THE MAN FROM KABUL - RABINDRANATH TAGORE

THE MAN FROM KABUL  - RABINDRANATH TAGORE

     Rabindranath Tagore, an Indian who got Nobel prize for his famous work “Gitanjali” in 1913 is the author of the lesson ‘The Man From Kabul’. He is a versatile writer. ‘The Man From Kabul’ is one of the most popular short stories of Tagore. It is about the relationship between a five-years- old child and a Kabuliwallah.

    One day the  narrator was busy with his writing. He was writing the seventeenth chapter of his new novel. His daughter Mini was very talkative and would ask him a number of questions. The narrator was annoyed of it. He asked her to go and play with Bhola, but she started to play near his table. When she was playing, she noticed a Kabuliwallah in the street and called out to him. Rahman, the kabuliwallah came into the house. He wore the loose, soiled clothing of his people, and a tall turban. He carried a bag on his back and boxes of grape in his hand. Mini was terrified on seeing him. The narrator made some small purchases and they started to talk about Abdul Rahman, the Russians, the English and the Frontier Policy. Before he left, he offered nuts and raisins to Mini but she denied it.

     After this first meeting, Rahman came there several times and he became a very good friend of Mini. He gave nuts and raisins to Mini. When the narrator paid him money for it, Rahman returned the money to Mini. Mini’s mother was full of doubts about the Rahman and used to beg the narrator to keep a watchful eye on him.

     Mini and Rahman had their own jokes. He would ask her when she was going to her father-in-law’s house. She would repeat the question to him. The word father –in-law’s house have a double meaning. It is a euphemism for jail.

     Once a year, in the middle of January, Rahman used to return to Kabul. As the time approached he was busy in collecting his debts so he was not able to meet Mini in the morning. He would appeared in the evening. One day, he was imprisoned on charges of attempted murder. Mini saw him in the street, she asked him whether he was going to his father-in-law’s house. On a charge of murderous assault, he was sentenced to several years’ imprisonment.

     Years passed, and Rahman was forgotten. Mini grew older. The narrator made arrangements for Mini’s marriage. On the day of Mini’s marriage Rahman turned up. The narrator was not ready to permit him to his daughter. Rahman gave him the gifts, he had brought for Mini. He said that he had a daughter like Mini at home. He showed a small and dirty piece of paper with the impression of an ink-smeared hand of his daughter’s hand. This touched the narrator and Rahman was permitted to see Mini. Mini was not able to recognize Rahman. Rahman asked Mini whether she was going to her father-in-law’s house. Now Mini understood the meaning but did not reply. The narrator gave him money and asked him to go back to his daughter. The narrator believed that the happiness of Rahman would bring good fortune to Mini.

  Thus the story ends with happy note.