The Kabuliwala, Comprehension Level Questions

The Kabuliwala

Extract I

Before I could begin to enlighten her on the  differences …………without making any sense!’

(i)  With reference to the extract, name the father and the daughter. From the daughter’s questions, what can you conclude about her character?

The father in the extract is the narrator and the daughter is the narrator’s daughter, Mini. It can be concluded from the daughter’s questions that she is a talkative girl, always bursting with questions.

(ii) In the story, there are two fathers. Compare them as far as their professions are concerned.

The two fathers in the story are — the narrator and Rahamat, the Kabuliwala. The narrator is an author by profession, whereas Rahamat is a pedlar, who brings seasonal goods from his country, Afghanistan and sells them in India.

(iii) Which is one of the most  important traits of the daughter’s character? How does her father react to it?

The most important traits of the daughter’s character are that she is talkative and always questioning. Her father says that her daughter has not wasted a single moment of her life remaining silent.

(iv) What was the father doing when the daughter entered his room? How does the father show that he is patient with daughter?

The father had started writing the seventeenth chapter of his novel, the moment his daughter, Mini, entered the room. The father shows that he is patient with his daughter by listening to her volley of questions without saying anything and later joining her prattle and having a lively talk with her.

(v) What is the main theme of the story, ‘The kabuliwala’?

The main theme of the story, The Kabuliwala is human relationships that exist on different levels — the relationship between a father and his daughter, represented by the narrator and his daughter, Mini; the relationship between the Kabuliwala and Mini, a representation of the Kabuliwala’s relationship with his own daughter, who is far away from him; and Mini’s relationship with her mother, who is quite protective of her daughter.

Extract II

A few days later, as I was leaving…….loose end of her small sari.

(i)  Who is the speaker here? Why is he startled to see Mini laughing and talking with the great Kabuliwala?

The narrator is the speaker here. He was startled to see Mini laughing and talking with the Kabuliwala because initially she was scared of the Kabuliwala. She had the unknown fear that the Kabuliwala carried several living children like herself in his bag.

(ii) Who is the Kabuliwala? Describe his appearance.

 The Kabuliwala was a pedlar, who used to bring dry fruits and other goods from his country, Afghanistan and sell them in India. Kabuliwala was a tall, shabbily dressed Afghan, who used to wear a turban on his head and carry a bag over his shoulder and a few boxes of dry grapes in his hand.

(iii)  Describe the first meeting between Mini and the Kabuliwala.

The first meeting between Mini and the Kabuliwala happened when she called him to her house. But when the Kabuliwala came, she got frightened and ran inside. She came only when her father called her out. She stood nervously, pressing her father’s body and looking suspiciously at the Kabuliwala and his bag. When the Kabuliwala offered her some raisins and apricots from his bag, she refused to take them and clung closer to her father with a redoubled suspicion.

(iv) How does Mini overcome her fear of the Kabuliwala?

Mini overcame her fear of Kabuliwala when her father called her from inside the house to meet the Kabuliwala. Mini’s fear of Kabuliwala carrying several children like her in his bag subsided, when the Kabuliwala took out some dry fruits from his bag and offered them to her.

(v) How much does the narrator pay to the Kabuliwala for the almonds and raisins given to mini as gifts? What does the Kabuliwala do with the money?

The narrator paid half-a-rupee coin to the Kabuliwala for the almonds and raisins he gave to Mini as gifts. The Kabuliwala gave the money to Mini.

(vi) How does this money cause trouble for the girl? Who saves her from the emerging situation?

 When Kabuliwala gave the money paid by Mini’s father to Mini, Mini’s mother got annoyed that her daughter had accepted the money from a stranger. Mini’s father rescued Mini from her mother’s wrath by taking her out for a walk.

Extract III

After living for so many years in this world………she asked me a few pointed questions.

(i) What fear is referred to in the extract?

Mini’s mother’s fear that the world was full of thieves, bandits, drunkards, malaria and cockroaches, waiting for an opportunity to harm her family, is referred to in the extract.

(ii) Why is the lady not able to overcome the fear?

The lady is not able to overcome the fear because she has been hearing about instances of child abduction, theft and robbery and is too concerned about the welfare of her family.

(iii) Why is she full of suspicion about the Kabuliwala?

She is full of suspicion about the Kabuliwala because she has heard tales of child abduction and robbery prevalent in Afghanistan, the country to which the Kabuliwala belonged. Since, the Kabuliwala was a huge and tall man, she feared that he could kidnap her daughter, Mini.

(iv) What is her reaction to her daughter’s accepting things from the Kabuliwala?

 She was annoyed at her daughter’s act of accepting things from a stranger, i.e., the Kabuliwala. She had the fear that the Kabuliwala was trying to befriend her daughter by giving her gifts, with the intention of kidnaping her.

(v) What are the ‘pointed qeustions’ that the lady asks the narrator?

The ‘pointed questions’ that the lady asked the narrator included — were there no instances of child abduction, was not slave trade in practice in Afghanistan and was it impossible for a giant like Kabuliwala to kidnap a little child.

