“The Portrait of a Lady” by Khushwant SinghI CLASS 11 ENGLISH
Here is the summary of “The Portrait of a Lady” by Khushwant Singh in both English and Hindi:
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📘 Summary in English:
“The Portrait of a Lady” is a touching and nostalgic account of the author’s relationship with his grandmother. The story portrays the deep bond between the narrator and his grandmother, who is described as old, calm, and religious. In the village, she used to help him get ready for school, teach him prayers, and accompany him daily.
When they moved to the city, their relationship changed. The grandmother felt left out as she couldn't help him with his modern education, which lacked religious values. Later, when the author went abroad for studies, she did not express sadness and continued her silent prayers.
She spent her last days feeding sparrows and chanting. Just before her death, she stopped talking and devoted herself entirely to prayer. After her death, thousands of sparrows gathered silently around her, showing their grief without making a sound or eating anything.
This story beautifully shows the unconditional love, quiet strength, and spiritual nature of the grandmother.
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📙 सारांश हिंदी में:
"द पोर्ट्रेट ऑफ़ अ लेडी" लेखक खुसवंत सिंह द्वारा लिखी गई एक भावनात्मक कहानी है, जिसमें वह अपनी दादी के साथ अपने संबंधों को याद करते हैं। दादी एक वृद्ध, शांत और धार्मिक महिला थीं। गाँव में वह लेखक को स्कूल के लिए तैयार करतीं, उसे धार्मिक पाठ पढ़ातीं और स्कूल छोड़ने जाती थीं।
शहर में आने के बाद उनके रिश्तों में बदलाव आ गया। दादी आधुनिक शिक्षा से असंतुष्ट थीं क्योंकि उसमें धार्मिक शिक्षा नहीं थी। वह अब लेखक की पढ़ाई में मदद नहीं कर पाती थीं और अकेलापन महसूस करने लगीं।
जब लेखक विदेश पढ़ने गया, तो दादी ने चुपचाप आशीर्वाद दिया, कोई शिकायत नहीं की। अपने अंतिम दिनों में वह चिड़ियों को दाना डालती रहीं और लगातार प्रार्थना करती रहीं। मृत्यु से ठीक पहले उन्होंने किसी से बात करना बंद कर दिया और पूरी तरह से ध्यान और प्रार्थना में लीन हो गईं।
उनकी मृत्यु के बाद हजारों चिड़ियाँ उनके शव के चारों ओर इकट्ठा हो गईं, न कुछ खाया और न ही कोई आवाज़ की। यह दृश्य दादी के प्रति उनके प्रेम और सम्मान को दर्शाता है।
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📘 Very Short Answer Type Questions (1 mark each)
1. Who is the author of “The Portrait of a Lady”?
English: Khushwant Singh
Hindi: खलील खुसवंत सिंह
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2. What was the relationship between the narrator and the old lady?
English: She was his grandmother.
Hindi: वह उसकी दादी थीं।
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3. What was the most remarkable feature of the grandmother?
English: Her wrinkled face and white hair.
Hindi: उनकी झुर्रियों वाली त्वचा और सफेद बाल।
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4. What did the grandmother always carry in her hands?
English: A rosary (mala) and feeding-bowl for sparrows.
Hindi: एक माला और चिड़ियों के लिए दाना।
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5. How did the grandmother spend her day in the village?
English: She prayed, fed the narrator, and accompanied him to school.
Hindi: वह प्रार्थना करती थीं, पोते को खाना खिलाती थीं और स्कूल छोड़ने जाती थीं।
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6. What change came in their relationship in the city?
English: She could no longer help him with studies and felt isolated.
Hindi: वह उसकी पढ़ाई में मदद नहीं कर पाती थीं और अकेलापन महसूस करती थीं।
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7. Why was the grandmother unhappy with city education?
English: It had no religious teaching.
Hindi: उसमें धार्मिक शिक्षा नहीं थी।
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8. What was her reaction when the author went abroad?
English: She was silent and gave him her blessings.
Hindi: वह चुप रहीं और आशीर्वाद दिया।
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9. What did the grandmother do just before her death?
English: She prayed and refused to talk to anyone.
