The Cabuliwallah - Four Levels and Question Answers | Rabindranath Tagore | Mero Solution

        THE CABULIWALLAH
                      -Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)

1.LITERAL COMPREHENSION :
This is a story from India written by Nobel Prize winning poet and story writer Rabindranath Tagore. it beautifully presents friendship between of poor Afghan peddler and a middle-class sweet little Bengali girl.

Mini was a 5 years old writer's daughter. she was very talkative and often disturbed her father asking him funny Innocents questions while he was busy in writing . one day , Mini got into her room and looking out through the window , called out at a peddler saying , "A Cabuliwallah A Cabuliwallah " who came in and had a talk with the writer. he was Rahman, an Afghan peddler who earned his living by selling dry fruits and other goods in the street of Bengal . Mini had already vanished because she believed that such peddlers carried children inside their bags. before leaving, the Cabuliwallah demanded to see the little girl. the writer brought her out because he wanted her to get rid of her false fear. in this first meeting with Roman she was nervous and a doubtful though he offered her some nuts and raisins.

Day by day Mini and Cabuliwallah became friends.  Cabuliwallah visited Mini's house frequently with small gifts for her. they sat and talked , told jokes and had fun. in the course of the conversation Cabuliwallah wants asked her "when are you going to Father-in-law's house ?" (because he knew the tradition of early marriage in India ) but the girl had no idea about such things so she fired back with his question, "Are you going there?"  For the peddler the words father-in-law's house also meant a jail so he said that he would thrash in father-in-law meaning the police man. such jokes went on between them but Mini's mother, being of a timid nature ,couldn't trust the peddler because she had heard of slavery system in Kabul and incidents of kidnapping . she often warned the writer to be wary of the Cabuliwallah but the writer felt that he was harmless and he let the intimacy between two friends go on unchecked . once Rahman was really arrested and was being taken to prison past the writer's house.  Mini saw  Cabuliwallah being led by policeman though it was not time to joke , she innocently asked him whether he was going to his father-in-law's house . he had been arrested on the charge of attempted murder of a neighbour who had owed some money to him for a shawl but denied buying it from Rahman. he was in prison for several years .
As time past, Cabuliwallah was forgotten Mini grown up and began to keep herself busy with friends of her own age. it was time for her to get married. while wedding preparation were going on, Rahman was released from jail and he went to meet Mini. he did not know that it was Mini's wedding ceremony. he desired to see the little girl .(he supposed Mini was still a little girl ) but the writer asked him to come next day. he gave writer the gift he had brought for Mini and refused to take any money to it. the writer felt sympathetic to Rahman and called Mini out to see the Cabuliwallah who was surprised to see Mini so much grown up and was getting married . Utilizing the opportunity he asked her if she was going to her father-in-law's house. this time Mini understood the meaning of father-in-law's house. so she did not answer . the old friendship could not be revived. this meeting reminded Rahman of his own daughter whom he had left in Kabul for several years . he suddenly looked sad realising that his daughter also must have grown up to a marriageable age. the writer understood Rahman's feelings. therefore despite the wedding expenses he gives the Cabuliwallah a hundred rupee note and asked him to go back his daughter in Afghanistan. the writer became happy realising that he was helping a father to meet his daughter.
2.INTERPRETATION :
In this story ,Tagore is basically trying to show that friendship has no boundary . it is possible between the people of diverse class , culture and age. Mini, a 5 years old middle class Bengali Hindu girl has a touching friendship with a middle-aged poor Afghan peddler living in exile in Bengal. it is story of compassion and of building cross-cultural bridge. this romantic story conveys a great humanitarian message- rich or poor , Bengalis and Afghan, Hindu or Muslim ,first of all we are all human beings. we share the same basic human feelings of love and compassion.
In addition to that this story can be enjoyed as a tale of a child's talkativeness , a tale of kindness and aggression in a man (the Cabuliwallah is kind to Mini but aggressive to customer), a tale of sorrow and suffering (he suffered in the jail) ,a tale of doubt and trust (Mini's mother was doubtful to Cabuliwallah but the writer was trusting him), a tale of tradition in Bengal etc.
3.CRITICAL THINKING :
It is a simple realistic, romantic and a touching story but some questions can be raised to challenge some of the views .
1) Should parents allow their kids to be closed to strangers?
2) Can they be always trusted?
3) Haven't we heard of children been kidnapped?
4) similarly if we called it a story of friendship, has Mini really maintain her friendship till the end?
5) How could the Cabuliwallah expect to see Mini as the same child after so many years? Couldn't he use a bit of common sense?
4.ASSIMILATION :
Before reading this story, I used to think all peddlers are bad. I did not like them. I thought that they all were there to cheat us. Therefore, I had nothing to do with them. But the story changes my bad concept. I realize that they are also human beings and they also want love. They also have children and family. They love their children as we do to ours. Thus, I have determined to love and respect them.
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SOME QUESTIONS ANSWERS :

Q.1.How does Mini's father perceive Cabuliwallah's  interest towards Mini on her wedding day?

