is an adorable granny. But her too much ingorance makes her a laughable character. Even the members of her own family giggle at her ignorance. Dolma lives in Delhi. Rukhsana lives in Srinagar. And Abhiley feels that the two must be meeting every day. And when she hears of a bus breaking down on its way, she feels certain that none of the passengers could be alive. What an ignorance this is ! The least one can say about it is ‘funny’.
Q. 4. What are the major themes of the short story, Abhiley?
Ans. Tradition versus modernity and the simplicity of rural life are the two main themes of this story. The story shows that it is good to respect the traditional values, but it should not mean backwardness and ignorance. Love and respect for one’s own land and people is a good tradition. But it can never be called good to keep ourselves completely detached from the outside world. The simplicity of rural life is a lovable thing, but it shouldn’t mean that we don’t know even the difference between Srinagar and Turkey or between Delhi and Srinagar. Another theme that the story ends with is that ‘East or West, home is the best’. All through the story, Abhiley keeps worrying about Rukhsana who has gone to live in Srinagar for further studies. But when she is taken there to meet Rukhsana, she becomes restless to go back home. She says, “I will return to Leh. I miss the children.” She now forgets that Rukhsana is also her child.
Q. 5. Abhiley was always worried about Rukhsana, but why did she not opt to stay at Srinagar with her ?
Ans. Abhiley was an old village woman. She had never travelled far from her village. She had spent all her life in the village. To her, Srinagar, Turkey and Delhi meant the same thing. Whenever she heard of a mishap somewhere, she was filled with fears about Rukhsana. She would start praying to God to keep her Rukhsana safe. She remained worried about her day and night. At last, the members of her family took her to Srinagar to assure her that Rukhsana was all hale and hearty. But on the fifth day of her visit, she becomes restless to go back home. She says, “I will return to Leh. I miss the children.” Now she forgets that Rukhsana is also her child. Why? It is only because East or West, home is the best’.
Q. 6. Bring out the elements of humour in the story.
Ans. Abhiley is a loving old woman. She is an adorable granny. But her too much ignorance makes her a laughable character. Even the members of her own family giggle at her ignorance. Dolma lives in Delhi. Rukhsana lives in Srinagar. And Abhiley feels that the two must be meeting every day. And when she hears of a bus breaking down on its way, she feels certain that none of the passengers could be alive. The least one can say of Abhiley is that she makes others laugh at her own cost. She is a lovable character in spite of her being laughable.
Q. 7. Sketch the character of Abhiley.
Ans. She lives in a village and knows nothing about modern technology and the outside world. Abhiley is an old Ladakhi woman. She has never gone far from her village. To her, Srinagar is as distant a place as Turkey. An earthquake in Turkey brings tears in her eyes because her granddaughter, Rukhsana, is living in Srinagar. Dolma tells Abhiley that she lives in Delhi. At this, Abhiley at once concludes that she must be meeting Rukhsana daily. She knows nothing of the distance between Delhi and Srinagar. Abhiley is truly a very innocent and ignorant woman. If she hears of a mishap anywhere, she at once becomes worried about her Rukhsana. She starts praying to God for her safety. The narrator himself admits that their Abhiley was a very simple woman. He says, “I must confess that I take advantage of Abhiley’s simplicity.” He derives pleasure from her worries born out of trivial things.
Language Work :
Give the meanings of the following and use them in your own sentences :
sunken cheeks;
broken down;
pursed her lips.
spewing venom;
hale and hearty;
Ans.
1. sunken cheeks-cheeks that are wrinkled inward (अन्दर को धन्से हुए गाल)-The old lady had sunken cheeks.
2. spewing venom-giving out or vomiting poison ( जहर उगलते हुए ) – The mother-in-law was spewing venom on the poor daughter-in-law.
3. broken down-not working properly ( ख़राब; ठीक काम न कर रही ) -The telephone system has broken down.
4. hale and hearty-in good health and spirits (खुश और स्वस्थ ) – We reached home hale and hearty
5. pursed her lips-formed lips into a round shape (होंठों को भींच लिया) – She pursed her lips in anger but said nothing.