(vi) What is the narrator’s response to her doubts? Does he succeed in allaying her fear?

 The narrator had to agree to the doubts of his wife because her doubts were not impossible. No, he did not succeed in allaying her wife’s fear.

Extract IV

Rahmat was in the midst of hurling abuse………be going to your in-laws’ house?

(i) Who is the dishonest man? Why is Rahamat hurling abuses at him?

The dishonest man was the narrator’s neighbour, who had bought a Rampuri shawl from the Kabuliwala on credit. Rahamat was hurling abuses at him because when he asked for his payment for the shawl, the man denied having bought the shawl.

(ii) What is the usual exchange referred to in the extract?

The ‘usual exchange’ refers to Mini’s questioning Kabuliwala about the contents in his bag.

(iii)What does the Kabuliwala reply to Mini’s question?

 When Mini asked Kabuliwala if he was going to his in-laws’ house, he replied that he was going there only.

(iv) What crime is the Kabuliwala charged with? How is he punished for the wrong done?

The Kabuliwala was charged with murderous assault. He was sentenced to eight years of imprisonment for his crime.

(v) What time of the year is it? Describe the weather.

It was the end of the winter season. The weather was freezing cold and almost unbearable, especially in the morning hours, with little warmth after sunrise.

Extract V

There was a lot of hubbub in the house……..stood before me with a salaam.

(i)  Whose house is being referred to here? What is the reason for the noise and bustle pervading it?

The narrator’s house is being referred to in the extract. The noise and bustle pervading the house is because of the narrator’s daughter’s wedding.

(ii) Describe the scene at the house.

There was lot of hustle and bustle in the house because of the narrator’s daughter’s wedding. The visitors were continuously walking in and out. A tent was being put up in the courtyard of the house and the ringing of the chandeliers being put in the verandah filled the air. The wedding music was beig played in the house since dawn and there was festivity in the house and no end to the noise.

(iii) Describe Rahamat’s physical features at this point of time.

 Rahamat’s physical features had changed in the eight years he had been in prison. He no longer had his long hair or his old vigour. The usual bag he carried on his shoulder was also missing.

(iv) Why coundn’t  the narrator recognize him first? How did he recognize him a little later?

The narrator could not recognise him first because his looks had changed from what it used to be eight years ago. He did nothave his long hair, his old vigour and the bag on his shoulder. The narrator recognised him from his smile.

(v) Where has Rahamat come from? How did the narrator treat him? State why the narrator does not like his visit to the house.

Rahamat had come from jail after being released from there. The narrator was little annoyed with the Kabuliwala and asked him to come some other day. He did not like his visit to the house because it was the auspicious day of his daughter’s wedding.

(vi) What was Rahamat’s reaction to the  treatment given to him in the narrator’s house?

Rahamat was little hurt by the indifferent attitude of the narrator and was stunned on hearing that he would not be able to meet Mini, as she was getting married that day.

Extract VI

Every year Rahamat came peddle……..he was a father and so was I.

(i) What is referred to as the ‘memorabilia of his daughter’? Why does the Kabuliwala carry it with himself?

The impresson of the hand of Kabuliwala’s daughter on a piece of paper, created with burnt charcoal was the ‘memorabilia of his daughter’. Kabuliwala carried it with himself as a mark of love and remembrance from his daughter, which provided comfort and happiness to his lonely heart.

(ii)  What are some of the ‘merchandise’ that the Kabuliwala sells in the streets of Culcutta?

The ‘merchandise’ that the Kabuliwala sold on the streets of Kolkata included dry fruits like almonds, raisins and apricots and woollen clothes like shawls.

(iii) What has the Kabuliwala requested of the speaker? Does the speaker accept his request? Give a reason for your opinion.

The Kabuliwala requested the speaker to hand over the grapes and raisins, which he has brought for Mini, to her. The speaker accepted the Kabuliwala’s request because he realised a father’s longing for his daughter and that the Kabuliwala saw a reflection of his own daughter in Mini.

(iv) Why is the Kabuliwala shocked when Mini finally appears before him?

 The Kabuliwala was shocked when Mini finally appeared before him because his little chirping, five-year-old Mini has grown up into young, beautiful girl and was dressed up like a bride.

(v)What realization dawns upon the Kabuliwala when he sees Mini?

 On seeing Mini, it dawned on the Kabuliwala that his own little daughter at home, away in Afghanistan, must have grown up like Mini. She would not be the same girl, whom he had left behind, eight years ago and would have to know her all over again.

(vi)  Explain how the narrator helps the Kabuliwala.

The narrator helped the Kabuliwala by cutting down on the wedding expenses of his daughter and giving him the money so that he could go back to his own country and meet his daughter.

(vii) What was common to the Kabuliwala and the narrator?

Both the narrator and the Kabuliwala are doting fathers to their daughters. Both of them, also suffer the pangs of separation from their daughters : the Kabuliwala got separated from his daughter when he was imprisoned eight years ago, whereas the narrator was about to be separated from his daughter because of her getting married.