A. Gautam
I didn’t think I would make it to the village, let alone the border. First, there was the old man who carried his sick daughter on his back and hid in the forest. He told us he couldn’t walk anymore. He said he had decided to wait it out until he found his son. He told us to pass along the message to the storekeeper who was staying. We told the storekeeper that an old man was hiding in the forest, five kilometers west, near a mango tree and waiting for his son Rahim.
Then, there was a caravan of bullock carts. We saw thousands of people and everything they could carry to the new country. Little miserable children were crying. I saw a sick man calling out to god as the carts slowly moved to the border. It seemed like the bullock carts would take years to reach the border. But the people kept moving like rows of black ants.
More than anything I saw in those weeks, my family surprised me. My little sister Munni had suddenly grown up. Even a few months ago, she would throw a fit for a lollipop. Now, she had stopped whining. She was scared about what she saw all around us. But she never said a word. I held her hand, and I hugged her tight. We used to pull each other’s hair out. Now, not even an enemy could tear us apart. No matter what, I was going to protect Munni like father was looking out for all of us.
I saw how people really loved each other. Our neighbor, Mr. Khan was carrying his feeble mother in a makeshift palanquin. I will always remember the sturdy bamboo stick with a sturdy swing that hung on it. Mr. Khan’s mother was as thin as a rose stem. She must have weighed very little, but Mr. Khan and his sons had to make a very long journey.
I wish we could have traveled at night. Then the air was cool, and we weren’t parched and sunburned. It would be less safe. I had heard about the horror of the partition. I had covered Munni’s ears every time a neighbor told a scary story about another traveler. So that August, we risked all we had and moved a few kilometers a day.
Question
Which detail would be most important to include in a summary of the story?
Responses
A Mr. Khan carries his weak mother in a makeshift palanquin. Mr. Khan carries his weak mother in a makeshift palanquin.
B The narrator grows closer to his sister during the journey. The narrator grows closer to his sister during the journey.
C Munni no longer throws a fit for a lollipop or other small things. Munni no longer throws a fit for a lollipop or other small things.
D The narrator notices Mr. Khan’s mother is as thin as a rose stem. The narrator notices Mr. Khan’s mother is as thin as a rose stem.
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1 answer
The detail that would be most important to include in a summary of the story is:
B. The narrator grows closer to his sister during the journey.
This detail captures the emotional core of the narrative, highlighting the deepening bond and mutual support between the siblings amidst the chaos and hardship of their journey during the partition.
