NCERT Solutions For Class 11 English
Hornbill
Chapter 1 – The
Portrait of a Lady (Khushwant Singh)
Summary
The writer
fondly remembers his grandmother as a short, robust woman with a slight bend,
her silver hair scattered untidily across her wrinkled face. She roamed their
home in white attire, one hand resting on her waist, the other engaged with the
beads of her rosary. Although he didn't consider her conventionally pretty, he
found her enduringly beautiful, comparing her serene countenance to the
tranquility of a winter landscape.
During their
extended stay in the village, Grandmother played a pivotal role in the writer's
daily routine. She woke him early, prepared his wooden slate, organized
breakfast, and sent him off to school, which was intricately linked to the
nearby temple. While the children learned their alphabet, she immersed herself
in studying sacred texts.
Their beautiful
relationship encountered a turning point when they relocated to the city.
Despite sharing a room, their bond began to wane. The writer, now attending a
city school, studied subjects like English, Physics, and mathematics that his
grandmother couldn't comprehend. Unable to accompany him to school, she
lamented the absence of teachings about God and scriptures, disapprovingly
tolerating music lessons.
As the writer
proceeded to university and acquired a separate room, the common link between
grandson and grandmother weakened further. She withdrew into her solitude,
engaged with her spinning wheel and prayers, seldom conversing with anyone. Her
daily routine included breaking bread for the birds, who perched on her legs,
head, and shoulders.
When the writer
departed for his overseas studies, his grandmother, though seemingly
undisturbed, bid him farewell at the train station with a silent kiss on his
forehead. Her lips moved in prayer, and her fingers remained entwined with her
rosary beads. Upon his return after five years, she welcomed him warmly,
celebrating his homecoming.
The morning
after his return, she fell ill. Despite the doctor's assurances of a mild
fever, she sensed her impending departure. Preferring solitude, she occupied
herself with her rosary beads, praying until her lips fell still, and the
rosary slipped from her lifeless hand. Discovered on the floor, shrouded in a
red shawl, her death was marked by the silent arrival and departure of
thousands of sparrows, grieving her passing as her body was carried away for
the final rites.
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