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Short Summary of the Chapter : The Portrait of a Lady
This chapter is about the writer’s grandmother. Her name is not given, but she was very old. She had white hair, wrinkled face, and always wore clean white clothes. The writer had known her like this for 20 years. She looked peaceful, just like a white winter scene.
The writer and his grandmother were very close friends in childhood. His parents went to live in the city, so he stayed with her in the village. She woke him up, got him ready for school, and went with him. The school was near a temple. While the children studied, she read holy books.
Later, they moved to the city. Things changed. He went to an English school by bus. She couldn’t help him with those subjects. She was sad there were no religious lessons. When he got music lessons, she was more upset. She thought music was for beggars.
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When the writer went to university, he got his own room. They saw each other less. She spent most of her time spinning the wheel and saying prayers. Her only joy was feeding sparrows every afternoon.
He went abroad for five years. She didn’t cry, but silently prayed and kissed his forehead. When he came back, she looked just the same. She still prayed and fed sparrows happily.
One day, she suddenly stopped praying. She called some ladies and sang loudly, playing an old drum. Next day, she got a fever and said her end was near. She lay in bed, prayed, and peacefully passed away.
When they went to her room for the funeral, they saw thousands of sparrows sitting quietly. They didn’t eat anything and left only after her body was taken away.
Detailed Summary of the Chapter : The Portrait of a Lady
1. The Grandmother’s Appearance :The writer Khushwant Singh talks about his grandmother. She was old and wrinkled. He had seen her like that for 20 years. People said she was once young and pretty, but it was hard to believe. Her husband’s photo hung in their drawing room. He looked very old and serious in the picture. The writer felt his grandfather looked like someone who had many grandchildren, not a wife.
2. Her Calm and Peaceful Look :The grandmother was short, fat, and slightly bent. Her face had many wrinkles. She wore spotless white clothes. Her silver hair was messy. She always held a rosary in her hands and kept saying prayers. The writer found her very peaceful and beautiful, like a white winter scene in the mountains.
3. A Close Bond in the Village :The writer and his grandmother were very close when they lived in the village. His parents had moved to the city. So, he stayed with her. She would wake him up, dress him, and get him ready for school. She sang prayers while helping him. She gave him a stale chapatti with butter and sugar for breakfast. She also carried chapattis for the village dogs.
4. School and Temple Together :The school was part of a temple. The priest taught them the alphabet and prayers. Grandmother sat nearby and read the scriptures. After school, the dogs waited outside for her. They followed them home for the chapattis.
5. Life Changes in the City :When they moved to the city, things changed. He went to an English school in a motor bus. She stopped going to school with him. She started feeding sparrows instead of dogs. She didn’t understand English and didn’t like his science lessons. She became sad when he started learning music. She thought music was for beggars and not good people.
6. Less Time Together :When the writer joined the university, he got a separate room. They hardly talked. She stayed alone, spinning her wheel and praying. She only stopped in the afternoon to feed the sparrows. Hundreds of sparrows came. They sat on her head and shoulders. She smiled but never pushed them away.
7. Going Abroad :The writer went abroad for five years. He thought she would cry, but she didn’t. She came to the station, prayed silently, and kissed his forehead. He thought it might be their last goodbye.
8. A Warm Welcome :When he returned after five years, she looked the same. She hugged him but kept saying her prayers. She was still happiest while feeding her sparrows.
9. A Sudden Change :One evening, she stopped praying. She gathered women and sang songs of warriors’ homecoming. She played a drum for hours. It was the first time she didn’t pray. Her family had to stop her because it was tiring.
10. Peaceful Death and the Sparrows :The next morning, she got a mild fever. The doctor said she would be fine, but she felt her end was near. She lay in bed, praying quietly. Soon, her lips stopped moving, and she died peacefully.
They placed her body on the floor and covered her with a red cloth. In the evening, thousands of sparrows came. They sat silently all around her. They didn’t chirp or eat the bread crumbs. After her body was taken for cremation, the sparrows flew away quietly. Next morning, the crumbs were swept away.
Pointwise Summary of the Chapter : The Portrait of a Lady
1. Grandmother’s look – She was old, wrinkled, wore white clothes, and always said prayers with her rosary.
2. Close friendship – The writer and his grandmother were good friends when they lived together in the village.
3. Village routine – She got him ready, went with him to the temple-school, and fed chapattis to the street dogs.
4. City life change – In the city, she stopped going to school with him and began feeding sparrows instead.
5. Dislikes English education – She was upset that there was no teaching about God and didn’t like music lessons.
6. Growing distance – As the writer grew older and went to university, she stayed alone and spun the wheel all day.
7. Sparrows and peace – Her happiest time was feeding the sparrows every afternoon; they sat all over her lovingly.
8. He goes abroad – The writer left for five years; she didn’t cry, just prayed silently and kissed him goodbye.
9. Her last evening – She stopped praying, sang songs with a drum, and felt her end was near the next day.
10. Silent farewell – After her peaceful death, thousands of sparrows came, sat quietly, didn’t eat, and flew away without a sound.
