Attempt a brief character sketch of the thief as drawn in the story ,the thief.
Answers
Hari Singh was 15 years old and a seasoned small-time thief. H e was homeless and did not have any family or friends. He used to change his name frequently so as not to get caught by his former employees, whom he must have cheated. His aim was that he earns the trust of people and then robs them and flees.
Although he was young, he was quite clever because when he saw Anil, a simple man who watching a wrestling match, he thinks of robbing him and hence approaches him and asks for work. Anil starts teaching him how to cook and gives him small tasks. Hari cheated Anil when he went to buy the daily supplies of groceries. However, he wished to get an education so that he could become a big and respected man, who would be able to achieve a lot. This boy knew the importance of education and greatly valued it, which is shown when Anil teaches him to write.
Even though he had initially seen Anil as his next target to steal from, the boy still appreciated how Anil completely trusted him and gradually started to see him as a friend.
He is quite observant and a good planner. The night Anil brought six hundred rupees home which he received by selling his book to the publisher, the boy, 'Hari Singh' decided to steal the money from him while he was asleep. He keeps a watchful eye on Anil and gets to know where Anil has placed the money. The plan was successful and he reached the train station to flee but his conscience stopped him from doing so. The boy realized how disappointed Anil would be when he found and thought about the importance of being an intelligent and a respected man instead of being a thief.
But at the station, his desire to change himself is so great that it motivates him and gives him courage to return to Anil, even though he knows that he may be caught in the process. Anil eventually found out but decided not to say anything about it, and it was his compassion and trust that changed the boy. Hari is silently rewarded for making the right decision forcing him to give up his bad ways.