A sparrow is a small bird known for its compact size and distinctive appearance. Sparrows are found in various regions around the world, often near human settlements. They are characterized by their short, stout bodies, rounded wings, and typically brown or gray plumage. Read More Class 11 English Summaries.
Sparrows Summary
Sparrows Introduction in English:
This story is based on the idea that nobody is bad by birth. If one is bad, there are bound to be some social or domestic reasons behind it. This is what happens with a young man named Rahim Khan in this story. Rahim Khan had two ambitions in his life.
First, he wanted to join a touring circus. Secondly, he wanted to marry a Hindu girl, Radha. But his parents killed both these ambitions. They did not let him join the circus. Then they got him married to a Muslim girl against his wishes. All this brought about a big change in Rahim Khan’s nature. He used to be very cheerful earlier. But now he became very bitter and cruel.
He had a grievance against society and his family. He wanted to have his revenge on them. He took his wife to be the symbol of all his failures. So he beat her almost every day. He ill-treated his children and his bullocks also. One day, his wife and his sons left him in disgust.
And Rahim Khan was left alone in his life. Then sparrows came in Rahim’s life and became the instrument of change in his heart. They kindled the hidden goodness of his heart.
Sparrows Summary in English:
Rahim Khan used to be a very cheerful boy in his youth. He was very fond of sports. In wrestling, in kabaddi and in diving he had no match in the whole village. He had an intense desire to join a touring circus. He fell in love with a Hindu girl named Radha, and wanted to marry her.
But both these ambitions of Rahim Khan were trampled most cruelly. The first of his desires was smashed by his father. He thought it below the dignity of their family that their son should join a circus. And religion stood in the way of his other desire. How could a Muslim boy marry a Hindu girl ? Many problems and quarrels could result from it.
Radha was married off to a middle-aged banya. And Rahim Khan was married to a Muslim girl against his wishes. Thus both the ambitions of Rahim Khan were crushed. As a result, his heart was filled with bitterness. He hardened into a beast. He quarrelled with everyone in the village.
He beat his bullocks mercilessly. The village children would run away from him in fear. Rahim Khan gave vent to his anger on his wife and two sons also. He would beat his wife almost daily and was very hard to his sons. At last, the sons left him in disgust. But his wife bore his cruelty patiently and stayed on with him. However, there is a limit to everything.
The wife also got sick of Rahim Khan’s cruel behaviour and she too left him. She went to her brother at Nurpur. Thus Rahim Khan was left alone in his life. However, Rahim Khan did not feel sorry for this.
Then in the absence of his wife and children, Rahim Khan started feeling lonely. He used to beat his wife and ill-treat his sons. But now he began to miss them. He realized how much his wife, whom he hated, had become a part of his life. She used to take care of all his needs. But now she was not there to look after him.
One day Rahim Khan saw a sparrows’ nest near the roof of his hut. There were two baby sparrows in the nest. Rahim’s first impulse was to shatter the nest and finish off the sparrows. But the parent sparrows attacked him when he tried to touch the baby sparrows. Rahim Khan bore their attack calmly. A strange feeling of pity arose in him.
Sparrows short Summary
In fact, he was moved by the mother-sparrow’s love for its young ones. Rahim Khan developed a deep love for the sparrows and made friends with them. He would feed them and play with them. He would call the little sparrows lovingly by the names of his sons, Nuru and Bundu.
Such was the effect of this new transformation that Rahim Khan stopped beating his bullocks. He wanted to show affection for the village children also, but they still looked on him with fear and would run away at his sight.
One monsoon evening, it rained heavily. The roof of Rahim Khan’s hut started leaking. There was a hole just above the nest of the sparrows. Rahim Khan repaired the leak in heavy rain. He got wet all over and caught cold. When he got up the next morning, he had a very high fever.
He remained in bed for several days. When the villagers came to know of it, they at once sent for his wife. But when his wife came and opened the door, she saw that Rahim Khan was lying dead on his cot and the four sparrows were fluttering about in the hut.
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