Lost Spring by Anees Jung
1. About the Author: Anees Jung
Anees Jung is a renowned Indian author, journalist, and columnist. Born in Hyderabad into an aristocratic family in 1944, she pursued her education in India and later in the United States. Her writings primarily focus on social justice, women’s rights, and the lives of the marginalized in India. Anees gained recognition for her book “Unveiling India,” which explored the lives of Indian women across cultures and classes.
In “Lost Spring,” she reflects her journalistic eye for detail and empathy through real-life stories, showcasing the crushing poverty and lost childhoods of underprivileged children in India.
2. Introduction to the Lesson: Lost Spring
“Lost Spring: Stories of Stolen Childhood” is a prose piece taken from Anees Jung’s collection. The lesson focuses on the lives of children forced into labour due to their family’s poverty and lack of social reform. It is divided into two parts:
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Part I: Sometimes I Find a Rupee in the Garbage – Focuses on a ragpicker boy named Saheb living in the slums of Seemapuri.
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Part II: I Want to Drive a Car – Tells the story of Mukesh, a child laborer in the glass-blowing industry of Firozabad.
The lesson highlights how poverty, tradition, and greed rob children of their youth, education, and dreams. The term “Lost Spring” metaphorically represents the loss of childhood joy and hope.
Part I: Sometimes I Find a Rupee in the Garbage
—from Lost Spring: Stories of Stolen Childhood
By Anees Jung
“Why do you do this?” I ask Saheb whom I encounter every morning scrounging for “gold” in the garbage dumps of my neighbourhood.
Saheb left his home long ago. Set amidst the green fields of Dhaka, his home is not even a distant memory. There were many storms that swept away their fields and homes, his mother tells him. That’s why they left, looking for gold in the big city where he now lives.
“I have nothing else to do,” he mutters, looking away. “Go to school?” I ask, provoking another half-humorous answer. “There is no school in my neighbourhood. When they build one, I will go.”
“If I start a school, will you come?” I ask, half-joking.
“Yes,” he says, smiling broadly.
A few days later I see him running up to me. “Is your school ready?”
“It takes longer to build a school,” I say, embarrassed at having made a promise that was not meant. But promises like mine abound in every corner of his bleak world.
After months of knowing him, I ask him his name.
“Saheb-e-Alam,” he announces. He does not know what it means. If he knew the meaning—lord of the universe—he would have a hard time believing it. Unaware of what his name represents, he roams the streets with his friends, an army of barefoot boys who appear like the morning birds and disappear at noon.
Over the months, I have come to recognise each of them.
“Why aren’t you wearing chappals?” I ask one.
“My mother did not bring them down from the shelf,” he answers simply.
“Even if she did, he will throw them off,” adds another who is wearing shoes that do not match. When I comment on it, he shuffles his feet and says nothing.
“I want shoes,” says a third boy who has never owned a pair all his life. Travelling across the country I have seen children walking barefoot, in cities, on village roads. It is not lack of money but a tradition to stay barefoot, is one explanation. I wonder if this is only an excuse to explain away a perpetual state of poverty.
I remember a story a man from Udipi once told me. As a young boy he would go to school past an old temple, where his father, a priest, would give him a prayer and a coconut and a blessing as he left for school. He would stop briefly at the temple and pray for a pair of shoes. Thirty years later I visited his town and the temple, which was now adorned with marble, and the prayer-hall where boys sat in neat rows wearing brown uniforms and doing lessons. The man who had once prayed for shoes had now a son studying in the temple school, and wearing shoes. The dream of a better life, came true. But the ragpickers of Seemapuri remain barefoot.
Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it, metaphorically. Those who live here are squatters who came from Bangladesh back in 1971. Saheb’s family is among them. Seemapuri was then a wilderness. It still is, but no longer empty. In structures of mud, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin, devoid of sewage, drainage or running water, live 10,000 ragpickers. They have lived here for more than thirty years without an identity, without permits but with ration cards that get their names on voters’ lists and enable them to buy grain. Food is more important for survival than an identity.
If at the end of the day, we can feed our families and go to bed without an aching stomach, we would rather live here than in the fields that gave us no grain, say a group of women in tattered saris when I sit down to talk to them.
They say it with a sense of resignation. Years of mind-numbing toil have killed all initiative and the ability to dream.
