Hello and welcome. We are going to look in this particular video at the homecoming story which is part of your ICSC class 9 treasure chest book. Before we start the story, I would strongly recommend that each one of you always read the author's note which is put in a box out here.
This is important because in the context of more critical analytical questions being asked, critical reasoning questions being asked, you never know that the board, the council may expect you to be able to relate the author to the kind of poem or story he or she has written. So, it's always very important to know the kind of person, in this case, Gurudev Ravindranath Tagore, who wrote this particular story and the context. So, this particular story is set in a small village in rural Bengal and the second half of the story is set in Calcutta. So, it has both the rural and the urban landscape. Okay and the protagonist is this boy Fatik Chakravarti, 14 years old and he's the protagonist.
I hope you can see the font size otherwise in any case you have your book. So he's the protagonist of the story and the homecoming is all about his journey. His journey from his home in rural Bengal in his village to Calcutta and how he feels completely out of home and what exactly is this home.
theme of homecoming about what exactly is this unit called home you see you always say for instance we don't refer to our home as a house right right we don't say i'm going back to my house we say i'm going back home because a home is a home when it has the unit of a family there is a warmth there is the emotional connect with your family members and the problem with fatigue largely was that initially at home he did not feel that kind of an emotional connect he felt neglected he felt discriminated against by his own mother right that is what the genesis of the problem is this is slightly longer story so this video could just be a little long now this boy is like the ringleader among the village was let me tell you the summary of the story so that it will be easier when you are going through the story with me right He is a ringleader among the village boys. He is a bit of a dada, sort of. Okay. So, the story first establishes the simplicity of village life.
The kind of things the boys do, the teenage boys do in order to have fun and generally make merry. The spirit of freedom inside that village. And the entire environment and the outdoor activities that the boys indulge in.
Right. And it also tells you about the rural. landscape geographical landscape later on when the story moves to calcutta it is a totally different kind of an ecosystem a different kind of a landscape because there are no open spaces he feels oppressed because they the he lives in very confined kind of spaces as opposed to the openness of the fields and the river bank etc in his village oh i'm remembering my own village And therefore, Fatih does not feel free in the city of Calcutta.
So there is also the unwelcoming environment. Not that the environment at home was very good in his village. And that's the reason he wanted to escape to Calcutta.
But really, when he comes to Calcutta, he realizes that this is his jump from the fire into from the frying pan into the fire. So the situation here is much worse than it was at home in the village. So...
that is essentially the story and the ending is a bit tragic. So the story highlights the difference between rural and urban India, urban life, urban Bengal and the struggle of a young boy to cope with the circumstances. Okay, so that is essentially what the story is all about.
I've told you the Motamota story. I have not gone into the details because, you know, then you will not enjoy reading and understanding the story with me. Okay. Fatih Chakraborty was ringleader. Now ringleader is someone who leads a small group or outfit engaging himself in improper activities.
In this case, it is being used because they generally have all kinds of fun which others may frown upon. So Fatih Chakraborty was ringleader among the boys of the village. A new mischief got into his head.
He thought of something There was a heavy log lying on the mud flat of the river waiting to be shaped into a mast for a boat. Now these small small details can come as MCQs. So please note all these things.
You could be asked what was the purpose of the heavy log. It would be made into the mast for a boat. These kind of MCQs.
He decided that they should all work together to shift the log by main force from its place and roll it away into the river. the owner of the log would be angry and thereby that would kind of provide fun so he was ring leader for these kind of silly mischievous activities so the owner of the log would be both angry as well as surprised and they would all enjoy the fun so that was his idea of fun that you know you cause some kind of hurt damage to someone else and enjoy his anger enjoy his pride while he gets angry They would not feel scared, but they would enjoy seeing him get angry and surprised. Everyone seconded the proposal, means they all supported what Fatik's idea was.
Fatik, Fatik, you know, you could have different pronunciation, right? And it was carried unanimously. You know, he's almost making it seem as though it was some kind of a conference, you know, that I propose that we should put the log into the river and everybody says, yeah, we will all do it. So that's what is called proposing. seconded and everybody's unanimous means there is nobody in that group who said no this should not be done so you realize that everyone all the boys have a similar kind of a mindset as fatigue does but just as the fun was about to begin makhan who is fatigue's younger brother sauntered up means sauntered means to kind of you know to walk around without hurrying in a very lazy kind of manner the mast is a vertical pole on a ship which supports these sails okay you He sat down on that log which they were planning to push without a word.
