Summary: “Bholi” is a short story written by K.A. Abbas. It appears in the supplementary reader Footprints Without Feet for Class 10 English. The story is about Sulekha, a young girl from a village in India who is called “Bholi” meaning a simpleton. She falls off a cot as an infant and suffers a brain injury that makes her a slow learner. She also contracts smallpox at the age of two, which leaves her face disfigured with pockmarks. She develops a stammer and is neglected by her family and mocked by others. Her parents consider her unmarriageable. When the Tehsildar visits their village to inaugurate a new girls’ school, Bholi’s father Ramlal, a village Numberdar, is asked to send his daughters to school. Her parents reluctantly send Bholi thinking there is little chance of her getting married anyway. At school, a kind and compassionate teacher changes Bholi’s life by encouraging her and building her confidence. Years later, a rich but elderly and greedy widower named Bishamber Nath proposes to marry Bholi without any dowry, and the family eagerly agrees. However, at the wedding ceremony, Bishamber lifts Bholi’s veil and upon seeing her pockmarks, demands five thousand rupees as dowry. Bholi’s father, desperate to marry off his daughter, agrees to pay. But the educated and self-aware Bholi refuses to marry such a mean and greedy man. She decides to stay home, care for her aging parents, and teach at the village school — the very institution that transformed her life. The story powerfully highlights the importance of education, women’s empowerment, self-respect, and the evils of the dowry system.
সাৰাংশ (Summary in Assamese)
“ভোলি” হৈছে কে.এ. আব্বাছৰ দ্বাৰা ৰচিত এটি চুটি গল্প যি দশম শ্ৰেণীৰ ইংৰাজী সম্পূৰক পাঠ্যপুথি “ফুটপ্ৰিন্টছ উইদাউট ফিট”ত অন্তৰ্ভুক্ত কৰা হৈছে। গল্পটোৰ মূল চৰিত্ৰ হৈছে ৰামলালৰ কনিষ্ঠ কন্যা সুলেখা, যাক সকলোৱে “ভোলি” বুলি মাতে। “ভোলি” মানে সহজ-সৰল বা বোকা মানুহ। শিশু অৱস্থাত খটিয়াৰ পৰা পৰি যোৱাৰ ফলত তাইৰ মগজুৰ এটি অংশ ক্ষতিগ্ৰস্ত হয় আৰু তাই অন্য শিশুতকৈ পিচপৰা হৈ যায়। দুই বছৰ বয়সত বসন্ত ৰোগে তাইৰ মুখত বোকামাৰিৰ দাগ এৰি যায়।
ভোলিৰ পৰিয়ালে তাইক অৱহেলা কৰে আৰু তাইক বিয়া দিব পাৰিব বুলি আশা এৰি দিয়ে। তেতিয়া গাঁৱত এখন নতুন ছোৱালীৰ বিদ্যালয় উদ্বোধন হয় আৰু তহছিলদাৰ চাহাবে ৰামলালক তেওঁৰ জীয়ৰীসকলক বিদ্যালয়লৈ পঠিয়াবলৈ কয়। ভোলিৰ মাকে ভাবে যে ভোলিক বিয়া নহ’বই, গতিকে তাইক বিদ্যালয়লৈ পঠিয়ালে কোনো ক্ষতি নাই। এইদৰে ভোলি বিদ্যালয়লৈ যোৱা আৰম্ভ কৰে।
বিদ্যালয়ত ভোলিৰ শিক্ষয়িত্ৰীজনী অতি দয়ালু আৰু স্নেহময়ী আছিল। তেওঁ ভোলিক উৎসাহিত কৰিলে, তাইৰ তোতলামি সত্ত্বেও তাইক অৱহেলা নকৰিলে। তেওঁৰ মমতাপূৰ্ণ ব্যৱহাৰে ভোলিৰ মনত আশাৰ নতুন পোহৰ জ্বলাই দিলে। বছৰৰ পিছত বছৰ শিক্ষাৰ সুবাদত ভোলি এগৰাকী আত্মবিশ্বাসী, সচেতন আৰু স্পষ্টবক্তা যুৱতী হৈ উঠিল।
ভোলিৰ যৌৱনত এজন ধনী কিন্তু বৃদ্ধ বিপত্নীক বিষামবৰ নাথে কোনো যৌতুক নোলোৱাকৈ তাইক বিয়া কৰিবলৈ সম্মত হয়। ৰামলাল আনন্দিত হৈ বিয়াত ৰাজী হয়। কিন্তু বিয়াৰ দিনা বিষামবৰে ভোলিৰ মুখৰ বোকামাৰিৰ দাগ দেখি পাঁচ হাজাৰ টকা যৌতুক দাবী কৰে। ৰামলাল কন্যাৰ বিয়াৰ বাবে লজ্জিত হৈ যৌতুক দিবলৈ সম্মত হয়। কিন্তু শিক্ষিত ভোলিয়ে তেনে লোভী, কাপুৰুষ ব্যক্তিক বিয়া কৰাবলৈ ঢাঢ়িনামেই অস্বীকাৰ কৰে।
ভোলিয়ে বিয়া প্ৰত্যাখ্যান কৰি কয় যে সি ঘৰতে থাকিব, বৃদ্ধ পিতা-মাতাৰ সেৱা কৰিব আৰু গাঁৱৰ বিদ্যালয়তে শিক্ষয়িত্ৰী হিচাপে কাম কৰিব — যি বিদ্যালয়ে তাইক নতুন জীৱন দিলে। গল্পটোৱে শিক্ষাৰ শক্তি, নাৰীৰ সশক্তিকৰণ, আত্ম-সম্মান আৰু যৌতুক প্ৰথাৰ বিৰুদ্ধে সাহসী প্ৰতিৰোধৰ বাৰ্তা দিয়ে।
Summary in English
The story “Bholi” is set in a small village in India. Sulekha, the fourth and youngest daughter of Ramlal, the village Numberdar (revenue official), is given the nickname “Bholi” which means a simpleton. As an infant, she falls off a cot and damages a part of her brain, making her slower than other children of her age. At the age of two, she contracts smallpox which leaves ugly pockmarks all over her face. She also develops a stammer and is unable to speak clearly. As a result, she is neglected by her family, mocked by her siblings, and considered to be of no worth. Her parents believe that no boy will ever marry her.