Saheb, too, is content to carry the bag he now owns, a bag that he drags along the ground like an extension of his lanky frame. He scrounges for gold in the garbage dumps. Occasionally he finds a rupee, even a ten-rupee note. Gold in a garbage. It is the wonder he sometimes finds without a meaning. The garbage is to them what gold is to us. It is their daily bread. A roof over their heads. Even if it is a leaking roof.
But for children it is even more. I sometimes find a rupee, even a ten-rupee note, Saheb says, his eyes lighting up. When you can find a silver coin in a heap of garbage, you don’t stop scrounging, for there is hope of finding more. It seems that for children, garbage has a meaning different from what it means to their parents. For the children it is wrapped in wonder; for the elders it is a means of survival.
One winter morning I see Saheb standing by the gate of the neighbourhood club, watching two young men dressed in white playing tennis. “I like the game,” he hums, content to watch it standing behind the fence. “I go inside when no one is around,” he admits.
The gatekeeper lets him use the swing. Saheb too is wearing tennis shoes that look strange over his discoloured shirt and shorts. “Someone gave them to me,” he says in the manner of an explanation. The fact that they are discarded shoes of some rich boy who perhaps refused to wear them because of a hole in one of them does not bother him. For one who has walked barefoot, even shoes with a hole is a dream come true.
But the game he is watching so intently is out of his reach. This morning, Saheb is on his way to the milk booth. In his hand is a steel canister. “I now work in a tea stall down the road,” he says, pointing in the distance. “I am paid ₹800 a month and all my meals.”
Does he like the job? I ask.
His face, I see, has lost the carefree look. The steel canister seems heavier than the plastic bag he would carry so lightly over his shoulder. The bag was his. The canister belongs to the man who owns the tea shop. Saheb is no longer his own master.
Here are 100 difficult words from the lesson "Sometimes I Find a Rupee in the Garbage" (Part I of Lost Spring by Anees Jung), along with their meanings in English and Hindi:
| Word |
Meaning (English) |
Meaning (Hindi) |
| Scrounging |
Searching for something in a desperate way |
ढूंढना या तलाश करना |
| Garbage |
Waste material |
कूड़ा |
| Dump |
A place where waste is disposed |
कूड़ाघर |
| Encounter |
To meet unexpectedly |
सामना होना |
| Storms |
Violent weather with strong winds and rain |
तूफ़ान |
| Bleak |
Depressing, without hope |
निराशाजनक |
| Promise |
A declaration of intention to do something |
वादा |
| Abound |
To exist in large numbers |
प्रचुर मात्रा में होना |
| Bleak |
Lacking hope or encouragement |
अंधकारमय |
| Provoke |
To incite or stimulate a reaction |
उकसाना |
| Embarrassed |
Feeling awkward or ashamed |
शर्मिंदा |
| Roams |
Moves or travels around without purpose |
इधर-उधर भटकना |
| Barefoot |
Without shoes |
नंगे पाँव |
| Shuffles |
To walk without lifting the feet properly |
घसीट कर चलना |
| Perpetual |
Never ending or changing |
निरंतर |
| State |
Condition or situation |
स्थिति |
| Poverty |
The state of being extremely poor |
गरीबी |
| Adorned |
Decorated or made beautiful |
सजाया गया |
| Squatters |
People living on land or in buildings without permission |
ज़बरन रहने वाले लोग |
| Wilderness |
Uninhabited or wild area |
जंगल या निर्जन स्थान |
| Tarpaulin |
Heavy-duty waterproof cloth |
तिरपाल |
| Devoid |
Completely lacking something |
रहित |
| Drainage |
System for removing waste water |
निकासी प्रणाली |
| Ration card |
Government card to get subsidized food |
राशन कार्ड |
| Resignation |
Acceptance of something unpleasant |
हार मान लेना |
| Initiative |
Ability to take charge |
पहल |
| Lanky |
Tall and thin |
दुबला-पतला |
| Drag |
To pull something along |
घसीटना |
| Occasionally |
Sometimes, not often |
कभी-कभी |
| Wonder |
Feeling of amazement |
आश्चर्य |
| Survival |
Continuing to live in difficult conditions |
जीवित रहना |
| Daily bread |
Basic necessity of life |
रोज़ी-रोटी |
| Meaningless |
Without purpose or significance |
अर्थहीन |
| Intently |