The boys were puzzled. They did not know what to do. He was pushed rather timidly by one of the boys and told to get up but he remained quite unconcerned.
He did not get up from that log. He appeared like a younger philosopher meditating on the futility of games. And you know, what is the purpose of all these games?
He was almost seeming like a sadhu who was meditating without saying anything, refusing to be moved from that log. Bhattik was angry. He was furious.
if you don't get down this minute i will thrash you so you realize that he had a propensity he had a habit of using violence if need be that if he did not get up i will thrash you i will beat you up and it is not and thrashing is a more violent form it is not just you know i will slap you or i will push you thrash has a more violent kind of an uh essence which is being given to it Makhan only moved to a more comfortable position. Now if Fateh was to keep his regal dignity before the public, regal dignity why? Because he was the ringleader.
If he says something that should be obeyed, people should not defy his orders. But here was his own younger brother who was defying his orders. He was not getting up when he was told to, even when he was warning him that he would thrash him.
It was clear he ought to carry out his threat. In order to keep his regal dignity. But his courage failed him at the crisis.
Fatik could not beat him up. His fertile brain. Fertile means with lot of imagination, lot of ideas. However, rapidly seized upon a new maneuver.
Which would discomfort his brother and afford his followers an added amusement. But he thought, okay, this guy is not getting up. So, let me think of something different.
Okay. So, what he thought, maneuver means, this is not happening. I will try.
a different way of getting making him get up and that would make his brother uncomfortable discomfort and afford and give his followers although they would all feel more amused seeing what he was going to do he gave the word of command to roll the log and makhan over together we will roll him also into the water makhan heard the order and made it a point of honor to stick on so this fellow is also obstinate stubborn, ziddi, he decided I will stick on. But he overlooked the fact like those who attempt earthly fame in the other matters that there was peril in it. Peril means that there was danger.
So he kind of did not realize that there was danger in actually holding on while the log was going to be pushed into the river. Like those who attempt earthly fame in other matters, he is trying to make a kind of philosophical statement. that there are some people who try to become famous right without realizing that there is actually risk in undertaking this particular task the boys began to heave at the log means push it with all their might calling out one two three go at the word go the log went and with it went makhan's philosophy glory and all and makhan also went into the water all the other boys shouted themselves hoarse with delight they were very happy and they were shouting and their you know their voice was kind of cooking But Fatik was a little frightened because he knew what could be the consequence of what he had just done or ordered or commanded. He knew what was coming and sure enough Makhan rose from Mother Earth blind as fate and screaming like the fury. So, you see the kind of language Gurudev Tagore has used that he kind of rose with a lot of anger and screaming like the fury.
He was furious. He rushed at Fatik and scratched his face. So Makhan also is as violent as Fatik is supposed to be.
And beat him and kicked him. So he is the one who is using violence. Please make a note of it. And then went crying home. The first act of the drama was over.
Okay. That's what happened at the riverbank. Fatik wiped his face and sat down on the edge of a sunken barge on the riverbank and began to chew a piece of grass. Fateh was not concerned.
Itna kuch drama hua. He calls it drama himself. Itna kuch drama hua. That is a narrator. But it did not make a difference to Fateh.
He was chewing grass. A boat came up to the landing and a middle-aged man with grey hair and dark moustache stepped on the shore. He saw the boy sitting there doing nothing and asked him where the Chakraborty slipped.
Fateh went on chewing the grass and said over there but it was quite impossible to tell where he pointed because he just said over there kind of thing without being very careful. precise about the direction. The stranger asked him again. He swung his legs to and fro on the side of the barge.
Barge is that, you know, some kind of a platform on the riverbank. And said, go and find out and continue to chew on the grass as before. So, Fatih comes across as someone who is, how does he come across? You could be getting an MCQ question on this. How does Fatih come, what impression do you gather of Fatih?
