🌦️ Unit 1, Lesson 1: Sense of Self
Lesson 1: “Mr. Moti” by Rahad Abir
Economy and education are two major factors that segregate people in a society. ‘Mr. Moti’ is a story by a Bangladeshi writer Rahad Abir. Read the two sections of the story and try to understand the identity of people belonging to different social classes. Also, think about how the human world and animals/birds are inter-related.
Ameen is seventeen when the war breaks out. One Monday, after supper, he announces he will go to war. Sonabhan shrieks in surprise. You want to leave me alone?
It won’t take long, Ma, he assures her. I’ll be back soon after the training.
That night Sonabhan cannot sleep.
After sun-up, she opens the duck coop. The flock streams out, stretches and quacks around her for their morning meal. She takes longer than usual. She mixes water with rice husks in an earthen bowl and puts it down. They gobble it up in five minutes and head for the pond.
Ameen has let out the chickens by then. He lifts his 12-week-old cockerel, Moti, and sits on the veranda. During his breakfast he doesn’t strike up any conversation. Having noticed Sonabhan’s puffy eyes, he knows not to mention last night’s subject. He casts his glance to the side, down at the cockerel eating rice in silence.
Today is haat day, market day. Sonabhan has arranged the things Ameen will take to the bazaar to sell. Two dozen eggs, a sheaf of areca nuts, a bottle gourd. The bazaar is about a mile away.
Ameen wears his short-sleeved floral shirt over his lungi. He whistles as he looks into the cloudy mirror to comb his hair. Placing the rattan basket on his head before setting off, he hollers: I’m off, Ma.
Sonabhan watches him go along the bank of the little river. For the first time it occurs to her that Ameen has grown up. He has reached the height of his dead father, has his long neck and straight shoulders.
In that moment, Sonabhan realizes it’s not the war, it’s the fighting that Ameen is fascinated with. Like his dead father, he is crazy about bullfighting, cockfighting and boat racing. The same stubbornness flows in his blood. Once he decides on something, nothing can stop him.
Her little son! Now a man. Even up to his fifteenth birthday barely a day passed without neighbours appearing with a slew of complaints. Sometimes one or two turned up from other villages. They peeked into the house and asked, Does Ameen live here?
Sonabhan would sigh. What did he do?
Your son stole my date juice! Emptied the juice pots hanging on the date trees!
Sonabhan would sigh again. Then ask the visitor to pardon him. She hated saying that she’d raised her son alone. If she could spare them, she would bring half a dozen eggs and hand them to the visitor. Please take these for your children.
At night, Sonabhan climbs out of her bed, clutches the hurricane lamp and tiptoes into Ameen’s room. She stands by his bed, looks at her sleeping son. He snores like his father. He has her light skin and button nose. She touches his cheek. His broad forehead. She suppresses a desire to lie beside him. Like the old days, when she slept cuddling her baby.
A warning comes from old Chowkidar’s young wife. Watch your rooster, she threatens. I don’t want him in my house again.
If someone touches my boy, Sonabhan responds, they’ll see the consequences.
She grounds Moti for an entire day. It makes him sad. His forlorn captivity crucifies her. She sets him loose the following morning.
Some boys come and ask Sonabhan to lend them Moti for cockfighting at a fair. They are happy to pay.
Never, she tells them. He is my son.
Monday dawns without Moti’s crowing. His cold body is resting on its right side. Lying against the basket. Eyes closed. His kingly head down.
With Moti’s basket in her lap, Sonabhan is motionless.
She puts Moti to rest beside her husband’s grave. She sighs, plods across the empty yard, steps onto an empty veranda, crawls into an empty home and sits on the edge of an empty bed.
Another morning breaks… Noon and afternoon come and go… The birds in the coops quack and crow… No one lets them out. For the first time, Sonabhan’s doors do not open.
Note: The excerpts of “Mr. Moti” are selected from the complete story included in When the Mango Tree Blossomed: Fifty Short Stories from Bangladesh edited by Niaz Zaman.