With great concentration |
ध्यानपूर्वक |
| Discoloured |
Faded or changed in color |
रंग उड़ा हुआ |
| Discarded |
Thrown away |
फेंका हुआ |
| Refused |
Denied or not accepted |
मना कर दिया |
| Content |
Satisfied |
संतुष्ट |
| Fence |
Barrier or boundary |
बाड़ |
| Canister |
Container or small metal tin |
डिब्बा या कनस्तर |
| Master |
One who controls or owns something |
स्वामी या मालिक |
| Liberty |
Freedom |
स्वतंत्रता |
| Humorous |
Funny or amusing |
हास्यजनक |
| Identity |
The fact of being who someone is |
पहचान |
| Perspective |
Point of view |
दृष्टिकोण |
| Initiative |
The ability to begin something independently |
पहल |
| Tradition |
A long-established custom or belief |
परंपरा |
| Dream |
A cherished aspiration or ambition |
सपना |
| Scavenging |
Searching through waste for something usable |
कबाड़ खोजने का कार्य |
| Deprivation |
The lack of basic necessities |
अभाव |
| Exploitation |
Using someone unfairly for one’s own benefit |
शोषण |
| Inequality |
Lack of equality |
असमानता |
| Vulnerable |
At risk or in danger |
असुरक्षित |
| Hope |
A feeling of expectation |
आशा |
| Resilience |
Ability to recover from difficulties |
लचीलापन |
| Marginalized |
Pushed to the edge of society |
हाशिए पर रखा गया |
| Dispossessed |
Deprived of land or property |
अधिकार से वंचित |
| Destitution |
Extreme poverty |
निर्धनता |
| Transient |
Lasting only for a short time |
अस्थायी |
| Adolescent |
A young person growing into adulthood |
किशोर |
| Malnourished |
Lacking proper nutrition |
कुपोषित |
| Determination |
Firmness of purpose |
दृढ़ संकल्प |
| Injustice |
Lack of fairness |
अन्याय |
| Desperation |
Hopelessness |
निराशा |
| Dehumanizing |
Stripping someone of human qualities |
अमानवीकरण |
| Dilapidated |
In a state of ruin or decay |
जर्जर |
| Ramshackle |
Poorly constructed or maintained |
खस्ताहाल |
| Employment |
Work or occupation |
रोज़गार |
| Meagre |
Very small or insufficient |
बहुत कम |
| Opportunity |
A chance to do something |
अवसर |
| Literacy |
Ability to read and write |
साक्षरता |
| Empowerment |
Gaining control over one's life |
सशक्तिकरण |
| Despair |
Complete loss of hope |
निराशा |
| Disillusionment |
Disappointment from false beliefs |
मोहभंग |
| Margins |
Edges of society or limits |
सीमाएं |
| Subsistence |
Maintaining oneself at a minimal level |
निर्वाह |
| Hierarchy |
System of ranks |
पदानुक्रम |
| Disparity |
A great difference |
असमानता |
| Resistance |
The refusal to accept or comply |
विरोध |
| Futility |
Pointlessness |
व्यर्थता |
| Indifference |
Lack of concern |
उदासीनता |
| Compassion |
Sympathy for others’ suffering |
सहानुभूति |
| Altruism |
Selfless concern for others |
परोपकार |
| Redemption |
Being saved from sin, error, or evil |
मोक्ष / उद्धार |
| Upliftment |
Improvement of status |
उत्थान |
| Hardship |
Severe suffering or trouble |
कठिनाई |
| Irony |
A contrast between expectation and reality |
विडंबना |
| Symbolism |
Use of symbols to represent ideas |
प्रतीकवाद |
| Juxtaposition |
Placing two elements side by side to compare |
समानांतर तुलना |
| Anecdote |
Short personal story |
व्यक्तिगत कहानी |
| Impoverished |
Made poor |
गरीब बना दिया गया |
| Craving |
A powerful desire for something |
तीव्र इच्छा |
| Bleeding-heart |
Extremely sympathetic (often critically used) |
अति भावुक व्यक्ति |
| Neglect |
Failure to care properly |
उपेक्षा |
| Dignity |
The state of being worthy of respect |
गरिमा |
| Scarcity |
Insufficiency or shortage |
कमी |
| Degradation |
The process of becoming worse |
गिरावट |
| Fragile |
Easily broken or damaged |
नाज़ुक |
| Compassionate |
Showing sympathy and concern |
सहानुभूतिपूर्ण |
Summary of the lesson "Sometimes I Find a Rupee in the Garbage" from Lost Spring by Anees Jung:
Summary: Sometimes I Find a Rupee in the Garbage
Anees Jung’s narrative brings to light the stark reality of child poverty through the story of Saheb, a young ragpicker living in Seemapuri, on the outskirts of Delhi. The author often sees him scavenging through garbage heaps looking for “gold,” a term used to describe anything valuable he might find, like a rupee or even a ten-rupee note. For Saheb and many others like him, garbage is not waste, but a source of livelihood and hope.