The manner in which he replied to the stranger, unfriendly. He's unfriendly. He's also a bit rude.
He's a bit, you know, he couldn't care less. These are the kind of aspects that you gather about Fatik so far. But now a servant came down from the house and told Fatik his mother wanted him. Why?
Because the boy must have gone incomplete. Who? Makhan.
Fatik refused to move but the servant was a master on this occasion. He took Fatik up roughly and carried him kicking and struggling in impotent rage. Impotent rage means...
an anger which is not having any kind of effect in this case that's how important has been used in this particular context so the servant the servant was able to control fatigue so you realize that even though fatigue has a reputation of being a ringleader his brother who is younger to him manages to assault him manages to beat him kick him scratch his face the servant is also able to control so fatigue is really not the kind of dada that is made out to be you know he He fancies himself to be a Dada. He's called a Dada by the narrator. But there are two other people who we have seen.
Both of them are able to control. And through the story, we will see that this whole concept of a ringleader does not quite fit. Because everyone else is able to control and get the better of Fatih on several occasions. This is an interesting question that can be asked.
I mean, I just thought of it. When Fatih came into the house, his mother saw him. She called out angrily, so you have been hitting Makhan again. Atik answered indignantly. Indignantly means what?
How can I? Because he was shocked. Because he was the one who got beaten up by Makhan.
No, I haven't. Who told you that? His mother shouted, don't tell lies.
You have. Atik said suddenly, I tell you, I have not. You ask Makhan. But Makhan thought it best to stick to his previous statement, what he had already told his mother, obviously.
And he had come home crying. So it obviously you put two and two together. You think that okay this fellow must have been beaten up by the elder brother. Who must have had a reputation of beating him on previous occasions. Yes mother Fatik did hit me.
Fatik's patience was already exhausted. He could not hear this injustice. He rushed at Makhan. There is a typo here.
And hammered him with blows. So now Fatik gave it to Makhan. Take that and that and that for telling lies.
So he is upset that Makhan is lying. His mother took Makhan's side in a moment and pulled Fatik away, beating him with her hands. When Fatik pushed her aside, she shouted out, what are you little villain?
Would you hit your own mother? So when Fatik has pushed her aside, that's how she reacts. So she calls him a little villain.
It was just at this critical juncture when all this drama was taking place inside their house that the grey-haired stranger who had asked the directions from Fatik earlier at the barge at the riverbank. He entered. He asked what the matter was. Fatik looked sheepish and ashamed. But when his mother stepped back and looked at the stranger, her anger was changed to surprise.
For she recognized her brother and cried, why Dada? Where have you come from? Okay, these are pretty simple lines.
As she said those words, she bowed to the ground and touched his feet because he was her elder brother. Her brother had gone away soon after she had married and he had started business in Bombay. A sister had lost her husband, that is Fatik's mother had lost her husband, that is Fatik's father.
While the brother was still in Bombay, Bishambar was his name. Bishambar had now come back to Calcutta and had once made inquiries about his sister. He had then hastened to see her as soon as he found out where she was. When he found out that she was living in the village, he decided to come to the village to meet his sister. important rage is having no power to change anything except despite the anger.
The next few days were full of rejoicing. The brother asked after the education of the two boys. He enquired what are the two boys studying. He was told by his sister that fatigue was a perpetual nuisance. Perpetual means permanent.
He was lazy, disobedient and wild. These are the three adjectives which are being used for fatig, perpetual nuisance, lazy, disobedient, wild. Please use it as keywords in your answers. This is important. This paragraph is important because it kind of describes in the opinion of the mother what the two boys were like.
So these are the four adjectives which have been used for fatig. Whereas makhan, it is said that he was good as gold. We know that he quite wasn't. Quiet as a lamb, he hardly was quiet as a lamb and very fond of reading. So you need to remember these adjectives.
These are key words to be used for two important characters in the story, especially Fateh. Please remember it, mark it in your books, use it in your answers. Bishambar kindly offered to take Fateh off his sister's hands and educate him with his own children in Calcutta. The widowed mother readily agreed when his uncle asked Fatik if he would like to go to Calcutta with him. His joy knew no bounds.
