BHOLI

K.A. Abbas
.
Short Answers

1.What did the Tehsildar tell Ramlal when he came to inaugurate the primary
school for girls in the village?
Ans. The Tehsildar told Ramlal that as a revenue official he was the representative
of the government in the village .So he had to set an example to the villagers and
send his daughters to the primary school for girls that had been opened in the
village.
2. “In her smiling eyes was the light of a deep satisfaction that an artist feels
when contemplating the completion of her masterpiece”. How did Bholi’s teacher
play an important role in changing the course of Bholi’s life?
Ans. Bholi’s teacher felt like an artist admiring her masterpiece , when she realized
how her soothing words, education, and motivation gave confidence to Bholi to
face the world. She transformed her from a girl who was unsure about herself, to a
bold and confident girl. Her teacher gave her a lot of encouragement and
inspiration which Bholi was not getting from her family.
Long Answer

1. Why did Bholi at first agree to an unequal match? Why did she later reject
the marriage? What does this tell us about her?
Ans. Bholi’s parents wanted her to get married to a well-to-do grocer, Bishamber.
Bishamber was an elderly person aged around 50 and a widower with quite
grown up children. In addition to that he used to limp. He came up to Ramlal
with a proposal to marry his daughter, Bholi. Bholi at first agreed to marry this
unequal match because she did not want to disappoint her parents by
disagreeing to Bishamber’s proposal. Bholi’s parents were really concerned
about her pock marks and stammering. Bholi couldn’t dare to refuse the
proposal as she didn’t want to be a burden to them. Later, when Bishamber
saw the pock marks on Bholi’s face, he demanded a sum of five thousand
rupees as dowry. This roused Bholi’s self-respect. She couldn’t stand the
humiliation meted out to her parents and she refused to marry a mean and
greedy man. Her behaviour reflected that she was no more a timid and witless
girl. She had turned into a confident, courageous and self-respecting girl
capable of taking her own decision.
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