Saheb originally hails from Dhaka, Bangladesh. His family migrated to India due to the destruction of their fields and homes by repeated storms. The dream of a better life brought them to Delhi, but what they found was Seemapuri—a place filled with poverty, yet more secure than hunger and homelessness. Seemapuri is home to about 10,000 ragpickers living in makeshift shelters without proper sanitation or official identity, but with ration cards that guarantee them food.
The author shares a touching conversation with Saheb about education. When asked if he would go to school, Saheb responds that there is none in his neighbourhood. Amused, the author jokingly promises to open one, a promise that Saheb naively believes. It reflects the broken promises and lost dreams common in the lives of such children.
The narrative also highlights the children’s longing for simple things like shoes. Many walk barefoot, not necessarily due to lack of money, but because poverty has become a tradition that people have adapted to over generations. Through a story of a man who once prayed for shoes and eventually ensured his son received a proper education, the author contrasts dreams fulfilled with the harshness of lives like Saheb’s.
Despite the hardship, Saheb has moments of joy—finding coins, playing on swings, or wearing discarded tennis shoes. But these moments are fleeting. Eventually, he finds work at a tea stall and earns ₹800 a month with meals. Although it seems like a step up, the author notes that he has lost his freedom. Earlier, the plastic bag he carried gave him a sense of ownership and choice. Now, the steel canister he carries belongs to someone else. He is no longer his own master.
In essence, the lesson sheds light on the struggles of displaced families and the stolen childhoods of countless children forced into labour. It presents a poignant picture of poverty, lost opportunities, and the enduring human spirit amidst bleak surroundings. Through Saheb’s story, Anees Jung appeals to our conscience, drawing attention to the need for education, dignity, and hope for every child.
Sure, here is the full original CBSE-prescribed text of Part I: “Sometimes I Find a Rupee in the Garbage” from the chapter Lost Spring by Anees Jung. This is provided for educational purposes only and is aligned with the NCERT curriculum.
Part II: I Want to Drive a Car
—from Lost Spring by Anees Jung
“I want to drive a car,” Mukesh insists on being his own master.
I ask him if he knows anything about cars. “I will learn to drive a car,” he answers, looking straight into my eyes. His dream looms like a mirage amidst the dust of streets that fill his town, Firozabad, famous for its bangles. Every other family in Firozabad is engaged in making bangles.
It is his family’s profession. For generations, they have been working around furnaces, welding glass, making bangles for all the women in the land it seems. Mukesh’s family is among them. None of them know that it is illegal for children like him to work in the glass furnaces with high temperatures, in dingy cells without air and light. But they are used to it. They have seen nothing but bangles. In fact, they have become so accustomed to the grime that they think it is part of their existence, and they do not even complain. They have accepted it as naturally as the coming of the sunrise.
Mukesh’s father is old and poor. He has worked hard all his life, first as a tailor, then as a bangle maker. He has never had the means to organize a cooperative, nor has he even dared to dream. He knows nothing except his trade. “It is his karam, his destiny,” says Mukesh’s grandmother, who has seen her husband go blind with the dust from polishing the glass of bangles. “Can a god-given lineage ever be broken?” she implies.
Born in the caste of bangle makers, they have seen nothing but bangles—eyes more adjusted to the dark than to the light outside, that the rays of the sun cannot brighten their lives. They do not know that there is a world beyond the bangle-making.