Knew no bounds means he was overjoyed. He was overjoyed. He was very happy and he said, oh yes, uncle, in a way that made it quite clear that he meant it.
So he thought this is an escape. This is an escape. So let's come to the first thing.
What was the title? The Homecoming. This is the first homecoming for Fateh, which one?
When he comes back from the riverbank and you realize that it's not a happy homecoming because he kind of gets scolded and you know his mother is not very happy with him. His brother has lied about the fact that he beat him up and stuff like that. So it was not a very happy homecoming. So that is the first time he went home. Okay, in this story, it was an immense relief to the mother to get rid of Fateh.
So to get rid means, you know, picha chuta. She had a prejudice, prejudice means she was not very fond of him so she kind of harbored a grudge against her elder son, against the boy and no love lost was not between the two brothers. That is the two brothers did not love each other.
She was in daily fear that he would either drown Makhan someday in the river or break his head in a fight or run him into some danger or the other. So these three things you need to remember what were the kind of fears that Patik's mother had vis-a-vis her two sons. At the same time, she was somewhat distressed to see Fateh's extreme eagerness to get away.
So, you know, she knew he was a perpetual nuisance. Even then, when someone comes and says, you know, you come with me and the boy immediately says, ha, I'll come. What does it indicate that he is not very happy at this place? And Fateh's mother, despite all that she thought about Fateh, was not very happy to hear his eagerness to get away from the village and go off with the uncle to Calcutta. Patik, as soon as all was settled, kept asking his uncle every minute when they were supposed to start.
He was on pins and needles all day long. Means he was very eager, you know, that when to go, when to go, kind of a thing. You know, pins and needles means a very uncomfortable kind of state of being in that village house. With excitement and lay awake most of the night. He bequeathed to Makhan, that is, he gave away to Makhan in perpetuity, permanently.
His fishing rod, his big kite and marble. So you could get MCQs on the three things. that he gave to Makhan. Indeed at the time of departure his generosity towards Makhan was unbounded.
So he was being very generous in giving away to Makhan all the things that belong to him in perpetuity because he thought once he goes off to Calcutta he had no intentions really of coming back. So, he was quite excited about going away and not coming back to his life because he thought he is going to have a better life out there in Calcutta. When they reached Calcutta, Fateh made the acquaintance of his aunt for the first time. That means he was meeting her for the first time. Acquaintance means that he was getting acquainted with her.
He was being introduced to her. he was meeting her for the first time she was by no means pleased with this unnecessary addition to her family this is an important aspect as far as the aunt is concerned she found her own three boys quite enough to manage without taking anyone else and to bring a village lad of 14. her boys were town lads now a village lad in terms of temperament in terms of psychological makeup everything would be very different right into their midst was terribly upsetting because the upbringing would be different. Bishambha should really have thought twice before committing such an indiscretion. Indiscretion means making such a decision which was not very well thought out.
In this world of human affairs, this is Tagore's philosophizing about it. Indiscretion is lack of judgment or carelessness. In this world of human affairs, there is no worse nuisance than a boy at the age of 14. He is neither ornamental, means he does not look very good, nor useful. You know, he is neither a young boy nor is he a man who can take on adult jobs. It is impossible to shower affection on him as a little boy and he is always getting in the way.
You know, in the sense that, you know, he doesn't, I mean, you don't know what to do with a boy of 14 years old. If he talks with a childish lisp, he is called a baby. and if he answers in a grown-up way he's called impertinent. impertinent means someone who talks in a way he should not really be talking like.
impertinent can also be like bordering on being rude sometimes. in fact any talk at all from him is resented. resented means it is not liked.
then he is at the unattractive growing age. he grows out of his clothes with indecent haste because he's growing fast, he's growing tall. he's putting on weight his voice grows hoarse with the i mean the boy's voice cracks and breaks and quavers his face grows suddenly angular and unsightly it is easy to excuse the shortcomings of early childhood but it is hard to tolerate even unavoidable lapses in a boy of 14 that is if it is a boy of let's say seven eight years old you can you know be more indulgent towards the boy but when it is a lad of 14 you find it difficult you know whether to treat him as a grown-up person or to treat him as a child.