Necessary Words and Phrases
| Word | Details | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
|
Segregate (Verb) |
IPA: /ˈsɛɡrɪɡeɪt/ Bengali: আলাদা করা; বিভাজন করা Meaning: To separate people or things into different groups Synonyms: separate, divide, isolate, set apart |
The school decided to segregate students based on age. |
|
Breaks out (Phrasal Verb) |
IPA: /breɪks aʊt/ Bengali: হঠাৎ শুরু হওয়া Meaning: To begin suddenly, especially something violent or unpleasant Synonyms: erupt, flare up, start suddenly |
Fighting often breaks out suddenly. |
|
Shrieks (Verb) |
IPA: /ʃriːks/ Bengali: চিৎকার করা Meaning: To scream or shout loudly Synonyms: screams, yells, cries out |
She shrieks when she sees a spider. |
|
Duck coop (Noun Phrase) |
IPA: /dʌk kuːp/ Bengali: হাঁসের খাঁচা Meaning: A small enclosure for keeping ducks Synonyms: duck shed, poultry house, bird enclosure |
The farmer built a duck coop. |
|
Streams out (Phrasal Verb) |
IPA: /striːmz aʊt/ Bengali: বেরিয়ে আসা Meaning: To move out in a flowing manner Synonyms: flows out, pours out, comes out |
Students stream out after the bell rings. |
|
Stretches (Verb) |
IPA: /strɛtʃɪz/ Bengali: প্রসারিত করা Meaning: To extend or reach out Synonyms: extends, lengthens, unfolds |
He stretches every morning. |
|
Quacks (Verb) |
IPA: /kwæks/ Bengali: হাঁসের ডাক Meaning: The sound ducks make Synonyms: squawks, honks, cackles |
The ducks quack loudly. |
|
Gobbles (Verb) |
IPA: /ˈɡɒbəlz/ Bengali: দ্রুত খাওয়া Meaning: To eat quickly and greedily Synonyms: devours, gulps, munches |
The children gobble their food. |
|
Cockerel (Noun) |
IPA: /ˈkɒkərəl/ Bengali: কিশোর মোরগ Meaning: A young male chicken Synonyms: young rooster, juvenile cock |
The cockerel crowed at dawn. |
|
Strike up (Phrasal Verb) |
IPA: /straɪk ʌp/ Bengali: শুরু করা Meaning: To begin or initiate something, like a conversation Synonyms: start, initiate, begin |
She struck up a conversation. |
|
Puffy eyes (Noun Phrase) |
IPA: /ˈpʌfi aɪz/ Bengali: ফোলা চোখ Meaning: Eyes that look swollen due to crying or lack of sleep Synonyms: swollen eyes, inflamed eyes |
He woke up with puffy eyes. |
|
Casts (Verb) |
IPA: /kæsts/ Bengali: নিক্ষেপ করা Meaning: To throw, direct, or turn Synonyms: throws, directs, aims |
She casts a quick glance. |
|
A sheaf of areca nuts |
IPA: /ə ʃiːf ɒv əˈrɛkə nʌts/ Bengali: সুপারি গুচ্ছ Meaning: A bundle of areca nuts tied together Synonyms: bundle of betel nuts, cluster, package |
The vendor carried a sheaf of areca nuts. |
|
A bottle gourd |
IPA: /ə ˈbɒtl ɡʊəd/ Bengali: লাউ Meaning: A long, edible vegetable Synonyms: calabash, bottle squash, gourd vegetable |
She cooked bottle gourd curry. |
|
Floral shirt |
IPA: /ˈflɔːrəl ʃɜːt/ Bengali: নকশা করা বা ফুলতোলা জামা Meaning: A shirt decorated with patterns of flowers Synonyms: flower-patterned shirt, printed shirt |
Ameen wears his short-sleeved floral shirt over his lungi. |
|
Button nose |
IPA: /ˈbʌtn nəʊz/ Bengali: ছোট এবং গোল নাক (বোতামের মতো নাক) Meaning: A small, round, and dainty nose Synonyms: snub nose, small nose, cute nose |
Sonabhan noticed that her son inherited her light skin and button nose. |
|
Rattan basket |
IPA: /ˈrætən ˈbæskɪt/ Bengali: রতনের ঝুড়ি Meaning: A basket made of rattan or cane Synonyms: woven basket, wicker basket |
The fruits were in a rattan basket. |
|
Setting off |
IPA: /ˈsɛtɪŋ ɒf/ Bengali: যাত্রা শুরু করা Meaning: To begin a journey Synonyms: leaving, departing, embarking |
They are setting off early. |
|
Hollers |
IPA: /ˈhɒlərz/ Bengali: চিৎকার করা Meaning: To shout or call loudly Synonyms: yells, roars, shouts |
He hollers across the field. |
|
Bullfighting |
IPA: /ˈbʊlˌfaɪtɪŋ/ Bengali: ষাঁড়ের লড়াই Meaning: A contest or sport involving bulls Synonyms: bull contest, bull battle |
Bullfighting is controversial. |
|
Cockfighting |
IPA: /ˈkɒkfʌɪtɪŋ/ Bengali: মোরগের লড়াই Meaning: A fight between roosters Synonyms: rooster fighting, fowl combat |