The cry of not having money to do anything except carry on the business of making bangles, not even enough to eat, rings in every home in Firozabad. The young men echo the lament of their elders. They say, “Little has moved with time, it seems, in Firozabad.”
Years of mind-numbing toil have killed all initiative and the ability to dream.
“Why not organize yourselves into a cooperative?” I ask a group of young men who have fallen into the clutches of middlemen, who trapped their fathers and forefathers.
“Even if we get organized, we are the ones who will be hauled up by the police, beaten and dragged to jail for doing something illegal,” they say. There is no leader among them, no one who can help them see things differently. Their fathers are as tired as they are. They talk endlessly in a spiral that moves from poverty to apathy to greed and to injustice.
Listening to them, I see two distinct worlds—one of the family, caught in a web of poverty, burdened by the stigma of caste in which they are born; the other, a vicious circle of the sahukars, the middlemen, the policemen, the keepers of law, the bureaucrats and the politicians.
Together they have imposed the baggage on the child that he cannot put down. Before he is aware, he accepts it as naturally as his father. To do anything else would mean to dare. And daring is not part of his growing up.
When I sense a flash of it in Mukesh, I am cheered. I ask him, “Do you also dream of flying a plane?”
He is silent.
“No,” he says, staring at the ground.
In a very small voice, he says, “I want to be a motor mechanic. I will learn to drive a car.”
He is content to dream of cars that he sees hurtling down the streets of his town. Few airplanes fly over Firozabad.
| Word |
English Meaning |
Hindi Meaning |
| Insists |
Strongly demands |
ज़ोर देना |
| Master |
Controller or ruler |
मालिक |
| Mirage |
Illusion |
मृगतृष्णा |
| Amidst |
In the middle of |
के बीच में |
| Furnaces |
Enclosed chambers for heating |
भट्ठियाँ |
| Welding |
Joining materials by heating |
जोड़ना (धातु) |
| Dingy |
Dark and dirty |
गंदा और अंधेरा |
| Accustomed |
Used to |
अभ्यस्त |
| Grime |
Dirt |
मैल |
| Existence |
Life |
अस्तित्व |
| Sunrise |
The rising of the sun |
सूर्योदय |
| Organize |
To set up or arrange |
संगठित करना |
| Cooperative |
A jointly owned enterprise |
सहकारी संस्था |
| Dared |
Had the courage |
साहस किया |
| Destiny |
Fate |
किस्मत |
| Lineage |
Ancestry or family background |
वंशावली |
| Polishing |
Making shiny |
चमकाना |
| Implies |
Suggests indirectly |
संकेत देना |
| Adjusted |
Adapted |
अनुकूलित |
| Rays |
Beams of light |
किरणें |
| Lament |
Expression of grief |
विलाप |
| Mind-numbing |
Extremely boring or dull |
दिमाग सुन्न करने वाला |
| Toil |
Hard work |
कठिन परिश्रम |
| Initiative |
Ability to take charge |
पहल |
| Clutches |
Grasp or control |
पकड़ |
| Middlemen |
Intermediaries |
बिचौलिए |
| Trapped |
Caught |
फँसा हुआ |
| Hauled |
Dragged forcefully |
घसीटना |
| Beaten |
Hit |
पीटा गया |
| Dragged |
Pulled |
घसीटा गया |
| Illegal |
Against the law |
अवैध |
| Bureaucrats |
Government officials |
नौकरशाह |
| Apathy |
Lack of interest |
उदासीनता |
| Vicious |
Evil or immoral |
दुष्ट |
| Circle |
Loop or cycle |
चक्र |
| Imposed |
Forced |
थोपा गया |
| Baggage |
Burden |
बोझ |
| Naturally |
Without effort |
स्वाभाविक रूप से |
| Daring |
Courageous |
साहसी |
| Growing up |
Becoming mature |
बड़ा होना |
| Cheered |
Felt happy |
प्रसन्न हुआ |
| Staring |
Looking fixedly |
घूरना |
| Content |
Satisfied |
संतुष्ट |
| Hurtling |
Moving fast |
तेजी से बढ़ना |
| Distinct |
Clearly different |
भिन्न |
| Stigma |
Disgrace |
कलंक |
| Poverty |
The state of being poor |
गरीबी |
| Tradition |
Custom |
परंपरा |
| Profession |
Occupation |
पेशा |
| Exploit |
