summary on Masterji by Ruskin Bond
Answers
I was strolling along the platform, waiting for the arrival of the Amritsar Express, when I saw Mr Khushal, handcuffed to policeman.
I hadn't recognized him at first—a paunchy gentleman with a lot of grey in his beard and a certain arrogant amusement in his manner. It was only when I came closer, and we were almost face to face, that I recognized my old Hindi teacher.
Startled, I stopped and stared. And he stared back at me, a glimmer of recognition in his eyes. It was over twenty years since I'd last seen him, standing jauntily before the classroom blackboard, and now here he was tethered to a policeman and looking as jaunty as ever . . 'Good—good evening, sir,' I stammered, in my best public school manner. (You must always respect your teacher, no matter what the circumstances.)
Mr Khushal's face lit up with pleasure. 'So you remember me! It's nice to see you again, my boy.'
Forgetting that his right hand was shackled to the policeman's left, I made as if to shake hands. Mr Khushal thoughtfully took my right hand in his left and gave it a rough squeeze. A faint odour of cloves and cinnamon reached me, and I remembered how he had always been redolent of spices when standing beside my desk, watching me agonize over my Hindi-English translation.
He had joined the school in 1948, not long after the Partition. Until then there had been no Hindi teacher; we'd been taught Urdu and French. Then came a ruling that Hindi was to be a compulsory subject, and at the age of sixteen I found myself struggling with a new script. When Mr Khushal joined the staff (on the recommendation of a local official), there was no one else in the school who knew Hindi, or who could assess Mr Khushal's abilities as a teacher . And now once again he stood before me, only this time he was in the custody of the law.
Answer:
The themes of respect, compassion, corruption, fraud, kindness, and acceptance are explored in Ruskin Bond's Masterji. The story, taken from his Collected Short Stories collection, is narrated in the first person by an unnamed narrator, and the reader realises after reading the story that Bond may be exploring the theme of respect.
Explanation:
The narrator's compassion for Khushal has not faded with the passage of time. This is made clear to the reader by Khushal's treatment of the narrator. Despite his lack of knowledge of Hindi, the narrator passes his exam. This could be significant because it implies that Khushal is a kind and compassionate man. Recognizing that not every child he teaches will achieve the required grade to pass an examination. Khushal, on the other hand, is committing fraud and profiting from it. Nonetheless, it is difficult to dislike Khushal, who appears to be a good man who only wants the best for his students. Even if he achieves it through deception. Khushal is a likable rogue who does not appear to be capable of harming anyone. Though some critics may argue that Khushal is morally corrupt, it is important to remember that Khushal genuinely cares about his students. Something that stands out is that he does not take money from students who cannot afford it. Despite this, they pass their exams. Because of Khushal's falsified certificates. In reality, Khushal sees the best in everyone and is simply assisting those who are struggling in life. He wants the best for each of his students and understands the importance of passing their exams. Khushal truly believed he was assisting the children whose certificates he falsified.
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