ANSWER : Mini's father perceives Cabuliwallah's interest towards Mini on her wedding day as a father's love for daughter. when Cabuliwallah says that he also has a daughter like Mini from whom he is destined to live away and he could find his daughter's image in mini by showing his daughter's inksmered finger in print on an old paper. he becomes emotional and sympathetic to Cabuliwallah and allows him to meet Mini despite the obstacles. therefore he perceives Cabuliwallah as a loving and caring father and his interest towards Mini as father-daughter bonding.

Q.2.How did Cabuliwallah develop friendship with Mini?

ANSWER : When Cabuliwallah was selling grapes, Mini saw him from the window and called him. Cabuliwallah came in and had a talk with the writer. Mini had already vanished because she believed that such peddlers carried children inside their bags. before leaving ,the Cabuliwallah demanded to see Mini. the writer brought her out. in this first meeting with Cabuliwallah she was nervous and doubtful though he offered her some nuts and raisins. Cabuliwallah visited Mini's house frequently with small gifts for her. day by day Mini and Cabuliwallah became friends.Thus Cabuliwallah developed friendship with Mini.

Q.3.What was the nature of friendship between the Cabuliwallah and Mini?

ANSWER : The friendship between the Cabuliwallaha and Mini is true friendship. This Is the friendship between an elderly man and a younger girl. It shows the gap in friendship between different ages. Mini is a five years old middle class Bengali Hindu girl and the Cabuliwallah is a middle aged poor Afghan peddler. He is a muslim man. Their friendship was true untill the childhood period of Mini . Mini's childhood good friendship ended along with the Mini's adulthood.

Q.4.Why did the Cabuliwallah develop friendship with Mini ?

ANSWER : Mini is a 5 years old middle class Bengali Hindu girl and the Cabuliwallah is a middle aged poor muslim Afghan peddler. One day Mini saw the Cabuliwallah through her window and called him. The cabuliwallah came in and had a talk with the writer. Mini had already vanished because she believed that such peddlers carried children inside their bags. Before leaving, the Cabuliwallah wanted to see the mini. The writer brought her out .In this first meeting with Cabuliwallah she was nervous and doubtful ,though he offered her some nuts and raisins .Day by day dog Cabuliwallah  became friend of mini. Cabuliwallah visited Mini's house frequently. They sat and talked, told jokes and had fun. The Cabuliwallah always gave small gifts to Mini .
One day he had been arrested by the police on the charge of attempted murder of a neighbour who had owed some money to him for a shawl but denied buying it from Cabuliwallah. He was in prisoned for several years. One day the Cabuliwallah was released from jail and he went  to meet mini. There was wedding function of Mini . He didn't know about it .He desired to see mini but writer asked him to come next day .He gave writer the gift he had brought for Mini. The writer felt sympathetic to Cabuliwallah and called Mini out. At last the writer came to know why the Cabuliwallah developed friendship with Mini.
The Cabuliwallah had also a daughter as like Mini whom he had left in kabul for several years. The Cabuliwallah really missed her own daughter .The writer understood the feeling of Cabuliwallah. The Cabuliwallah could find his daughter's image in the Mini .Therefore, the Cabuliwallah developed friendship with Mini.

Q.5. Do you agree Cabuliwallah has been treated as outsider? Give reasons.

ANSWER : Yes, I agree that Cabuliwallah has been treated  as outsider. He is a middle aged poor Afghan peddler from muslim community. His name is Rahman .He earned his living by selling dry fruits and other goods in the street of Bengal.

In the course of selling goods, once he reaches to the house of writer, Rabindranath Tagore. Then his five years daughter, Mini calls him "Cabuliwallah ! A Cabuliwallah". When Cabuliwallah goes to visit Mini ,she is afraid because she believed that such peddlers carried children inside their bags . when the writer knows that mini is afraid ,he introduces her with him .The Cabuliwallah gives her Some nuts and raisins. Day by day Mini and Cabuliwallah becomes friends. The cabuliwallah often visits her and he gives her Something to eat. They crack jokes and laugh and enjoy .The writer likes their friendship but Mini's mother doesn't like it. She thinks that the peddler like Cabuliwallah can be child lifter. However ,Mini and the Cabuliwallah becomes intimate friend.

The Cabuliwallah sells seasonal goods .Once he sells a Rampuri shawl to a customer on credit . He asks him for the money many times but he doesn't pay. At last he denies buying the shawl .The Cabuliwallah becomes very angry and Stabs the customer. Then he is arrested by police and taken him to the Jail. He s jailed for several years. When he is released from jail at first he goes to visit Mini. It is the Wedding day and he is not allowed to vIsit her . When he shows the finger of a piece of paper to the writer , he permits to meet Mini who is in wedding dress. While he comes to meet Mini, he has brought gift for Mini .The writer gives money for it but the Cabuliwallah refuses to take money. This is the things so probably he was an outsider.