When the Tehsildar visits the village for the inauguration of a new girls’ school, he asks Ramlal, as a government official, to set an example by sending his daughters to school. Bholi’s mother suggests sending Bholi since there is little hope of her getting married anyway. On her first day at school, Bholi is afraid and overwhelmed, but the colourful pictures on the classroom walls fascinate her. Most importantly, her teacher treats her with great kindness and patience. Unlike her family, the teacher does not mock her stammer. She encourages Bholi to speak and study, and assures her that one day she will be able to speak clearly. This simple act of compassion gives Bholi a sense of hope and purpose for the first time in her life.
As the years pass, education transforms Bholi completely. She becomes literate, confident, and articulate. She is no longer the frightened, stammering girl who was looked down upon. When she reaches marriageable age, a wealthy but middle-aged widower named Bishamber Nath proposes to marry her. Bishamber, who has a limp and is nearly the same age as Ramlal, has grown-up children from his first marriage. However, he agrees to marry Bholi without any dowry, and Ramlal eagerly accepts the proposal, relieved that his “difficult” daughter will finally be settled.
On the day of the wedding, as the ceremony is about to be completed, Bishamber lifts Bholi’s veil and sees her pockmarked face. He immediately demands five thousand rupees as dowry or he will refuse to marry her. Ramlal, humiliated but desperate, agrees to pay the dowry. However, the educated Bholi witnesses her father’s humiliation. Filled with self-respect and righteous anger, she throws the garland away and refuses to marry Bishamber. She calls him mean, greedy, and contemptible. The guests and the pandit are shocked.
When her father asks what will become of her now, Bholi calmly replies that she will stay home, take care of her old parents, and teach at the same school where she received her education. The teacher, who is watching from a distance, is filled with pride. The story ends on this triumphant note, with Bholi — now rightfully called Sulekha, meaning one who is beautiful of mind — having found her true voice and identity through the power of education. The story is a celebration of self-respect and a powerful critique of dowry, gender discrimination, and social prejudice.
About the Author
Khwaja Ahmad Abbas (K.A. Abbas) was born on 7 June 1914 in Panipat, India. He was a prolific Indian writer, novelist, journalist, and film director. He wrote in both Urdu and English and was known for his progressive and socially conscious work. He was associated with the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) and contributed significantly to Indian literature and cinema. He worked as a journalist for the Blitz newspaper for several decades. Abbas was a close associate of Jawaharlal Nehru and was deeply influenced by leftist and humanist ideologies. His stories often focused on the struggles of common people, the poor, women, and the marginalized sections of society. Some of his famous works include the films Naya Daur, Do Boond Pani, and Saat Hindustani. The short story “Bholi” is a fine example of his commitment to social justice, particularly his concern for women’s rights, education, and the abolition of social evils like the dowry system. K.A. Abbas passed away on 1 June 1987.