Hindi: वह प्रार्थना करती रहीं और किसी से बात नहीं की।
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10. How did the sparrows express their grief at her death?
English: They sat quietly around her body and didn’t eat anything.
Hindi: वे चुपचाप उनके पास बैठीं और कुछ नहीं खाया।
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Here are Short Answer Type Questions (2–3 marks each) from "The Portrait of a Lady" in both English and Hindi:
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📘 Short Answer Questions (with Hindi Translation)
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1. Describe the appearance of the grandmother.
English:
The grandmother was short, fat, and slightly bent. Her face was wrinkled, and she had white hair. She always wore a spotless white saree and carried a rosary in her hand.
Hindi:
दादी छोटी, मोटी और थोड़ी झुकी हुई थीं। उनके चेहरे पर झुर्रियाँ थीं और बाल सफेद थे। वह हमेशा सफेद साड़ी पहनती थीं और हाथ में माला रखती थीं।
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2. What was the daily routine of the grandmother in the village?
English:
In the village, she used to wake the author, get him ready for school, pack his things, and accompany him to the school. She sat in the temple reading scriptures while he studied.
Hindi:
गाँव में दादी लेखक को जगाती थीं, उसे स्कूल के लिए तैयार करती थीं, उसका सामान पैक करती थीं और उसे स्कूल छोड़ने जाती थीं। वह मंदिर में बैठकर धार्मिक पुस्तकें पढ़ती थीं।
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3. How did the grandmother react to the narrator’s education in the city?
English:
She was unhappy because the new education system had no place for religious teachings. She felt disconnected and isolated.
Hindi:
दादी नाराज़ थीं क्योंकि शहर की शिक्षा में धार्मिक ज्ञान नहीं था। वह खुद को अलग-थलग महसूस करने लगी थीं।
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4. Why was the grandmother unhappy when the author took music lessons?
English:
She believed music was meant for beggars and not for respectable people. She felt it was not suitable for a boy from a good family.
Hindi:
दादी का मानना था कि संगीत भिखारियों के लिए होता है, अच्छे घरों के बच्चों के लिए नहीं। इसलिए वह नाखुश थीं।
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5. What change came in the grandmother’s life after the narrator went abroad?
English:
She became more silent and spent most of her time spinning the wheel, feeding sparrows, and praying.
Hindi:
लेखक के विदेश जाने के बाद दादी और शांत हो गईं। वह चर्खा चलाती थीं, चिड़ियों को दाना खिलाती थीं और प्रार्थना करती थीं।
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6. How did the sparrows mourn the grandmother’s death?
English:
Thousands of sparrows came and sat quietly around her body. They did not chirp or eat the food given to them.
Hindi:
हज़ारों चिड़ियाँ दादी के शव के चारों ओर चुपचाप बैठ गई
Here are Essay Type Questions from “The Portrait of a Lady” by Khushwant Singh in both English and Hindi:
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📄 Essay Type Questions (100–150 words)
(With English Answer and Hindi Translation)
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Q1. Describe the character of the grandmother as portrayed in the story.
English Answer:
The grandmother in “The Portrait of a Lady” is a deeply spiritual and kind-hearted woman. She is depicted as traditional, simple, and full of affection. Her white hair, wrinkled face, and always wearing a white saree give her a peaceful and dignified appearance. In the village, she played an important role in the narrator’s life, helping him get ready for school and teaching him prayers. In the city, she became lonely and spent most of her time spinning the wheel, feeding sparrows, and praying. Even before her death, she was calm and devoted to God. Her silent mourning by the sparrows shows how much love and respect she had earned. She symbolizes unconditional love, spirituality, and simplicity.
