A Pinch of Snuff Summary

 Complete बिहार बोर्ड 12th  English Solution 

1.     Line by Line Hindi of This lesson, 

2.     All Word Meanings,

3.      All questions & Answers, and

4.     Summary - Very easy, Line by Line English and Hindi.

 

The Author And The Lesson: Manohar Malgaonkar

Manohar Malgaonkar was born in 1913. He is a well-known novelist and short story writer. There are over 25 publications to his credit. Some of his important works are Distant Drum,  The Princes, A Bend in the Ganges and Bombay Beware.

The present short story A Pinch of Snuff is taken from Contemporary Indian Short Stories in English. The story is full of wit and adventure. It provokes excitement in readers. It shows the author's accuracy to narrate the comedy.

Summary of the Story:

The narrator is disturbed to know that a guest named Nanukaka is coming, but his mother is happy. She assures the narrator that Nanukaka will stay only two or three days. He has to see some ministers. The narrator is an Undersecretary and he knows well about such meetings. He does not want Nanukaka to come, but he is helpless before his mother. Nanukaka is his mother's brother.

The narrator is waiting on the platform when the train comes in he sees that Nanukaka is standing in the doorway of a second class bogie. He (Nanukaka) still wears the old-fashioned dress. As the narrator goes up Nanukaka hands him a basket and instructs him to go out quickly. He will join him (the narrator) outside the station. He (the narrator) asks no questions and follows his instructions and goes out of the station.

Nanukaka takes long time to come out of the station. The station-yard is nearly empty. Nanukaka comes out of the station escorted by a ticket inspector. He explains that he had a third class ticket but finding no room in third class bogie, he managed to travel in the second class with the help of that nice young man, the ticket-inspector.

 

They (the narrator and Nanukaka) get into the car. In the way, Nanukaka asks the narrator about the arrangements of his meeting to ministers. The narrator very frankly replies him that he is mere an Undersecretary and to arrange his meeting with Minister is beyond his reach.

Narrator's mother is waiting for them on the door step. She receives Nanukaka warmly. She has installed Nanukaka in the narrator's bedroom. So, the narrator has to put a charpoy for himself in the back verandah.

At mother's insistence, the narrator has taken two days' leave from the office to entertain the guest. He drives Nanukaka to the North Block. Kaka goes to Minister and the narrator is waiting outside. In two hours, Kaka comes back. He is somewhat puzzled. He is annoyed at the treatments made by the peons in the office of the Minister.

On the way back to residence they are overtaken by a young man. He is the son of Sohanlal Ratiram, the Party Boss in Delhi. Knowing this Kaka plans to meet Sohanlal Ratiram. Although he is not familiar to Sohanlal, he is very witty.

Nanukaka gets the narrator ready in a new and peculiar dress. They go to the residence of Lala Sohanlal Ratiram. They are received by a secretary there. Nanukaka conveys to the secretary that he has come to Delhi in connection with a conference of old Zamindars. In the way he wants to see Lalajee. The secretary replies that Lalajee seldom sees visitors without previous appointment.

During the waiting moments Nanukaka talks about Hajrat Barkat Ali. He talks to me somewhat loudly. Lala Sohanlal hears him talking about Hajrat Barkat Ali. He comes out suddenly with his secretary. He asks Kaka about his familiarity with Hajrat Barkat Ali. Kaka replies that once they were schoolmates. He always regarded Kaka as an elder brother. He took no decision without his consent. Lala Sohanlal is highly impressed by the talk and the personality of Kaka. He has some personal work. He wants Ambassador's favour for his son.

Nanukaka takes a break, he opens his silver snuff-box and takes a pinch. Flicking on his angochha, he mentions the name of the welfare Minister. Lala is irritated hearing his name and calls him a cheat. It is Lala who gave him ticket, helped him in election and got him made the minister. But, in return, he refused to consider a proposal for his daughter to marry Lalaji's son. He wants a prince for his daughter. Nanukaka promises Lala to help him.

 He tells him that he will write to Old H.B. that very day. After that they leave that place. He (Nanukaka) is strangely silent that evening and goes to bed soon after dinner. But, in the morning he is in jolly mood once again. 

He says to the narrator that they are going to the Minister today, but not in the old car of the narrator. There must be something much more impressive. He instructs the narrator to arrange a new private car driven by the narrator self. The narrator remembers an acquaintance of his who is to sell a car. He tells Nanukaka about it. Nanukaka suggests that they will take the car for a brief trial.

Nanukaka takes out his cheque -book and writes a cheque for a thousand rupees. He folds it neatly and puts it into the inner pocket of an old coat of his. He asks the narrator to call his dhobi. When the narrator calls the dhobi, Kaka gives him the coat and takes him outside and talks with him. Then the narrator and Nanukaka sitting in the car reaches at the Sikka Auto dealers.

Hardly, they started talking to the manager when the dhobi rushes into shop. He is holding Kaka's old coat in one hand and ran dishing the cheque with the other. He tells Kaka that he had left it in the coat. Nanukaka takes the cheque had left it in the coat. Nanukaka takes the cheque and praises the dhobi for his honesty. He gives him reward for his honesty. After this demonstration of wealth he gets the car very easily.

Now Nanukaka is in the guise of an astrologer. The narrator himself is in a Jodhpuri dress. They drive to the Minister's house. There the servants and the secretary of the Minister wants to know about the business of Nanukaka. But, Nanukaka refuses to state his business and asks for the visitor's register. They brought the visitors' book. In that book Nanukaka writes his name and adds "Hereditary Astrologer to the Maharaja of Ninnore".

At the end he gives his address, the address of the narrator. He seems to be in a hurry. Without making any further delay he gets into the car. He says loudly "Take me to the Maharaja Sutkatta's palace. I have to return all those horoscopes entrusted to me".

Now the narrator has reached to his residence in car along with Nanukaka. They have just finished tea when a car stops in front of the house. Nanukaka goes out with folded hands to receive the welfare minister who has come to see him.

Nanukaka leaves as his mission was completed. The narrator does not know what Kaka wants from the Minister and what will happen when the Minister will know his reality. But, the narrator is confident that Kaka will handle the situation very expertly. The narrator wants only to be away from whatever might happen.