Textbook Questions and Answers
Read and Find Out (Page 54)
Q1. Why is Bholi’s father worried about her?
Ans: Bholi’s father, Ramlal, is worried about her for several reasons. As an infant, she fell off a cot and suffered brain damage, which made her a slow learner. At the age of two, she contracted smallpox which left ugly pockmarks all over her face and body. She also developed a stammer and could not speak clearly. Because of her disfigured face, her stammer, and her perceived lack of intelligence, Ramlal is worried that no suitable boy will ever agree to marry her. In a society where a girl’s marriage is considered her family’s greatest responsibility, Bholi’s condition makes her future seem very uncertain to her father.
Q2. For what unusual reason is Bholi sent to school?
Ans: Bholi is sent to school for an unusual and somewhat ironic reason. When the Tehsildar comes to the village for the inauguration of the new girls’ school, he asks Ramlal, as a government official, to set a good example for the villagers by sending his own daughters to school. Ramlal is a Numberdar and feels he cannot disobey the Tehsildar. He is reluctant, but his wife suggests sending Bholi because she believes there is little hope of Bholi getting married anyway due to her pockmarks and stammer. So Bholi is sent to school not because her parents value her education, but because she is considered a burden with no marriage prospects, and school seems like a convenient way to handle her. This is the unusual and rather sad reason behind her enrollment.
Read and Find Out (Page 55)
Q1. Does Bholi enjoy her first day at school? Why?
Ans: Initially, Bholi does not enjoy her first day at school. She is very frightened and feels like a dumb cow being led to a new place. She is overwhelmed by the new environment, the other children, and the unfamiliar surroundings. However, as the day progresses, things change. She is fascinated by the colourful pictures of animals and birds painted on the classroom walls. Most importantly, her teacher speaks to her with great kindness and warmth, unlike the people at home who always mocked or ignored her. The teacher’s gentle and encouraging manner fills Bholi with a sense of hope. By the end of the first day, she is looking forward to coming back to school. So while her day begins in fear, it ends with a new sense of hope for a better life.
Q2. Does she find her teacher different from the people at home? How?
Ans: Yes, Bholi finds her teacher completely different from the people at home. At home, Bholi is neglected, mocked, and made to feel worthless. Her siblings make fun of her, nobody washes her clothes or combs her hair, and she is treated as less important than the others. Her parents think of her as a burden. In sharp contrast, her teacher treats her with great kindness, affection, and patience. When Bholi stammers and is unable to speak her name clearly, the teacher does not laugh at her or lose patience. Instead, the teacher encourages her, speaks to her gently, and assures her that she will be able to speak clearly one day. This warmth and encouragement is something Bholi has never experienced before, and it makes a profound difference to her emotional state and her confidence.
Read and Find Out (Page 58)
Q1. Why do Bholi’s parents accept Bishamber’s marriage proposal?
Ans: Bholi’s parents accept Bishamber’s marriage proposal for several practical reasons. Bishamber Nath is a well-to-do shopkeeper who has his own shop, a house, and a good bank balance. He is wealthy and financially stable. Most importantly, he initially agrees to marry Bholi without demanding any dowry at all. For Ramlal, who has been worried for years about marrying off his disfigured, stammering daughter, this proposal seems like a godsend. He believes that no other man would agree to marry Bholi given her condition, so he eagerly accepts this proposal without looking too carefully at Bishamber’s age or character. The prospect of settling Bholi’s future without the burden of dowry makes the proposal very attractive to her parents.
Q2. Why doesn’t the marriage happen?
Ans: The marriage does not happen because of Bholi’s brave and decisive refusal. At the wedding ceremony, when the garland is being exchanged, Bishamber lifts Bholi’s veil and notices her pockmarked face. He immediately stops the ceremony and demands five thousand rupees as dowry, saying he will not marry her without it. Ramlal, desperate and humiliated, agrees to pay. However, the educated Bholi, who has developed self-respect and dignity through years of schooling, refuses to accept this humiliation. She throws away the garland and clearly tells Bishamber that she will not marry a mean, greedy, and contemptible man like him. She walks away from the wedding, choosing self-respect over the security of marriage.