Writing Work:
Write a short paragraph on ‘generation gap’. How can the communication barrier be minimised ?
Generation Gap
The people belonging to the older generation always wonder as to what has gone wrong with the new generation. They feel that during their time, young boys and girls used to be much better in their behaviour. They feel that now the young lack respect for their elders. They feel that this lack of respect will bring ruin for the young. Young people, on the other hand, feel that they are capable enough to take their own decisions. They do not like to be spoon-fed by their elders. This gap is widening day by day. In the western countries, the generation gap is so big that the young and the old do not like to live together. But in India, the problem is not so serious. It is due to the influence of the joint family system prevailing in India. There are definitely a lot of advantages in the joint family system. Therefore, we should not follow the western system blindly at the cost of the well-tried Indian social and family traditions. It is the duty of both generations to try to understand and respect one another’s views. Only then can this gap be minimised.
Discussion:
Q. 1. How will you relate backwardness to illiteracy ?
Ans. Illiteracy and Backwardness
Illiteracy and backwardness are to me synonyms. They always go together. One who is illiterate, can’t take advantage of the latest developments in science and technology. He will remain backward in his mind also. He will remain superstitious and ignorant all his life. We have the example of our own country to prove this. Before Independence, India was a backward country. It was because the people were mostly illiterate. Because of their illiteracy, they were superstitious also. They depended on gods, fate, tantras and mantras for everything. And they remained backward for ever. But now after Independence, our villagers are getting educated. With education, their backwardness is also disappearing. Now we have backwardness only in those areas of the country where the people are still illiterate.
Q. 2. What type of response do you expect from your grandparents to modern technology and pursuit thereof by you?
Ans. The world today has become very close-knit. No place is too far now. No one can remain untouched by the latest developments. Therefore, the grandparents of today are very different from the grandparents of yesteryears. They quite understand the value of education and the need of technology in today’s life. Therefore, I don’t think my grandparents would in any way object to my pursuit of modern technology. Rather they would feel proud and encourage me to their best.
PASSAGES FOR COMPREHENSION
PASSAGE 1
All grandmothers, despite their varied backgrounds, are similar, particularly in their reaction to modern technology, like one of the grandmothers in our neighbourhood. When she refers to an aeroplane, she switches to honorific speech. “The plane-sahib was arrived” “The plane-sahib must be facing a lot of difficulties” (on hearing it make noise) and “Today, plane-sahib was very big.” They say that when another Abhi saw a plane for the first time, she went to greet the plane with bundles of grass in her basket.
Questions
1. What does the author say about all grandmothers ?
2. How does the grandmother living in the narrator’s neighbourhood refer to an aeroplane ?
3. She thinks that the plane-sahib …………… .
4. She went to greet the plane …………… .
5. Give the antonyms of :
similar, modern, arrive, first.
Answers
1. He says that all grandmothers are similar despite their varied backgrounds.
2. She refers to an aeroplane with honour.
3. must be facing a lot of difficulties
4. with bundles of grass.
5. different, ancient, depart, last.
PASSAGE 2
After a few moments, she said, “I will go down, Hajira. My heart is thumping loudly.” I heard the echo of her footsteps. Now calamity has befallen us, I thought and sped down, leaping across the stairs. The echo of Abhi’s weak footsteps could soon be heard on that part of the staircase where I had been reading a few moments ago. As soon as she came down, she stormed at us, “Did I not say not to send Rukhsana to Srinagar? But no one paid heed to my words.”
Questions
1. The writer of this story is ……………. .
2. How did Abhiley feel when Abhi told her about floods in Srinagar ?
3. Abhiley did not want ……………. .
4. But nobody …………….. to Abhiley’s words.
5. Give the antonyms of:
down, weak, part, send.
Answers
1. Abdul Ghani Sheikh.
2. Her heart started thumping loudly.
3. to send Rukhsana to Srinagar.
4. paid heed.
5. up, strong, full, receive.
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