Cockfighting is banned in many countries. |
|
Stubbornness |
IPA: /ˈstʌbərnnəs/ Bengali: জেদ Meaning: The quality of being unwilling to change Synonyms: obstinacy, rigidity, determination |
His stubbornness caused trouble. |
|
A slew of complaints |
IPA: /ə sluː ɒv kəmˈpleɪnts/ Bengali: অনেক অভিযোগ Meaning: A large number of complaints Synonyms: many complaints, numerous objections |
The office received a slew of complaints. |
|
Peeked into |
IPA: /piːkt ˈɪntuː/ Bengali: উঁকি দেওয়া Meaning: To look quickly or secretly inside Synonyms: glanced into, peered into |
She peeked into the room. |
|
Spare |
IPA: /spɛər/ Bengali: দিতে পারা Meaning: To give or provide something Synonyms: give, offer, provide |
Can you spare some time? |
|
Clutches |
IPA: /ˈklʌtʃɪz/ Bengali: আঁকড়ে ধরা Meaning: To grasp or hold tightly Synonyms: grasps, grips, holds tightly |
The child clutches his toy. |
|
Cuddling |
IPA: /ˈkʌdlɪŋ/ Bengali: আলিঙ্গন Meaning: Holding someone close in an affectionate way Synonyms: hugging, embracing, snuggling |
The mother is cuddling her baby. |
|
Forlorn |
IPA: /fəˈlɔːrn/ Bengali: একাকী; হতাশ Meaning: Lonely and abandoned Synonyms: desolate, miserable, lonely |
The puppy looked forlorn. |
|
Crowing |
IPA: /ˈkroʊɪŋ/ Bengali: মোরগের ডাক Meaning: The sound a rooster makes Synonyms: cock-a-doodle-doo, rooster call |
The rooster is crowing. |
|
Plods |
IPA: /plɒdz/ Bengali: ধীরপদে হাঁটা Meaning: To walk slowly and heavily Synonyms: trudges, shuffles, drags |
He plods along the muddy road. |
1. Multiple Choice Questions
- Why does Sonabhan shriek when Ameen announces he will go to war?
- She fears he will not return for years.
- She is shocked and does not want him to leave her alone.
- She thinks he is too young to travel alone.
- She believes the war is already over.
- Which daily activity shows the close relationship between humans and animals at Sonabhan’s home?
- Sonabhan teaching Ameen to farm.
- Ameen selling items at the bazaar.
- Sonabhan feeding the ducks and Ameen handling the chickens.
- Villagers visiting to complain about Ameen.
- What does Sonabhan notice about Ameen when he sets off for the bazaar on haat day?
- He has become unusually quiet.
- He has grown into a man and resembles his dead father.
- He seems unwilling to go to the market.
- He has forgotten to take the basket.
- Which trait of Ameen most worries Sonabhan when she thinks about his interest in war?
- His lack of education.
- His dislike of staying at home.
- His stubbornness and fascination with fighting, like his father.
- His habit of getting into trouble with neighbors.
- Why does Sonabhan refuse to lend Moti for cockfighting?
- She is afraid they will not return him.
- She wants Moti to win fights only for Ameen.
- Moti is too young to participate.
- She considers Moti as her own son.
- What causes deep sorrow to Sonabhan at the end of the excerpt?
- Ameen leaves for the battlefield.
- Her neighbors accuse Ameen again.
- Moti dies, leaving her home empty and silent.
- The ducks and chickens run away.
- What does the ending scene of Sonabhan sitting in an empty home symbolize?
- Her decision to sell all the animals in the coops.
- Her anger toward the neighbors who complained about Ameen.
- Her overwhelming grief and the emotional void created by Moti’s death.
- Her relief that the house is finally quiet.
4. b. Read the passage and complete the table with appropriate information
Complete the table using details from the story “Mr. Moti” by Rahad Abir.
| Who/What | Action/Event | Purpose/Cause | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ameen | Decides to go to (i) | Feels attracted to (ii) | Sonabhan becomes anxious and sleepless. |
| Sonabhan | Treats Moti like her (iii) | Loneliness and deep (iv) | She refuses to lend Moti for cockfighting. |
| Moti | Is found (v) one morning | Possibly harmed due to (vi) | Sonabhan buries him beside her husband’s grave. |