Father’s Help in Urdu/Hindi
About the poet
RK Narayan (1906-2001) is one of the leading figures of early Indian literature in English. His notable works include Malgudi Days and The Guide. He was awarded the Sahitya Academy award in 1958 for The Guide.
About the text
The story, an edited excerpt from Malgudi Days, is about a young boy called Swaminathan who is unwilling to go to school, but is forced by his father to attend school. The story explores how, through the events that follow, Swami’s original reservations about his teacher, Samuel, get transformed considerably.
Kahani, jo Malgudi Days se li gayi hai, ek naujawan ladke Swaminathan ke bare mein hai jo school nahi jaana chahta, lekin uske walid usay majboor karte hain school jane ke liye. Ye kahani is baat ko batati hai ke kaise, hone wale waqiyat/vaastavikata ke zariye, Swami ke teacher Samuel ke bare mein pehle se aus k khayalat kaafi had tak badal jate hain.
Unit I
Lying in bed, Swami realized with a shudder that it was Monday morning. It looked as though only a moment ago it was Friday. Already Monday was here. He hoped he didn’t have to go to school.
Bistar mein lete hue, Swami ne darr ke sath mehsoos kiya ke ye Monday subah hai. Aisa lag raha tha ke abhi kuch der pehle Friday tha. Aur ab Monday aa gaya tha. Usne umeed ki ke usay school nahi jana padega.
At nine o’ clock, Swaminathan wailed, “I have a headache.”
9 baje Swaminathan cheekha, “Mujhe sardard ho raha hai.”
Mother generously suggested that Swami might stay at home. At 9.30, when he ought to have been in the school prayer hall, Swami was lying on the bench in Mother’s room.
Maa ne sahatmandi se kaha ke Swami ghar par reh sakta hai. Saade no baje, jab usay school ke prayer hall mein hona chahiye tha, Swami maa ke kamre ki bench par lete hue tha.
Father asked him, “Have you no school today?”
Papa ne usay poocha, “Kya tumhara aaj school nahi hai?”
“Headache,” Swami replied.
“Sardard,” Swami ne jawab diya.
“Nonsense! Dress up and go.”
“Bakwas! Tayaar ho jao aur jao.”
“Headache!”
“Sardard!”
“Loaf about less on Sundays and you will be without a headache on Monday.”
“Sunday ko kam aawara gardi karo aur Monday ko sardard nahi hoga.”
Swami knew how strict his father could be. So he changed his tactics. “I can’t go so late to the class.”
Swami jaanta tha ke uske walid kitne sakht ho sakte hain. Isliye usne apne tareeqe badle. “Main itni late class nahi ja sakta.”
“You’ll have to. It is your own fault.”
“Tumhe jana hi hoga. Ye tumhari apni galti hai.”
“What will the teacher think if I go so late?”
“Agar main itni der se jaaunga toh teacher kya sochega?”
“Tell him you had a headache and so are late.”
“Unhe bata dena ke tumhe sardard tha isliye late ho gaye.”
“He will scold me if I say so.”
“Wo mujhe daantenge agar maine aisa kaha toh.”
“Will he? Let us see. What is his name?”
“Kya wo aisa karenge? Dekhte hain. Unka naam kya hai?”
“Samuel.”
“Samuel.”
“Does he always scold the students?”
“Kya wo hamesha students ko daant-te hain?”
“He is a very angry man. He is especially angry with boys who come in late. I wouldn’t like to go late to Samuel’s class.”
“Wo bohot gusse wale hain. Wo khaaskar un ladkon par gussa hote hain jo late aate hain. Main Samuel ke class mein late nahi jana chahunga.”
“If he is so angry, why not tell your headmaster about it?”
“Agar wo itne gusse wale hain toh headmaster ko is bare mein kyun nahi batate?”
“They say that even the headmaster is afraid of him.”
“Kehte hain ke headmaster bhi unse darta hai.”
Unit II
Swami hoped that with this his father would be made to see why he must avoid school for the day. But Father’s behaviour took an unexpected turn. He proposed to send a letter with Swami to the headmaster. No amount of protest from Swami would make him change his mind.
Swami ne umeed ki ke is se uske walid ko samajh aa jaye ke usay aaj school se bachna chahiye. Lekin walid ka rawaya ek ache dil wale insaan ki tarah ho gaya. Unhone Swami ke sath headmaster ko ek chitthi bhejne ka faisla kiya. Swami kitni bhi zid kare, walid apne faislay se nahi hile.
By the time Swami was ready to leave for school, Father had composed a long letter to the headmaster. He put it in an envelope and sealed it.
Jab tak Swami school jane ke liye tayaar hua, walid ne headmaster ke liye ek lambi chitthi likh di. Unhone isay ek lifafe mein dala aur seal kar diya.
“What have you written, Father?” Swami asked apprehensively.
“Papa, aapne kya likha hai?” Swami ne ghabrahat mein poocha.
‘Nothing for you. Give it to your headmaster and go to your class.”
Tumhare liye kuch nahi. Isay headmaster ko de dena aur apni class mein chala jaana.”
“Have you written anything about our teacher Samuel?”
“Kya aapne humare teacher Samuel ke bare mein kuch likha?”
“Yes. Plenty of things.”
“Haan. Kaafi cheezen.”
“What has he done, Father?”
“Unhone kya kiya, papa?”
“Everything is there in the letter. Give it to your headmaster.”
“Sari baatein chitthi mein hain. Isay headmaster ko de do.”
Swami went to school feeling that he was the worst boy on earth. His conscience bothered him. He wasn’t at all sure if his description of Samuel had been accurate. He felt he had mixed up the real and the imagined.
