1. Bashir Leaves Home - Subhadra Sen Gupta - Literary Reader 6 Solved

Introduction

In this story, Bashir, a seven-year-old boy, decides to run away from home because his family wouldn't lend him money to buy a toy racing car with his pocket money. As he walks away from home, he encounters various people from his neighborhood, including Munnelal, Bannobi, and eventually his brother Khalid, who had been following him all along.

Despite his expectation that someone would stop him or convince him to stay, nobody does. Bashir is heartbroken by the lack of concern from his family and friends. However, when Khalid arrives on their father's bicycle and asks where he intends to go, Bashir decides to return home. The story ends with Bashir heading back home, realizing that running away isn't the solution to his problems.

Word Meaning

Difficult Words	Meaning
Heartbroken	Extremely sad or upset
Satchel	A small bag, often used for carrying items
Paanwalla	A person who sells paan (a type of leaf wrapped snack)
Stained	Marked or discolored
Haldi	Turmeric, a yellow spice
Gali	A narrow lane or alley
Robbers	People who steal from others by force or threat
Kite	A small, flying object controlled by a string
Marbles	Small, colorful spherical objects used in a game
Somewhere else	Another place
Pedalled	Operated a bicycle by turning the pedals
Solomnly	In a serious and earnest manner
Paan-stained	Discolored or marked by paan stains (from chewing paan)
Heartbreak	Intense sadness or emotional pain
Heartfelt	Sincere and deeply felt
Convinced	Persuaded or certain about something
Fuss	A commotion or unnecessary display of excitement

Let's Infer

Say whether the following statements are True (T) or False (F).

Here are the answers to the True (T) or False (F) statements:

1. False (F) - Bashir did not leave home permanently; he eventually decided to return home.
2. True (T) - Bashir believed that only his dog Chand understood his pain.
3. True (T) - Bashir packed clothes, food (two pieces of fish and a boiled potato), a pencil, and a candle in his satchel.
4. False (F) - Bashir needed to save his pocket money for the next 14 weeks, not 28, to buy the toy car.
5. True (T) - Bashir wanted his father to lend him the money to buy the toy car.
6. False (F) - Bashir did not know where to go or which train to take; he was simply leaving home without a specific destination in mind.
7. False (F) - Munnelal and Bannobi did not try to make him return home. They bid him farewell instead.
8. False (F) - By the time Bashir reached the end of the lane, he was not convinced he had made the right decision; he was heartbroken and upset.
9. True (T) - Bashir's brother Khalid met him before he reached the railway station.
10. True (T) - Bashir decided to go back home without making a fuss when Khalid met him.

Let's Discuss

1. Do you think Bashir's father should have given him the loan he wanted? Why/Why not?

ANSWER:

Whether or not Bashir's father should have given him the loan he wanted is a subjective matter. Some might argue that parents should support their children's desires and teach them financial responsibility by lending them the money. Others might believe that it's important for children to learn the value of saving and patience, so refusing the loan can also be seen as a valuable lesson. It depends on the family's values and financial situation.

2. Why didn't Munnelal and Bannobi persuade Bashir to go back home? 

ANSWER:

Munnelal and Bannobi might not have persuaded Bashir to go back home because they respected his decision and independence. They might have felt that Bashir had his reasons for leaving and didn't want to interfere with his choices. Additionally, they might have believed that he needed to learn from his own experiences.

3. Do think you everyone in the family and in the neighbourhood was fond of Bashir? How can you tell?

 It does appear that Bashir felt somewhat neglected and unappreciated by his family and friends. They didn't try to stop him from leaving, and their responses, such as saying "khuda hafiz" (which is a form of goodbye), seemed somewhat indifferent to his departure. This suggests that Bashir may have felt unimportant or unnoticed by those around him.