Think About It (Page 62)
Q1. Bholi had many apprehensions about going to school. What made her feel that she was going to a better place than her home?
Ans: Bholi had many fears and apprehensions about going to school because she had never left her home before and did not know what school was like. However, certain things made her feel that she was going to a better place. On the morning she was to go to school, her father gave her a bath and put oil in her hair. She was also given a clean new dress to wear. These were things that had never happened to her before at home, where nobody cared to wash her clothes, oil her hair, or give her new clothes. The special treatment she received that morning made her feel important and valued for the first time. She felt she was being taken somewhere special, and this feeling made school seem like a better place than the home where she had always been neglected and ignored.
Q2. How did Bholi’s teacher play an important role in changing the course of her life?
Ans: Bholi’s teacher played a truly transformative role in changing her life. When Bholi first came to school, she was a frightened, stammering, and deeply insecure girl who had been neglected and mocked all her life. The teacher was the first person to treat her with genuine kindness and respect. She did not laugh at Bholi’s stammer or her pockmarks. She spoke to her gently and encouragingly, assuring her that she would be able to speak clearly one day. She motivated Bholi to study and learn. Over the years, the teacher’s patient guidance helped Bholi overcome her stammer and gain confidence. Education gave Bholi knowledge of her rights and the ability to think independently. It is because of this education and encouragement that Bholi was able to refuse the humiliating marriage with the greedy Bishamber, assert her self-respect, and plan a meaningful life for herself. Without the teacher’s intervention, Bholi might have remained a timid, voiceless girl all her life.
Q3. Why did Bholi at first agree to an unequal match? Why did she later refuse?
Ans: Bholi at first agreed to the marriage with Bishamber even though he was much older than her and had grown-up children from a previous marriage. She agreed because she wanted to fulfil her parents’ wishes and give them the happiness and relief of seeing her settled. She did not want to be a burden to her family. She understood that in her society, a disfigured and stammering girl like her had very few choices, and she accepted this reality out of love for her parents. However, she later changed her mind and refused the marriage when Bishamber demanded five thousand rupees as dowry after seeing her pockmarks. She refused because she could not tolerate seeing her father humiliated and pleading before such a greedy man. Her education had given her a strong sense of dignity and self-respect, and she could not bring herself to marry a cowardly, mean, and greedy person simply to satisfy social conventions.
Q4. Sulekha was called ‘Bholi’, the simpleton. She proved however that she was not a simpleton. How?
Ans: Sulekha was called Bholi — meaning a simpleton or a dull-witted person — because of her slow speech and perceived lack of intelligence caused by her brain injury and pockmarked appearance. However, through the story she proves conclusively that she is not a simpleton at all. She shows tremendous courage when she refuses to marry the greedy and shameless Bishamber at the wedding ceremony itself, despite the presence of guests and the social disgrace involved. She thinks clearly and decisively, unlike the supposedly wiser adults around her who are willing to accept humiliation for the sake of social convention. She plans her future sensibly, deciding to care for her parents and become a teacher. Her use of clear and confident language at the wedding — where she once could not even speak — shows how far she has come. By the end of the story, she has rightfully earned the name Sulekha, which means one who writes well or a beautiful soul, proving that education can reveal the true worth of a person.
Talk About It (Page 62)
Q1. Bholi’s real name is Sulekha. We are told this right at the beginning. But only at the end of the story is she called Sulekha. Why is it so?
Ans: Bholi’s real name Sulekha means a literate, intelligent, and beautiful person. Throughout most of the story, she is called “Bholi” which means a simpleton, because that is how her family and society see her — as a dull, disfigured, and worthless girl. She is defined by her disabilities and her appearance. However, at the very end of the story, after she bravely refuses the humiliating marriage and asserts her self-respect and independence, she is called Sulekha again. This name change is deeply symbolic. It represents her complete transformation from a timid, voiceless, and neglected girl into a confident, educated, and self-assured young woman. By calling her Sulekha at the end, the author signals that she has finally become the person her name always promised she would be — dignified, intelligent, and capable. The name Bholi was a label imposed on her by society; Sulekha is her true identity, which only education could reveal.
Q2. A number of events in the story contribute to Bholi’s transformation. Discuss in pairs/groups the various factors that contribute to Bholi’s transformation and why the teacher is most important among them.
