The author's grandmother had always been a deeply religious woman who spent her days praying. When the author decided to study abroad for five years, his grandmother sent him off without emotion. Upon his return, she seemed unchanged by time. However, one evening she unexpectedly gathered others to sing, which was unusual as she always prayed. The next day, she fell ill with a fever. Sensing her end was near after missing prayers the prior evening, she chose to pray nonstop. Her lips soon stopped moving and she passed away, surrounded by family in her peaceful final moments.

1. The Portrait
of a lady
By Khushwant Singh

2. The Portrait of a Lady Introduction of the
Lesson
The Portrait of a Lady is the story of the author.
He describes his relationship with his grandmother
over the years. He pens down her daily activities
and how she evolved as a character as time
passed by. He explains her appearance which
helps create an image in the reader’s mind.

3. My grandmother, like everybody’s grandmother, was an old woman. She had been old and wrinkled for the twenty years
that I had known her. People said that she had once been young and pretty and had even had a husband, but that was
hard to believe. My grandfather’s portrait hung above the mantelpiece in the drawing-room. He wore a big turban and
loose-fitting clothes. His long, white beard covered the best part of his chest and he looked at least a hundred years
old. He did not look the sort of person who would have a wife or children. He looked as if he could only have lots and
lots of grandchildren. As for my grandmother being young and pretty, the thought was almost revolting. She often told
us of the games she used to play as a child. That seemed quite absurd and undignified on her part and we treated it like
the fables of the Prophets she used to tell us.
Wrinkled- having lines or folds
Portrait- painting or picture
Mantelpiece- a structure of wood, marble, or stone above and around a fireplace.
the thought was almost revolting- it was very hard for the author to believe
Revolting – unpleasant
Absurd - Illogical
Undignified- disrespectful
Fables- fictitious stories with a moral teaching
Prophets- saints

4. Explanation
The author talks about his grandmother. He had known her for the past twenty years and she
had always been old and wrinkled. He was told that she was once young and pretty and had a
husband. His grandfather’s portrait hung on the wall, in which he wore loose fitted clothes, a
turban and had a long, white- coloured beard that reached his chest. He also appeared very old
and the author thought that he was someone who could have many grandchildren but not a
wife or children. The author could never imagine that once his grandmother was young and
pretty. He could not connect to this idea. She used to tell him and his cousins about her
childhood memories like the games she used to play as a child. They found these stories
illogical and disrespectful because it was beyond their imagination to think that grandmother
was once a child and played such games. They thought that her life’s stories were like the
other moral stories which she used to tell them.

5. She had always been short and fat and slightly bent. Her face was a criss-cross of wrinkles running from everywhere to
everywhere. No, we were certain she had always been as we had known her. Old, so terribly old that she could not have
grown older, and had stayed at the same age for twenty years. She could never have been pretty; but she was always
beautiful. She hobbled about the house in spotless white with one hand resting on her waist to balance her stoop and
the other telling the beads of her rosary. Her silver locks were scattered untidily over her pale, puckered face, and her
lips constantly moved in inaudible prayer. Yes, she was beautiful. She was like the winter landscape in the mountains, an
expanse of pure white serenity breathing peace and contentment.
Hobbled – walked in an awkward way
spotless white - she wore clean, white coloured dresses
Stoop – bend one’s body forward
Rosary- a string of beads for keeping count of number of chants made of a religious prayer
Scattered – disorganized
Puckered – a face contract into wrinkles
Inaudible- unable to be heard
Serenity – the state of being peaceful and calm
an expanse of pure white serenity - refers to the calm, relaxed and peaceful character of the author’s grandmother
Contentment – a state of happiness and satisfaction

6. Explanation His grandmother was short, fat, slightly bent in posture
and her face had lots of wrinkles. She seemed so old and
she had been the same for the past twenty years.
According to the author, she was beautiful but not pretty.
She walked around the house in an awkward way,
wearing spotless white clothes with beads of the rosary
hanging from one hand and the other hand rested on her
back for support. She had silver-colored hair which was
not neatly combed and was disorganized. She was
constantly chanting prayers. He compares her to the
winter landscape in the mountains which has a peaceful
and calm feel. She was a live example of a pure, white,
peace - emitting entity.

7. My grandmother and I were good friends. My parents left me with her when they went to live in the city
and we were constantly together. She used to wake me up in the morning and get me ready for school.
She said her morning prayer in a monotonous sing-song while she bathed and dressed me in the hope
that I would listen and get to know it by heart; I listened because I loved her voice but never bothered
to learn it. Then she would fetch my wooden slate which she had already washed and plastered with
yellow chalk, a tiny earthen ink-pot and a red pen, tie them all in a bundle and hand it to me.After a
breakfast of a thick, stale chapatti with a little butter and sugar spread on it, we went to school. She
carried several stale chapattis with her for the village dogs.
Monotonous – dull and boring
Bothered- to be concerned
Fetch – go for and then bring back something for someone
Slate- a flat plate of slate formerly used for writing on in schools
Plastered- covered with a layer of plaster
Earthen- made of baked or fired clay
Stale- no longer fresh and pleasant to eat; hard, musty, or dry.

