The Eyes are not Here
The speaker was traveling to Dehradun by a train. He was alone in the cabin till the train arrived at Rohana station. A girl, accompanied by her parents, entered into the cabin. The girl's mother gave her instructions like keeping the luggage safe, not to lean out of the window, avoiding speaking to others etc. Then the parents bid her good bye. The train moved.
As the speaker was blind, he couldn't see her but he liked her voice as well as the sound of the slap that came from her slippers. The speaker asked her if she was going to Dehradun. The girl was startled to hear a man's voice because she thought that there was no one in the cabin. The speaker thought that he might be in a dark corner and hence she couldn't see him. He thought that people having good eye sight fail to notice the things which are right in front of them because they have so many things to see. But, a blind man like him doesn't have much to take in. He takes things that are picked up by other senses. So, his takes are restricted.
The speaker told her that he too didn't notice her while she was entering into the cabin. Immediately he thought that he shouldn't have said that because she could have guessed that he was blind. He didn't want that she should know about his blindness. Normally, he played the game of fooling people by concealing his blindness. He thought of not moving about till she got down from the train.
The girl told him that she was going to Saharanpur and her aunt would be there to receive her. By this she conveyed a message to him that she was not alone. She then inquired him where he was going. The speaker replied that he would get down at Dehradun and then travel to Mussoorie. The girl was exited to hear of Mussoorie. She told him that she loves Mussoorie, its hills, especially in October. The speaker remarked that the hills look pretty as they are covered with Dahlias in October. One can enjoy the warmth of the Sun, the quiet atmosphere and spend some part of the night sitting near the camp fire listening to music. Here, he is recollecting some of his early experiences.
There was silence for awhile. As the speaker couldn't keep quiet, he asked her how the scenery was outside. The girl curtly told him that he could see for himself. Then he moved close to the window and faced towards the window pretending as though he was seeing. He then asked her if she had noticed that the trees were moving. The girl again told curtly that it was natural and asked him if he saw any animal in the forest around Dehradun. She expressed her concern that animals are disappearing from the forest in Doon valley.
The speaker wanted to make her a friend. He knew that girls are influenced by flattery. And it would be safe if he talked about her looks. So, he remarked that she had an interesting face. She was happy about his nice comment but she told him that she had been listening that her face was pretty. She was happy to hear a new thing about her. She remarked that he was a gallant young man and asked him why he was so serious. Though he thought of laughing for her, but didn't laugh thinking that he would not be comfortable with it.
As the train was approaching Saharanpur, the speaker prompted her. The speaker was thinking that he could travel for any length of time with the girl. Her voice was sweet.
The speaker heard a loud and shrill voice over other voices at the station. He guessed it was her aunt. The train stopped and the girl was collecting her luggage. The speaker started guessing about her hair ; whether they were tied in a bun or plaited or let loose or cut very short. She stood quite close to him then. He wished to touch her hair but couldn't. The girl said goodbye to the narrator and moved out of the cabin. But, the perfume from her hair was still there. The speaker compared the perfume to the nice feeling of her presence left with him. Even if the vase is shattered, the sweet smell of rose remains there for sometime. He meant to say that the girl had gone, but left the sweet memories of her presence. He came and sat. He went in to reverie.
He could hear a man apologizing to the girl at the door. While rushing inside the compartment, he might have dashed her. The man entered the cabin. The speaker's reverie was disturbed by the man's voice. It was his new co- passenger, telling him that he was not an attractive co-passenger as the girl was. The speaker remarked that she was an interesting girl. He then asked the man how her hair was, long or short. The man replied that he could not notice her hair but he clearly saw her beautiful eyes but of no use to her. He then asked the speaker if he noticed that she was blind.
II Comprehension Questions
1. The narrator guessed that the couple who saw the girl off at Rohana were probably her parents because,
Ans : d. They give detailed instructions about the care she had to take.
2. Why did the narrator feel that he would never be able to discover something about the girl's looks ?
Ans: Because he was blind.
3. How do you say that the narrator was not born completely blind ?
Ans : The narrator says that he was totally blind 'at that time' and his eyes are sensitive to light. The inference we can draw from this statement that he became blind later. And he gives the picture of the hills that covered with dahlia in October.
4. What did the narrator infer when the girl was startled by his voice ?
Ans : The narrator inferred that he was not seen by the girl because he might be sitting in a dark corner.
5. The girl told the narrator that her aunt was meeting her at Saharanpur. She said this probably because,
Ans : (b) she wanted to convey a message that he couldn't take advantage of her thinking that she was alone.
6. How could the narrator, being blind, could describe Mussoorie?
Ans : As the narrator was not born blind, he might have seen the place before losing his sight. Or he might have heard it from someone.
7. With what intention did the narrator remark that the girl had an interesting face?
Ans : He wished to befriend her. So, he thought he could please her by telling something about her looks. He knew that it is safe to flatter a girl.
8. Hiding his blindness was a ................. for the narrator.
Ans : game ( the narrator reveals this when a man enters his cabin after the departure of the girl)
9. The new traveler had made out that the girl was blind.
Ans : true
10. The story ends with a revelation. What is it ?
Ans. The revelation was that the girl was blind.
B. Close Study
1. " You may break, you may shutter the vase, if you will, but the scent of the roses will linger there still".....
a. What is the figure of speech used in the given passage ?
Ans : Assonance ( repetition of vowel sounds)
b. What is the vase compared to ?
Ans : The narrator
c. What does the shattering of the vase refer to ?
Ans : The disappointment caused to The narrator by the departure of the girl.
d. What does 'the scent of the roses' refer to ?
Ans : The sweet memory of the girl's presence.
2. "Once again I had a game to play with a new fellow traveller.
a. What kind of game does the speaker play with his fellow travellers ?
Ans: The narrator fools the fellow travellers that he was not a blind man.
b. What do you understand from this about his attitude?
Ans : He wishes to satisfy his ego by fooling others. He thinks he is too smart. On the contrary he is fooling himself.
c. Who had outwitted whom, in the game already played by the narrator?
Ans : The girl had outwitted the narrator because he was fooled at last. He couldn't find that the girl was blind.
Answer the following questions in a paragraph each.
1. Give instances to show that the narrator tried his best to impress on her that he could see during his encounter with the girl.
Ans : Following are the instances to show that the narrator tried his best to impress on the girl that he could see.
i ) On the arrival of the girl the narrator says that he did not see her. Here, he means that he could see but he did not see. Or rather was not interested in seeing her.
ii ) When the narrator describes the hills in October, he shows that he is normal.
iii ) When the girl asks him to look out of the window, he faces towards the window as though he was looking.
iv ) When the narrator asks the girl if she noticed how the trees seem to move.
v ) When the narrator remarks that the girl's face was interesting.
2. We think we could outwit anyone but sometimes we may be outwitted by others. Substantiate this with reference to the story.
Ans :
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