He is in that in-between kind of teenage. The lad himself becomes painfully self-conscious. And the lad is also, the boy is also self-conscious because the voice is changing, your physical appearance is changing. So many boys also become very self-conscious at this age because you feel very gawky at times. G-A-W-K-Y.
You feel very gawky because you're suddenly growing tall and your clothes are not fitting you. So, you know, you feel very awkward with your physical appearance in general. The lad becomes painfully self-conscious. When he talks with elderly people, he is either unduly forward or else so unduly shy that he appears ashamed of his very existence. So, this is, I mean, Tagore philosophizing about how a boy of 14 usually tends to behave.
Yet, it is at this very age when in his heart of hearts, A young lad most craves for recognition and love. You know, he may feel shy, he may feel awkward, but it is at this age of 14 that a boy actually needs affection and love, which he's actually being deprived of right now. Okay, he becomes a devoted slave of anyone who shows him consideration.
So anyone who shows him, you know, a bit of recognition, you know, takes time to talk to him, indulges him. he becomes like an obedient slave, he becomes like a fan. But none dare openly love him for that would be regarded as undue indulgence and therefore bad for the boy.
But if you love him openly, it will seem like he is being too much, he is being too much, he is giving too much love. You are showering too much of love on him, you are indulging him too much. And therefore it is considered to be bad for the boy. So what with scolding and chiding, he becomes much like a stray dog that has lost his master so he ends up because of all these kind of The way the society behaves, he gets scolded, he gets chided, which means the same thing. People scold him and therefore he looks like a stray dog who has lost his master.
He doesn't know what to do because the world does not know. The mistake is not of that boy. The mistake is of the world because the world doesn't know how to deal with a boy of 14 years.
For a boy of 14, his own home is the only paradise. To live in a strange house with strange people is little short of torture. while the height of bliss is to receive the kind looks of women and never to be slighted by them.
So he says that, you know, home is like paradise. Kaisa bhi ho. It is like, you know, ghar swarg hota hai.
Whatever be the condition of your home, home is a paradise. And therefore, to be living with strange people can be a little torturous as Fatih realizes in Calcutta. And what can make him happy is to receive the kind looks of women. which also he is being deprived of because his aunt is not a kind woman. His mother also did not particularly like him and thought that he was a nuisance, perpetual nuisance.
So in that sense, you realize that he hasn't received motherly love and affection from the two women who are supposed to be mother figures. One of course is real mother, the other one who is supposed to be taking care of him in Calcutta. It was anguish to Fatik to be the unwelcome guest.
in his aunt's house despised despised means disliked by the elder by this elderly woman and slighted slighted means humiliated being insulted being snubbed on every occasion if she ever asked him to do anything for her he would be so overjoyed in by chance if she says you come cardina you would be so happy to make her happy that he would go over uh you know he would try to do everything that he could that he would overdo it and then she would tell him not to be so stupid but to get on with this lesson. So she was not fond of him and she was always trying to put him down. The cramped atmosphere of neglect in his aunt's house oppressed Fatik so much that he felt he could hardly breathe. So he was beginning to feel suffocated in that house.
He wanted to go out into the open country like in his village and fill his lungs and breathe freely. You know the fresh air. But there was no open country to go to in Calcutta. Surrounded on all sides by Calcutta houses and walls, he would dream night after night of his village home and long to be back there. He remembered his glorious meadow.
Meadow means the grasslands, the fields where he used to fly his kite all day long. The broad riverbanks where he would wander about the live long day singing and shouting for joy. the narrow brook again like a brook means like a stream where he could go and dive and swim at any time he liked. So that was the kind of village life that Fateh Chakraborty led in his village. He was missing all that.
He thought it would be an escape but he realized that he had got into a worse spot. He thought of his band of boy companions over whom he was despot means he was the leader. Despot is generally used for a cruel kind of a dictator. but he said he would order them around so he thought of himself like that and above all the memory of that tyrant mother of his this is an important phrase so she thought of him as a perpetual nuisance he thought of her as a tyrant mother so you realize there wasn't any love lost there what such a prejudice against him means she kind of did not like him occupied him day and night a kind of so even though he was unhappy in calcutta and he missed this life but it is not as though he was longing for his mother at least in the initial stage.