Take unfair advantage |
शोषण करना |
| Acceptance |
Agreeing to reality |
स्वीकार |
| Blindness |
Loss of sight |
अंधापन |
| Survival |
Continuing to live |
जीवित रहना |
| Spiral |
Continuous loop |
सर्पिल |
| Trap |
A snare or trick |
जाल |
| Victim |
One who suffers |
पीड़ित |
| Illiterate |
Cannot read/write |
निरक्षर |
| Unaware |
Not knowing |
अनजान |
| Resistance |
Opposition |
विरोध |
| Oppression |
Cruel treatment |
उत्पीड़न |
| Marginalised |
Pushed to the edge |
हाशिए पर लाया गया |
| Opportunity |
Chance |
अवसर |
| Rebellion |
Act of resistance |
विद्रोह |
| Suppression |
Act of subduing |
दमन |
| Helplessness |
State of no power |
लाचारी |
| Darkness |
Lack of light |
अंधकार |
| Injustice |
Lack of fairness |
अन्याय |
| Cycle |
Repeated pattern |
चक्र |
| Constraint |
Limitation |
प्रतिबंध |
| Identity |
Who someone is |
पहचान |
| Rights |
Legal entitlements |
अधिकार |
| Exposure |
Being subjected to |
संपर्क |
| Fate |
Destiny |
भाग्य |
| Freedom |
State of being free |
स्वतंत्रता |
| Burden |
Heavy load |
बोझ |
| Inherited |
Passed down |
विरासत में मिला |
| Mistrust |
Lack of trust |
अविश्वास |
| Voice |
Expression |
आवाज़ |
| Solution |
Answer to a problem |
समाधान |
| Violation |
Breaking a rule |
उल्लंघन |
| Exploitation |
Using unfairly |
शोषण |
| Irony |
Contradiction |
विडंबना |
| Hope |
Desire for something better |
आशा |
| Resistance |
Struggle against something |
प्रतिरोध |
| Caste |
Social division |
जाति |
| Courage |
Bravery |
साहस |
| Patience |
Ability to wait |
धैर्य |
| Struggle |
Fight |
संघर्ष |
| Determination |
Strong will |
दृढ़ निश्चय |
| Humiliation |
Feeling of shame |
अपमान |
| Livelihood |
Means of living |
आजीविका |
| Traditional |
Based on customs |
पारंपरिक |
| Mechanic |
Car repair worker |
मिस्त्री |
| Opportunity |
Chance for advancement |
अवसर |
| Reality |
Actual state |
वास्तविकता |
| Background |
Family or social origin |
पृष्ठभूमि |
| Disheartened |
Discouraged |
निराश |
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Summary of Part II: “I Want to Drive a Car”|
The second part of the lesson Lost Spring is titled “I Want to Drive a Car”, and it tells the story of Mukesh, a young boy who lives in Firozabad, a town in Uttar Pradesh known for its glass bangle industry. Through Mukesh’s life, the author Anees Jung highlights the struggles of child labourers and the vicious cycle of poverty, tradition, and helplessness.
Mukesh belongs to a family of bangle makers, a profession that has been passed down through generations. His family, like thousands of others in Firozabad, is engaged in making glass bangles—a task that requires working in dangerous conditions, near hot furnaces, in dark, airless rooms. These children, including Mukesh, are exposed to heat, dust, and toxic substances at a very young age. As a result, many of them lose their eyesight before they even become adults.
The families in Firozabad are trapped not just in economic poverty but also in the mental poverty of tradition. Mukesh’s family has accepted their condition as destiny. His grandmother believes that their profession is “god-given,” and cannot be changed. They lack awareness of their legal rights, and they do not know that child labour is illegal. Most of them are illiterate and believe they have no option but to continue the work of their ancestors.
The situation is worsened by the corrupt system that includes sahukars (moneylenders), middlemen, bureaucrats, and even the police. If the workers try to protest or organize themselves into cooperatives to escape the exploitation, they are threatened or even jailed. This fear stops them from taking any action to improve their lives. The result is a vicious circle of poverty and oppression that continues from one generation to the next.
