NIOS Class 12 English: Chapter 25 Summary of- ‘BholI’ Section 25.1 Summary of Story By-K. A. Abbas- ‘Bholi’

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Section 25.1 Summary of Story by - K. A. Abbas - ‘Bholi’

A girl whose name was Sulekha and everyone call her Bholi from her childhood. Bholi was the fourth and youngest daughter of Numberdar Ramlal, she have six sibling three brothers and three sisters.
She met an accident while she was ten months old; she had fallen off the cot on her head which had damaged some part of her brain due to which she remained a backward child and came to be known as Bholi, the simpleton.
She was very fair and pretty at her birth time. But when she was two years old, she had an attack of small-pox.
In this incidence her entire body permanently disfigured by deep black pock-marks except her eyes.
She struggled to speak till she was five but thankfully she learnt it but she used to stammered and due to this many other children use to make fun of her or mimic her that՚s why she started talking less.
Bholi՚s father was a rich farmer so there was plenty to eat and drink and that՚s way all the children except Bholi were healthy and strong.
Bholi՚s all brothers were sent to the city for study in schools and later in colleges. Her eldest sister whose name was Radha was already married and the second sister Mangla՚s marriage had also been settled, and then it was turn of her third sister, Champa.
Bholi՚s all sister were good-looking, healthy girls, so his father had not faced any difficulty to find bridegrooms for them. But Bholi՚s parents were worried about her as she was not good looking like her other sisters and not intelligent too.
Bholi was seven years old when Mangla was married and in same year a primary school for girls was opened in her village. School opening ceremony was held and for that the Tehsildar sahib was invited.
Bholi՚s father Ramlal was a revenue official so he was representative of the government in the village. And for that reason, the Tehsildar sahib forced Ramlal to send her daughters to school to inspire other villagers.
Ramlal share the Tehsildar sahib՚s thoughts with her wife but she was not ready to accept it and cried, as she thought if girls go to school, who will marry them? But Ramlal had not the courage to disobey the Tehsildar. So, his wife suggested him to send Bholi to school, she thought there would little chance of her getting married, with her ugly face and lack of sense. And teachers will handle her so that they do not have to worry about her.
And next day Ramlal caught Bholi by the hand and forced her to go with him to school, but Bholi got scared by this kind of behaviour and she also don՚t know about school.
Few days back Ramlal sold their old cow named Lakshmi, and Bholi remembers that incidence so she strongly denied his father and pulled her hand away.
His father got angry by her behaviour and asked her what matter is? He only taking her to the school! !
Then Ramlal told his wife to get some decent clothes for Bholi as he thought what other girls and school teacher will think about their reputation?
Bholi had never got any new clothes, the old dresses of her sisters were passed on to her. No one cared to mend or wash her clothes.
But today was the lucky day for her as receives a clean dress which had shrunk after many washings and no longer fitted Champa.
She was even bathed and oil was rubbed into her dry and matted hair. After this all Bholi got surety that she was being taken to a place better than her home!

Section 25.2 Summary of Story by - K. A. Abbas - ‘How Bholi Accepts School?’

Bholi had never heard the name of school and never knew what a school was and so that she was so scared to go school. Her father dropped her to school but when they reach the classroom was already full with students. Her father handed over Bholi to the headmistress.
There were several rooms in school and in rooms girls of Bholi՚s age were squatted on mats, reading from books or writing on slates.
The headmistress asked Bholi to sit down in a corner in one of the classrooms. Bholi did not know what exactly a school but she fell little relief to find so many girls almost of her own age. She was hoping that one of these girls might become her friend. The lady teacher who was in the class was saying something to the girls but Bholi was not able to understand anything.
There were many pictures on the wall and their colours attracts Bholi. There was picture of brown horse which was just like the horse on which the Tehsildar had come to visit their village; an there was picture of the black goat which was just like the goat of their neighbour; the parrot was green like the parrots she had seen in the mango orchard; and the cow was just like their Lakshmi.
While Bholi was busy in watching this picture she suddenly noticed that the teacher was standing by her side, smiling at her. The teacher asked her about her name. But she was only able to say “Bh-Bho-Bho” She could stammer no further than that. Then she began to cry and tears flowed from her eyes in a helpless flood.
She kept her head down as she sat in her corner and was not want to look up as she knew other girls of class were laughing on her.
After hearing the school bell all the girls scurried out of the classroom, but Bholi was not ready to leave her corner.
While she was sobbing and her teacher called her name in soft and soothing voice, no one else had ever called her with this kind of love before.
Her teacher told he to getup but it was just suggestion not a command (usually she only git command) , so her teachers words touch her hart and she got up.
The teacher softy asked her name and Bholi gets nervous but sill she made an effort to reply her teacher.
Teacher was sounding kind hearted so Bholi thought that she might not laugh at her.
“Bh-Bh-Bho-Bho,” she began to stammer. And teacher encouraged her effort by saying well done and also told her tocomplit her name.
“Bh-Bh-Bho-Bholi” and with that she was able to say it and felt relieved as if it was a great achievement.
The teacher tapped her warmly and told her not be scared that would help you to speak like everyone else.
Bholi looked up asked does it really possible. Her teacher replied that it would gets easier if she come to school every day. Bholi was agreed to come school every day. And Bholi herself was surprised that she had been able to say something.
Her teacher gives her book which was full of nice and colourful pictures of dog, cat, goat, horse, parrot, tiger and a cow just like Lakshmi. And with every picture was a word in big black letters. The teacher told her that she would be able to read those worlds in one month. And after that the teacher will gave her another big book, and they a still bigger one.
Bholi՚s teacher told her that, when you learned more no one would dare to laugh at you instead of this people would listen to you with respect and you would be able to speak without the slightest stammer. And told her to go home.
Bholi felt as if suddenly all the bells in the village temple were ringing and the trees in front of the school-house had blossomed into big red flowers.
She got new hope and a new life. Thus, the years passed.