A THE THIEF’S STORY
~Summary~
-by Ruskin Bond
Hari Singh Approaches Anil
Hari Singh approached Anil while he was watching a wrestling match, as he seemed to be an easy target to him. Hari used some flattering words to gain Anil's confidence and soon they started conversing. After a while, when Anil started to walk off, Hari followed him with his most appealing smile. He expressed his wish to work for Anil. But Anil bluntly expressed his inability to pay Hari. Hari questioned Anil if he could feed him. Anil agreed to feed Hari only if he knew how to cook. Hari said that he knew how to cook but this was a lie.
Anil Brings Hari to his Room
Anil took Hari to his room over Jumna Sweet Shop and let him occupy the balcony to sleep. Anil gave that night's meal to a stray dog because the meal cooked by Hari was terrible. Anil had realised that Hari didn't know how to cook. He asked Hari to go off to sleep, but Hari hung around, giving his most appealing smile. Anil patted Hari's head and told him that he would teach him how to cook.
Anil Teaches Hari to Read and Write
Anil taught Hari to write his name and promised to teach him how to write whole sentences and to add numbers eventually. Hari was happy and grateful for this as he knew that he could achieve anything he wanted once he knew how to read and write like an educated man. He liked working for Anil. He started making tea in the morning and buying the day's supplies later. He used to make a profit of about a rupee on buying the day's supplies but knew that Anil didn't mind.
Hari had Gained Anil's Trust
One evening Anil came back with a bundle of currency notes he had got from selling a book he had written to a publisher. He kept the money under the mattress and slept peacefully. Hari had been working for Anil for almost a month and he had gained Anil's trust. Hari saw the opportunity to rob Anil. It was not an easy task as he knew that Anil will be sad about the loss of money. He brushed away his thoughts and decided to execute the robbery the same night, as Anil would've otherwise wasted the money on his friends.
Hari Robbed Anil
Hari considered the situation and crawled up to the bed when Anil was asleep. He slid his hand under the mattress and drew the money out quietly. He rushed out of the room and began to run on the road. He had secured the money with the string of his pyjama. He was heading towards the railway station to catch 10.30 express to Lucknow as planned. He was elated when he counted the money on his way.
Hari didn't Board the Train
Hari reached the station just when the train was about to pick up speed. He could have managed to get into one of the carriages but something unexplainable stopped him. He was left behind on the station. He decided to leave the station and thought while walking through the bazaar about how would Anil feel when he would come to know about the theft. Hari had realised by then that he could not only cook the meals or go to the market to buy daily supplies, but he had also lost the chance to learn how to read and write. Due to these thoughts and his feeling of guilt, he decided to go back to Anil, if only for the sake of learning how to read and write.
Hari Kept the Money Back
Hari hurried towards the room. He opened the door cautiously so as not to wake Anil up. He quickly took out the currency notes which were damp because of the rain. He crept up to the bed and placed the notes under the mattress. After that, he went off to sleep in the balcony.
Anil Reacted Normally in the Morning
Hari woke up late in the morning. He found that Anil had already prepared tea. Anil gave a fifty rupee note to Hari, telling him that he had earned some money by selling a book to a publisher and now he would pay him regularly. Hari was motivated but he could make out that Anil knew everything though he didn't say anything to him about it.
Conclusion of The Thief’s Story
In the chapter – The Thief’s Story focuses on human values and relationships which are significant in our lives and those values have the power to change an individual.