Chapter: 01. The Cabuliwallah
A. Answer these questions.
What particular habit of Mini vexed her mother but was cherished by her father? Mini’s constant chattering and prattle vexed her mother but was cherished and found natural by her father. Describe the Cabuliwallah’s appearance when Mini first saw him from the window. When Mini first saw him, the Cabuliwallah wore the loose, soiled clothing of his people, with a tall turban, a bag on his back, and he carried boxes of grapes in his hand. What was the special meaning of “father-in-law’s house” for the Cabuliwallah? For the Cabuliwallah, “father-in-law’s house” was a euphemism for jail, a place where one is cared for at no expense. Why did the narrator initially try to send Rahmun away on Mini’s wedding day? The narrator initially tried to send Rahmun away because he had never talked with someone who had wounded his fellow, and he felt that Rahmun’s presence on such an important, auspicious day would be ill-omened. What physical item did Rahmun carry as a reminder of his own daughter? Rahmun carried a small and dirty piece of paper that bore the impression of his own little daughter’s ink-smeared hand. How did Mini’s reaction to Rahmun’s “father-in-law’s house” question change on her wedding day compared to her childhood? In her childhood, Mini would innocently engage with the joke, asking if Rahmun was going there himself. On her wedding day, she understood the actual meaning of “father-in-law” (her future husband’s home) and blushed, turning her face down, unable to reply as she used to. B. Answer these questions with reference to the context.
“I really believe that in all her life she has not wasted a minute in silence.”
a. Whom does ‘she’ refer to? ‘She’ refers to Mini.
b. What does this line tell us about ‘her’ primary characteristic? This line tells us that Mini’s primary characteristic is her talkative and lively nature; she is never silent.
c. What is the speaker’s attitude towards this characteristic? The speaker (Mini’s father) cherishes and enjoys this characteristic, finding Mini’s quietness unnatural and unbearable. “Ah,’ he would say, shaking his fist at an invisible policeman, ‘I will thrash my father-in-law!’”
a. Who is the speaker of these words? The speaker of these words is Rahmun, the Cabuliwallah.
b. What double meaning did ‘father-in-law’s house’ hold for the speaker? For the speaker, ‘father-in-law’s house’ was a double meaning for jail.
c. Why would the speaker shake his fist at an ‘invisible policeman’? The speaker would shake his fist at an ‘invisible policeman’ because this gesture, combined with his words, was part of his quaint joke with Mini, symbolizing his imagined defiance against the authorities (represented by the “father-in-law” who would put him in “jail”). “The idea had suddenly come to him that his daughter too must have grown in this long time, and that he would have to make friends with her anew.”
a. Who is ‘him’? ‘Him’ is Rahmun, the Cabuliwallah.
b. What specific event triggered this realization for ‘him’? Seeing Mini, who he remembered as a little girl, now grown up and dressed as a bride triggered this realization for him.
c. What does ‘make friends with her anew’ suggest about the nature of a parent-child relationship over time? It suggests that parent-child relationships change as children grow up; the innocent, simple bond of childhood gives way to a more mature, perhaps more distant, relationship that requires effort and renewed understanding to reconnect. C. Think and answer.
How does the passage of time affect the characters and their relationships in the story? Provide examples for at least two characters. The passage of time significantly affects the characters. For Mini, it means growing from an innocent, chattering five-year-old into a mature young bride. Her relationship with Rahmun transforms from a simple, playful bond where she doesn’t understand the real world to one where she blushes at his old joke, having lost her childhood innocence. For Rahmun, time means years of imprisonment, changing his physical vigor and appearance. More profoundly, it means a long separation from his own daughter, Pārbati, leading him to realize that she, like Mini, must have grown and changed, and he would have to “make friends with her anew.” The passage of time highlights themes of change, loss, and the enduring nature of memory and love despite physical and emotional transformations. The story explores different kinds of “separation.” Discuss at least two examples of separation depicted in the narrative. One clear example of separation is Rahmun’s forced separation from his daughter, Pārbati, due to his profession requiring him to travel to Calcutta and later due to his imprisonment. This physical and emotional distance causes him deep longing and defines much of his character. Another example is the narrator’s impending separation from his daughter, Mini, as she prepares for her marriage. This is a natural, developmental separation, but it still evokes a strong sense of pain and melancholy in the father, marking the end of Mini’s childhood presence in his home. Both instances highlight the universal human experience of separation and its emotional impact. What message does the story convey about generosity, not just in terms of money, but in terms of understanding and empathy? The story conveys that true generosity extends far beyond material wealth; it encompasses deep understanding and empathy. Initially, the narrator struggles with his prejudices towards Rahmun. However, when Rahmun reveals the handprint of his own daughter, the narrator experiences a profound shift. He realizes that Rahmun, despite his humble background and criminal past, shares the same universal, unconditional love for his child. This empathetic understanding prompts the narrator to give Rahmun money to return to Kabul, even curtailing his own daughter’s wedding expenses. The story suggests that this act of generosity, driven by empathy and a shared human connection, brings a far greater, spiritual richness than any material display. It teaches that the deepest acts of giving come from the heart’s ability to connect with another’s pain and joy. 
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