However, Mukesh is different. Even though he is a child labourer, he dares to dream of a better life. He tells the author that he wants to become a motor mechanic and learn to drive a car. His dream is small, but it is real and courageous. It shows that change is possible if one dares to hope. While other boys of his age are stuck in hopelessness, Mukesh represents a new spirit of resistance and ambition.
The author is moved by Mukesh’s determination and sees a ray of hope in his dream. Though he does not dream of something grand like flying a plane, his desire to become a car mechanic is a step toward breaking free from the chains of tradition and poverty.
In conclusion, “I Want to Drive a Car” is not just a story about a boy—it is a powerful social commentary on the evils of child labour, caste-based professions, and the failure of systems to protect the vulnerable. Mukesh's small but brave dream stands as a symbol of hope, change, and self-belief. Short Answer Type Questions (from Lost Spring) 1. Why did Anees Jung ask Saheb about the school? What was its impact on Saheb?
Ans- Anees Jung asked Saheb if he went to school. Saheb replied that there was no school nearby. He felt embarrassed and sad as he realized the importance of education. 2. Why did Saheb and other rag pickers not wear chappals? What excuse did they give for it?
Ans-Saheb and other rag pickers did not wear chappals because they were too poor to afford them. They gave excuses like not liking to wear them or it being a tradition. 3. How many ragpickers used to live in Seemapuri, Delhi? How did they settle there?
Ans- Over 10,000 ragpickers lived in Seemapuri. They had come from Bangladesh looking for a better life. They settled there without proper houses or facilities, living in mud huts. 4. What was the meaning of garbage for children? What did they find in it?
Ans- For children, garbage was like treasure. They found coins, toys, and other useful things in it. It gave them hope and helped them survive. 5. Why did Saheb join the job at milk booth? What was he paid for his service?
Ans- Saheb joined the milk booth to earn a regular income. He was paid 800 rupees a month and got meals. But he lost his freedom and joy. 6. Who was Mukesh? Where did he belong and what was his ambition?
Ans- Mukesh was a boy from Firozabad, a city known for bangle making. He belonged to a poor family. His dream was to become a motor mechanic. 7. Why did Mukesh volunteer to take the narrator home? Who were there in the home?
Ans- Mukesh wanted to proudly show his home to the narrator. In his home, there were his mother, grandmother, and other family members living in poor conditions. 8. "It is his Karam, his destiny." Who said this and why?
Ans- This was said by Mukesh’s grandmother. She believed that working in bangle factories was their fate and they could not escape it. 9. What does the bangles symbolize? What is the role of bangle makers of Firozabad?
Ans- Bangles symbolize Indian tradition and marriage. The bangle makers of Firozabad make beautiful bangles but live in poverty and poor working conditions. 10. Why could the bangle makers not organise themselves into a co-operative? What do they face if they do so?
Ans- They cannot form a co-operative because of fear from police and middlemen. If they try, they may be harassed, jailed, or punished. 11. What was the importance of garbage for children in Seemapuri?
Ans- For children in Seemapuri, garbage was a means of survival. It gave them food, coins, and other useful things to help their families. 12. What explanation does the author offer for children not wearing footwear?
Ans- The author says some children cannot afford shoes. Others follow a tradition of staying barefoot. Poverty is the main reason for this condition. 13. Why did children stay barefoot in Seemapuri?
Ans- Children in Seemapuri stayed barefoot due to poverty. They had no money to buy footwear and accepted it as a part of life. 14. What did Mukesh want to become in life?
Ans- Mukesh wanted to become a motor mechanic. He wished to break free from the family tradition of making bangles. 15. What do the inhabitants of Seemapuri do for their survival?
Ans- The people of Seemapuri survive by rag picking. They collect garbage and sell useful items to earn money for food and shelter. 16. Describe the life of ragpickers at Seemapuri.
Ans- Ragpickers in Seemapuri live in poverty. They live in huts without proper facilities. Their only source of income is collecting and selling garbage. 17. Where is Seemapuri situated?
Ans- Seemapuri is a place on the edge of Delhi. It is near Ghaziabad and home to many poor ragpicker families. 18. What does garbage mean to the elderly people?
Ans- For the elderly, garbage means a way to earn a living. It gives them food and money for survival. 19. What was the utility of garbage for the poor children in Seemapuri?