A kind of physical love like that of animals, a longing to be in the presence of the one who is loved and inexpressible wistfulness. Wistfulness is when you are kind of lost in thoughts. During absence, a silent cry of the inmost heart for the mother, like the lowing of a calf in the twilight.
So you realize that he's going through very muddled kind of emotions. He's missing the place. he does not like his mother but then again he kind of misses the love and affection also you know that you know he would kind of want to have a bond with her but he again calls her a tyrant mother which is almost like an animal instinct like the way a calf is with the mother cow agitated the shy nervous lean uncouth and ugly boy these are again important keywords which have been used for farting please use them in your answers No one else, no one could understand it but it preyed upon his mind continually.
So this was his state of mind, a very disturbed state of mind. There was no more backward boy in the whole school than Fatik. Now He talks about his school life, that he kind of struggled to cope with his lessons.
He gaped, means he stared and remained silent when the teacher asked him a question and like an overladder, as patiently suffered all the blows that came down on his back. So there was corporal punishment. He would get beaten up by the teacher for not answering the questions.
When other boys were out at play, he stood wistfully. Again, you know, wistfully is like lost in thoughts, a very regretful kind of longing. by the window and gazed at the roofs of the distant houses and if by chance he spied children playing on the open terrace of any roof his heart could ache with longing because he was missing all that back home in his village one day he summoned up all courage and asked his uncle uncle when can i go home so you see the first homecoming at home was not good the second homecoming to the house in calcutta which was now supposed to be his new home that was not good either because he was treated as a belief unwelcome visitor by his aunt. So the second homecoming has not also been good so now he wants to make another homecoming back to his original home in the village. His uncle answered wait till the holidays come but the holidays would not come till November and there was a long time still to wait.
One day Fateh lost his lesson book even with the help of books he had found it very difficult indeed to prepare his lesson so now that he had lost his lesson book it would be even more difficult Now it was impossible. Day after day, the teacher would cane him unmercifully. He would get physically beaten up with a cane by the teacher.
His condition became so abjectly miserable, very miserable that even his cousins were ashamed to own him. His cousins, the three brothers, were also ashamed to say that he's our cousin brother. They began to jeer. Jeer means to kind of ridicule, insult him more than the other boys. He went to his aunt at last and told him that he had lost his book.
had lost his book. His aunt pursed her lips in contempt. Pursed means to bite her lips in contempt and said, you great clumsy country lout. Lout means again, not a very good word to use.
How can I afford with all my family to buy you new books five times a month? So she's exaggerating. It's not as though he has lost his books five times in a month, but she's exaggerating in order to drive home the point that he's a nuisance.
Also the fact that she does not like him. and approve of his presence in that house in Calcutta, in their home. That night on his way back from school, Fatik had a bad headache with a fit of shivering.
He felt he was going to have an attack of malarial fever. His one great fear was that he would be a nuisance to his aunt. So that was the fear he had. The next morning, Fatik was nowhere to be seen. All searches in the neighborhood proved futile.
The rain had been pouring in torrents all night and those who went out in search of the boy got drenched through to the skin. At last, Bishambar... asked help from the police.
At the end of the day, a police van stopped at the door before the house. It was still raining and the streets were all flooded. So the police had managed to get him.
Two constables brought out Fatik in their arms and placed him before Bishamber. He was wet through from head to foot, muddy all over. His face and eyes were flushed red with fever.
His eyes were red with fever and his limbs were trembling. Bishamber carried him in his arms and took him into the inner apartment. When his wife saw him, she exclaimed, What a heap of trouble this boy has given us.
Hadn't you better send him home? Why don't you send him home? Atik heard her words and sobbed out loud. Uncle, I was just going home, but they dragged me back again.
So since his uncle had said, wait till the holidays, which should not come before November, he decided that he would go home on his own. But he got caught in the rain and the police had caught him and brought him back. So this was the third homecoming.
The third time he came back home and this time in a worse state because he's suffering from fever, he has got drenched and he's an unwelcome visitor all over again. So this is the third homecoming. The fever rose very high and all that night the boy was delirious. Delirious means when you kind of mumble in your sleep because you are running fever. So the fever is affecting your brain and you start mumbling in your sleep.