Swami school gaya yeh mehsoos karte hue ke woh duniya ka sabse bura ladka hai. Uska zameer usay pareshan kar raha tha. Woh bilkul sure nahi tha ke usne Samuel ka jo tasvir di thi woh sahi thi. Usay laga ke usne asal aur tasavvur ko mila diya tha.
Swami stopped on the roadside to make up his mind about Samuel. Samuel was not such a bad man after all. Personally he was much more friendly than the other teachers. Swami also felt Samuel had a special regard for him.
Swami raste mein ruk gaya taake Samuel ke bare mein soch le. Samuel itne bure insaan nahi the. Zaatan woh doosre teachers se zyada dostana tha. Swami ne yeh bhi mehsoos kiya ke Samuel ka uske liye khaas lagao tha.
Swami’s head was dizzy with confusion. He could not decide if Samuel really deserved the allegations made against him in the letter. The more he thought of Samuel, the more Swami grieved for him. To recall Samuel’s dark face, his thin moustache, unshaven cheek and yellow coat filled Swaminathan with sorrow.
Swami ka sar ghoom raha tha. Woh faisla nahi kar pa raha tha ke Samuel ko chitthi mein lagai gai ilzam sach mein hain. Jitna woh Samuel ke bare mein sochta, utna hi woh usay yaad karta. Samuel ke kale chehre, patle mooch, bina shave kiya gaal aur peele coat ko yaad karke Swaminathan udas ho gaya.
Unit III
As he entered the school gate, an idea occurred to him. He would deliver the letter to the headmaster at the end of the day. There was a chance Samuel might do something during the course of the day to justify the letter.
Jab woh school ka gate andar aaya, uske dimaag mein ek khayal aaya. Woh din ke akhir mein chitthi headmaster ko dega. Shayad Samuel din ke doran kuch aisa kar dein jo chitthi ko sahi sabit kare.
Swami stood at the entrance to his class. Samuel was teaching arithmetic. He looked at Swami. Swami hoped Samuel would scold him severely.
Swami class ke darwaze par khada tha. Samuel arithmetic padhate hue the. Unhone Swami ko dekha. Swami ne umeed ki ke Samuel usay bohot bura bhala kahenge.
“You are half an hour late,” Samuel said.
“Tum aadha ghanta late aaye ho,” Samuel ne kaha.
“I have a headache, sir.” Swami said.
“Mujhe sardard ho raha hai, sir,” Swami ne kaha.
“Then why did you come at all?”
“Toh phir aise aane ki zarurat kya thi?”
This was an unexpected question from Samuel.
Ye ek anokha sawal tha Samuel ki taraf se.
Swami said, “My father said I shouldn’t miss school, sir.”
Swami ne kaha, “Mere walid ne kaha tha ke mujhe school nahi chhodna chahiye, sir.”
Samuel looked impressed. “Your father is quite right. We want more parents like him.”
Samuel impressed lag rahe the. “Tumhare walid bilkul sahi hain. Humein un jaise zyada walid chahiye.”
“Oh, you poor man!” Swami thought, “you don’t know what my father has done to you.”
“Aray, bechare!” Swami ne socha, “Aap nahi jaante mere walid ne aapke sath kya kiya hai.”
“All right, go to your seat.”
“Achha, apni seat par baith jao.”
Swami sat down, feeling sad. He had never met anyone as good as Samuel.
Swami baith gaya, udas mehsoos karte hue. Usne Samuel jaisa acha insaan kabhi nahi dekha tha.
The teacher was inspecting the home lessons. To Swami’s thinking, this was the time when Samuel got most angry. But today Samuel appeared very gentle.
Teacher home lessons ka jaiza le rahe the. Swami ke khayal mein, ye wo waqt tha jab Samuel sabse zyada gusse mein aate the. Lekin aaj Samuel bohot naram lag rahe the.
“Swaminathan, where is your homework?”
“Swaminathan, tumhara homework kahan hai?”
“I have not done my homework, sir,” Swami said.
“Main apna homework nahi kiya, sir,” Swami ne kaha.
“Why-headache?” asked Samuel.
“Kyun – sardard?” Samuel ne poocha.
“Yes, sir.”
“Ji sir.”
“All right, sit down,” Samuel said.
“Achha, baith jao,” Samuel ne kaha.
When the bell rang for the last period at 4.30, Swami picked up his books and ran to the headmaster’s room. He found the room locked. The peon told him the headmaster had gone on a week’s leave. Swaminathan ran away from the place.
Jab 4.30 par aakhri period ka bell baji, Swami apni kitabein utha kar headmaster ke kamre ki taraf bhaaga. Usne dekha ke kamra tala laga hua tha. Chaprasi ne usay bataya ke headmaster ek haftay ki chhutti par gaye hain. Swaminathan wahan se bhaag gaya.
As soon as he entered home with the letter, Father said, “I knew you wouldn’t deliver it.”
Jaise hi woh chitthi ke sath ghar mein dakhil hua, walid ne kaha, “Mujhe pata tha tum isay nahi de doge.”
“But the headmaster is on leave,” Swami said.
“Lekin headmaster chhutti par hain,” Swami ne kaha.
Father snatched the letter away from Swami and tore it up.
Papa ne Swami se chitthi cheen li aur phaad di.
“Don’t ever come to me for help if Samuel scolds you again. You deserve your Samuel,” he said.
“Dubara kabhi mere paas madad ke liye mat aana agar Samuel tumhe daante. Tum Samuel ke hi layak ho,” unhone kaha.