Ans: Several events and factors contribute to Bholi’s remarkable transformation. First, her enrollment in school, though done for the wrong reasons, gives her access to education and a new environment. Second, the colourful classroom at school gives her a first glimpse of a more stimulating world beyond her home. Third, and most importantly, the teacher’s compassionate and patient guidance plays the central role in her transformation. The teacher is important above all other factors because she is the first person to truly believe in Bholi’s potential. While everyone else — her family, neighbours, and society — has dismissed Bholi as hopeless, the teacher sees a human being worthy of respect and encouragement. She helps Bholi overcome her stammer, builds her confidence, teaches her to read and write, and most importantly helps her develop a sense of self-worth. It is this sense of self-worth, nurtured by the teacher, that ultimately gives Bholi the courage to stand up against the dowry-seeking groom. Without the teacher’s influence, the other factors alone would not have been sufficient to bring about Bholi’s transformation.
Q3. Are such incidents possible today? Do girls get a chance to go to school? Do you think girls should be educated? What are the reasons for and against?
Ans: Unfortunately, such incidents are still possible in parts of India and other developing countries today, though the situation has improved significantly over the decades. Many girls, especially in rural areas, are still denied education due to poverty, patriarchal mindsets, fear of social stigma, and the burden of domestic responsibilities. However, with government initiatives like the Right to Education Act, the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme, and midday meal programmes, more girls are being enrolled in schools than ever before. The reasons in favour of educating girls are many and compelling: education empowers women to make their own decisions, earn a living, fight against exploitation and social evils, contribute to the family and nation, and raise healthier and better-educated children. There are virtually no valid reasons against educating girls. Arguments against girls’ education — such as that it spoils their marriage prospects or that a girl’s place is at home — are rooted in ignorance, prejudice, and patriarchy. The story of Bholi itself is the strongest argument for why girls must be educated.
Additional Important Questions and Answers
Short Answer Type Questions (2–3 Marks)
Q1. Who was Bholi? What problems did she face in her childhood?
Ans: Bholi, whose real name was Sulekha, was the youngest daughter of Ramlal, the village Numberdar. As an infant, she fell off a cot and suffered brain damage, making her a slow learner. At the age of two, she contracted smallpox which left ugly pockmarks all over her face. She also developed a stammer and could not speak clearly. Because of these problems, she was neglected by her family, mocked by her siblings, and considered worthless by society. Her parents believed no boy would ever marry her.
Q2. How did Bholi’s teacher treat her on her first day at school?
Ans: On Bholi’s first day at school, her teacher treated her with extraordinary kindness and patience. When Bholi stammered and could not speak her name properly, the teacher did not laugh at her or scold her. She spoke to Bholi gently and encouragingly, and told her that with practice she would be able to speak clearly one day. Unlike the people at home who always mocked or ignored Bholi, the teacher smiled at her and treated her with warmth and dignity. This kindness deeply moved Bholi and gave her a new sense of hope. She left school that day looking forward to returning the next day.
Q3. Describe the character of Bishamber Nath. Why did he demand dowry?
Ans: Bishamber Nath was a middle-aged, wealthy widower who had a limp and grown-up children from his first marriage. He was nearly as old as Bholi’s father Ramlal. He initially agreed to marry Bholi without any dowry, which made Ramlal accept his proposal eagerly. However, his true character was exposed at the wedding when he lifted Bholi’s veil and saw her pockmarked face. He immediately stopped the ceremony and demanded five thousand rupees as dowry, threatening to refuse the marriage. This act revealed him to be greedy, cowardly, mean, and opportunistic. He used Bholi’s desperate family situation to extract money, showing that he was never genuinely interested in Bholi as a person but only wanted financial gain.
Q4. What did Bholi say to Bishamber at the wedding? What does this tell us about her?
Ans: At the wedding, when Bishamber demanded dowry and Ramlal humiliated himself by agreeing to pay, Bholi threw away her garland and firmly refused to marry Bishamber. She called him a mean, greedy, and contemptible coward who was not worthy of being her husband. When Bishamber threatened to expose her to society as a rejected bride, she told him she did not care and did not fear him. This courageous act tells us a great deal about Bholi’s transformation. Education had given her self-respect, clarity of thought, and the courage to speak her mind and stand up for her dignity even in the most difficult social situation. She chose self-respect over social security, which shows remarkable strength of character.