Kabuliwala by Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath was a Bengali. Poet, writer, philosopher and social reformer. Very few people know that he was also a painter.
Rabindranath Tagore won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, becoming the first non-European to do so.

He released his first poem under the pseudonym Bhanusimha 

In the story, we see Mini who is a five-year-old girl. Being talkative in nature, she also asks a lot of questions. Mini sees Kabuli Wala through a window and sits with him talking. The Kabuliwala,s name is Rahmat. He comes to talk daily to Mini. Stories are told to mini about Afghanistan. But Mini’s mother is unhappy that Rahmat might kidnap Mimi. 

Soon Rahmat decides to go to his home. He collects money owed to him. Rahmat was a simple man and honest man. He was a money lender and trusted that people will pay the money back.

But unfortunately, one customer refuse to give him his money. Thus Rahmat stabs him.

The inevitable happens. Rahmat is sent to jail.

After a few years, Mimi is to be married. Everyone is happy as the preparations for the wedding are going on. In all the confusion of the wedding, Rahmat walks in. He says he has been released and would like to see mini.

Mini after so many years does not remember him. Mini’s father knowing that Rahmat had killed someone does not allow him to see Mini. It is then Rahmat removes a paper from his pocket. On it is the fingerprint of his daughter. It is then that Mimi’s father understands Rahmat emotions.

There are many themes in this novel.

Connection

The connection can only be seen in humans when they have humanity in one another. Like when Mini’s father sees that Rahmat also has a daughter and this is the connection between Rahmat and Mini.

This story is adapted in many movies

The story is set in Calicut

 What I learnt from the story

Humans tend to have a tendency to suspect people who are poorer than themselves. Also, they don’t find out all the facts. Tagore loved everyone despite the fact that they were poor . The following are famous books of Tagore.

Gitanjali
The Home and the World
Nationalism
An Anthology
The Heart of God: Prayers of Rabindranath Tagore
Fireflies
The Religion of Man
Chokher Bali
Stray Birds
The Essential Tagore

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