Ans- Garbage was very useful for poor children. They found things like coins, food, and toys. It helped them and their families survive. 20. What did the children find in garbage?
Ans- Children found coins, toys, and other interesting things in the garbage. These things gave them joy and some hope.
Long Answer Type Questions "Lost Spring" by Anees Jung. 1. Who was Saheb? What was the plight that compelled him to wander in the streets of Delhi for ragpicking?
Ans- Saheb was a poor boy who came from Dhaka, Bangladesh. His family had no home or land. They moved to Seemapuri, Delhi, to survive. He wandered the streets collecting garbage to earn some money. He had no chance to go to school. His life was full of struggle. Poverty forced him to work from a young age. He searched for useful things in garbage to help his family live. 2. Children like Saheb often go for private jobs in very small age. Is this their final destiny? How can such situation be overcome?
Ans-Children like Saheb do small jobs at a very young age because of poverty. This should not be their final destiny. They also have dreams like other children. To improve their future, they must get free education, good food, and care. Government and society should help them with schools, shelters, and jobs for their parents. Only then can they live a better life and not be stuck in child labour. 3. Who was Mukesh? What did he want to do in his life and what did he not want to follow?
Ans- Mukesh was a young boy from Firozabad, a city known for glass bangle making. His family made bangles for generations. But Mukesh did not want to follow the same work. He wanted to break free from the poor and hard life. He dreamed of becoming a motor mechanic. He wanted to learn a new skill and live a better life. He had the courage to think differently and make a change. 4. What did the narrator notice in the locality where Mukesh lived? What was the condition of bangle makers?
Ans-The narrator saw that Mukesh’s area was very poor and crowded. The houses were small and dark. People were working in hot rooms without fresh air. They made bangles for a living. The bangle makers lived in bad conditions. Their eyes got weak because of the heat and smoke. They earned very little money and lived in poverty. They could not even think of doing anything else in life. 5. Every other house in Firozabad is engaged in glass industry. In every other yard, there finds the spiral of bangles. Even then the makers remain in miserable condition. What are the reasons? Explain with the suggestions to overcome this situation.
Ans- The people of Firozabad work in the glass bangle industry for many generations. Every family is involved in making bangles. Still, they live in poverty. The main reasons are low wages, middlemen, lack of education, and no support from the government. They cannot escape this life. To help them, the government should provide loans, better working conditions, and free education. They must be taught new skills and helped to form cooperatives. 6. What is the vicious circle of middlemen? How are they trapped since the time of their forefathers? Can they get organised? If not, why? Explain.
Ans- The bangle makers are caught in a vicious circle of middlemen who take most of the money. These workers do hard work but get very low payment. This has been happening since their ancestors’ time. They are scared to speak up or form groups. If they try, they may be threatened, harassed, or punished. Fear and poverty keep them trapped. They need education and support to get organised and fight for their rights. 7. How is Mukesh different from the other bangle makers of Firozabad?
Ans- Mukesh is different from other bangle makers because he has dreams. While most children follow their family tradition of making bangles, Mukesh wants to become a motor mechanic. He wants to learn a new skill and live a better life. He is ready to struggle for his dream. Unlike others, he doesn’t accept poverty as his fate. His courage and willpower make him special. 8. Describe the deplorable plight of bangle makers.
Ans- The bangle makers live a very hard life. They work in hot, dark rooms with no fresh air. Many lose their eyesight at a young age. They earn very little money and cannot afford proper food, health care, or education. They are stuck in a life of poverty. They cannot leave this work because they have no other skills or support. Their lives are full of pain and suffering. 9. Describe the plight of ragpickers as depicted in the lesson 'Lost Spring'.
Ans- The ragpickers in Seemapuri live in small huts with no proper water or electricity. They came from Bangladesh to find a better life but still live in poverty. They pick garbage daily to earn some money. For them, garbage is like treasure. The children do not go to school. They walk barefoot and wear torn clothes. Their life is full of struggle, hunger, and sadness. 10. Describe the life of people working in the glass bangle industry.
Ans- People in the glass bangle industry work for long hours in hot furnaces. They sit in dark rooms full of smoke. Many lose their eyesight early. Their homes are dirty and overcrowded. They earn very little and remain poor. They cannot break free from this work because of middlemen and lack of education. They live without dreams, suffering in silence, generation after generation.
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