Hindi Translation:
"द पोर्ट्रेट ऑफ़ अ लेडी" में दादी एक आध्यात्मिक और दयालु महिला के रूप में चित्रित की गई हैं। वह पारंपरिक, सरल और स्नेहपूर्ण हैं। उनके सफेद बाल, झुर्रियों वाला चेहरा और सफेद साड़ी उन्हें शांत और गरिमामयी रूप देते हैं। गाँव में वह लेखक को स्कूल तैयार करती थीं और उसे धार्मिक पाठ पढ़ाती थीं। शहर में वह अकेली हो गईं और अधिकतर समय प्रार्थना, चर्खा कातने और चिड़ियों को दाना डालने में बिताती थीं। मृत्यु से पहले भी वह शांत थीं और ईश्वर में लीन थीं। उनकी मृत्यु पर चिड़ियों का मौन शोक उनके प्रति सम्मान को दर्शाता है। वह निःस्वार्थ प्रेम, भक्ति और सादगी का प्रतीक हैं।
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Q2. How does the story highlight the bond between the author and his grandmother?
English Answer:
The story beautifully presents the emotional bond between the author and his grandmother. In the village, their relationship was very close. She helped him with daily activities and accompanied him to school. They spent a lot of time together. However, after moving to the city, the bond started fading. The modern lifestyle and education system created a distance. Despite this, the love and understanding between them never disappeared. Even when the narrator went abroad, the grandmother showed silent strength and gave him blessings. Her peaceful and loving nature remained unchanged. The sparrows mourning her death shows how deeply she was loved, not only by the narrator but by others too. This touching relationship is the heart of the story.
Hindi Translation:
यह कहानी लेखक और उसकी दादी के बीच के भावनात्मक संबंध को सुंदर ढंग से प्रस्तुत करती है। गाँव में उनका रिश्ता बहुत गहरा था। दादी लेखक की दिनचर्या में मदद करती थीं और स्कूल तक साथ जाती थीं। दोनों साथ में काफी समय बिताते थे। लेकिन शहर में आने के बाद यह रिश्ता कमजोर पड़ने लगा। आधुनिक शिक्षा और जीवनशैली ने दूरी बढ़ा दी। फिर भी उनके बीच का प्यार और समझ कभी खत्म नहीं हुआ। जब लेखक विदेश गया, तो दादी ने शांत भाव से आशीर्वाद दिया। उनकी शांति और प्रेमभावना अंत तक बनी रही। चिड़ियों का उनका शोक मनाना यह दर्शाता है कि उन्हें सभी कितना चाहते थे। यह संबंध ही कहानी की आत्मा है।
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Here are the important word meanings from the chapter "The Portrait of a Lady" by Khushwant Singh, with English meanings and Hindi translations:
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📘 Word Meanings – English to Hindi
Word English Meaning Hindi Meaning
Portrait A painting or photograph of a person चित्र / चित्रांकन
Wrinkled Having lines or folds due to age झुर्रियों वाला
Serenity The state of being calm and peaceful शांति
Rosary A string of prayer beads माला
Hobbled Walked awkwardly due to old age लंगड़ाकर चलना
Revolting Causing disgust घिनौना / जघन्य
Monotonous Dull and repetitive एकरस / उबाऊ
Seclusion The state of being alone एकांत
Thumping A heavy sound (like a heartbeat or drum) धमक / तेज़ धड़कन
Imprints Marks left by pressure छाप / निशान
Dilapidated In a ruined or broken-down condition जर्जर / टूटे-फूटे
Sparrows Small brown-grey birds गौरैया (चिड़ियाँ)
Chanting Repeating prayers or mantras जप / मंत्रोच्चारण
Pattered Made light tapping sounds टपकने या थपथपाने की आवाज
Revolt To oppose or rebel विद्रोह करना
Disapproval Expression of dislike or disagreement अस्वीकृति
Stretched Extended over an area or time फैलना / खिंचना
Discreet Careful, showing good judgment विवेकपूर्ण
Persuade Convince someone to do something मनाना / राज़ी करना
Reluctant Unwilling or hesitant अनिच्छुक
Acceptance Agreement or approval स्वीकृति
Bedlam A scene of uproar and confusion कोलाहल / अफरा-तफरी
Introspection Self-examination of one’s thoughts or feelings आत्मविश्लेषण
Tattered Old and torn फटा-पुराना
Resigned Accepting something unpleasant without protest चुपचाप स्वीकार करना
Crude Rough or simple, not refined कच्चा / असभ्य
Beads Small round decorative objects, often on a string मोती / दाने
Funeral Ceremony for someone who
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