Bishambar brought in a doctor. Fatik opened his eyes flushed with fever and looked up to the ceiling and said vacantly, Uncle have the holidays come yet? May I go home? Okay, so that's his obsession now. He wants to now go home.
Bishambar wiped the tears from his own eyes and took Fatik's lean and burning hands in his own and sat by him through the night. The boy began again to mutter. At last his voice became distinct, excited. Mother, he cried, don't beat me like that because he's not delirious.
Even in his delirious state. He's kind of, you know, I mean delirium, being delirious is a state of wild excitement. He's imagining that his mother was beating him and he's protesting and pleading that please don't beat me like that. I'm telling the truth.
Okay, so being called a liar and being beaten up was a perpetual state of feeling and fear as far as Fatik was concerned. The next day, Fatik became conscious for a short time. He turned his eyes about the room as if expecting someone to come.
At last, with an air of disappointment, his head sank back on the pillow. He turned his face to the wall with a deep sigh. Vishambar knew his thoughts and bending down his head whispered, Fatik I have sent for your mother means I have asked for your mother to come to Calcutta from the village.
The day went by the doctor said in a troubled voice that the boy's condition was very critical. Fatik began to cry out, by the mark, three fathoms, by the mark, four fathoms, by the mark. He had heard the sailor on the river steamer calling out the mark on the plumb line.
Now he was himself plumping an unfathomable sea. So fathom is a unit of length which is used in reference to depth of water and one fathom is roughly equal to 6 feet. So unfathomable means incapable of being understood.
So you realize that he was himself trying to kind of measure something which is very difficult to be measured. Which is very difficult to be measured and you realize he is talking about he is using the imagery of water. So he's kind of sinking.
When you get the feeling, when you are running very high fever, I don't know if any one of you, I hope not, suffered from dengue where the fever shoots up to 106. And I'm not joking, my daughter suffered from dengue four years ago. So you, a fever, we were shocked. I had never seen someone recording 106 temperature. So you go delirious, you're not in a very conscious state you can become unconscious and it can be very dangerous when you have such high temperature so you get a very sinking feeling that you know you are just going to die so he's having a very sinking feeling which is why this whole imagery of water which has been used out here later in the day fatik's mother burst into the room like a whirlwind you know like an andhi she came into the room and began to toss from side to side and moan cry in a loud voice Bishamba tried to calm her agitation but she flung herself on the bed and cried, Fatik my darling, my darling. So the first time you see some kind of affection and love being showered on Fatik by anyone in the story.
You have his ring of boys who kind of worship him, hero worship him but none of them have been named. But among all his other family members, his aunt, his cousins, the school teacher, Makhan, his mother, his uncle is a little more neutral. no one has shown any love and affection towards him.
Fatik stopped his restless movements for a moment. His hands ceased beating up and down. He said, eh, because he's surprised at being referred to as darling.
The mother cried again, Fatik, my darling, my darling. Fatik very slowly turned his head and without seeing anybody said, mother, the holidays have come. So, which means the holidays have come, the homecoming should happen.
he leaves it like that now this is open to interpretation right he very slowly turned his head and said without seeing anybody he said the holidays have come so the holidays have come means he can now go home but whether fatigue survives or not that is open to interpretation one interpretation is that he dies at the end you know because he's already sinking but at the last moment he receives some love and affection from the mother right so the whole concept of homecoming so finally he gets to go home but what kind of a home it is whether he goes back to the village or whether he dies. Tagore has left it very open-ended which can be open to different kinds of interpretation. He very slowly turned his head which all indicates that the end has probably come for this boy of 14 and without seeing anybody, his vision is blurred. He says mother the holidays have come, the homecoming can happen, he can now go away. he can now return.
Now the return can be like he's dying in the arms of his mother which means the lady who gave him birth is kind of going back to her. So it can be interpreted in several ways. So the ending is very very open-ended in that sense but the larger theme of the story is that of homecoming.
That home is where you get the love which is why a home as a concept is a very integral and important part of our lives right I hope you understood the story enjoyed it took the meanings from it it's very important to see this video instead of just looking at the notes because a lot many things you explain it much better in a video right thank you very much for watching all the best