8. Explanation
The author lived with her in the village. They were good friends.
His parents left him with her to settle in the city. The author’s
grandmother used to wake him up every morning and get him
ready for school. She would recite her morning prayers while she
bathed and dressed him up and he loved her voice but would not
try to memorize a word of what she spoke. She would make his
things ready like a wooden slate, a tiny earthen inkpot, and a red
pen. He would eat a thick stale chapatti with butter and sugar
spread on it. They both used to walk to school and his
grandmother carried stale chapattis with her to feed the village
dogs.

9. My grandmother always went to school with me because the school was attached
to the temple. The priest taught us the alphabet and morning prayer. While the
children sat in rows on either side of the verandah singing the alphabet or the
prayer in a chorus, my grandmother sat inside reading the scriptures. When we had
both finished, we would walk back together. This time the village dogs would meet
us at the temple door. They followed us to our home growling and fighting with
each other for the chapattis we threw to them. When my parents were comfortably
settled in the city, they sent for us.That was a turning-point in our friendship.
Although we shared the same room, my grandmother no longer came to school
with me. I used to go to an English school in a motor bus. There were no dogs in the
streets and she took to feeding sparrows in the courtyard of our city house.
Scriptures - the sacred writings of a religion
Growling - making a low guttural sound in the throat
Courtyard- verandah

10. Explanation
His grandmother would accompany him to the school as the temple was attached to the
school and she used to visit the temple daily. On one side, he would sit on the verandah with
other children, would sing the alphabet and prayers in the chorus. On the other hand, she
would sit in the temple to read the scriptures. After finishing, they would walk back home
together. The village dogs met them at the village door. They would follow them to their home,
growling and fighting with each other for the stale chapatis that she fed them. When his
parents got settled in the city, they called them. That was the turning point of his friendship
with his grandmother. They shared the same room but she no longer would give him company
to his school. He started going to an English medium school and a motor bus would come to
pick and drop him. There were no dogs in the streets whom she could feed as she did in the
village. So, she started feeding sparrows in the verandah of their house.

11. As the years rolled by we saw less of each other. For some time she continued to
wake me up and get me ready for school. When I came back she would ask me what
the teacher had taught me. I would tell her English words and little things of western
science and learning, the law of gravity, Archimedes’ Principle, the world being round,
etc. This made her unhappy. She could not help me with my lessons. She did not
believe in the things they taught at the English school and was distressed that there
was no teaching about God and the scriptures. One day I announced that we were
being given music lessons. She was very disturbed. To her music had lewd
associations. It was the monopoly of harlots and beggars and not meant for
gentlefolk. She said nothing but her silence meant disapproval.She rarely talked to
me after that.
Years rolled by- time passed
Distressed - suffer from extremely sorrow, anxiety or pain
Lewd Association – Indecent or Obscene
Harlots – Prostitutes
Gentlefolk - People of noble birth

12. Explanation As the years passed in the city, their interaction
reduced. For some time, she continued to wake him up
and would get him ready for school. She would ask him
what he had learned in school that day. The scientific
terminology and English words made her unhappy. As
she didn’t know the language, she could not help him
with the lessons. As his new school never taught him
about God and religious scriptures, this made her sad.
She did not approve of such an education. When she
came to know that he was getting music lessons, it
disturbed her. According to her, music was indecent
and it was an art for the beggars and prostitutes, and
not for those belonging to decent families. She didn’t
like that he learned music, so, she stopped talking to
him.

13. When I went up to University, I was given a room of my own. The common link of friendship was snapped. My
grandmother accepted her seclusion with resignation. She rarely left her spinning-wheel to talk to anyone. From
sunrise to sunset she sat by her wheel spinning and reciting prayers. Only in the afternoon she relaxed for a while to
feed the sparrows. While she sat in the verandah breaking the bread into little bits, hundreds of little birds collected
round her creating a veritable bedlam of chirrupings. Some came and perched on her legs, others on her shoulders.
Some even sat on her head. She smiled but never shooed them away. It used to be the happiest half-hour of the day
for her.
Snapped- break suddenly and completely
accepted her seclusion with resignation- the grandmother accepted a lonely life as she accepted the separation from
her grandson without objection
Spinning-wheel - a household machine with a wheel attached to it for spinning yarn
A veritable bedlam of chirrupings - refers to the noise and confusion caused by the chirrupings of the sparrows
Veritable - use to describe something which is very interesting or unusual
Bedlam – confusion
Chirrupings – the noise of a small bird
Perched - alight or rest on something
Shooed - make a person or animal go away by shouting or saying ‘shoo’

14. Explanation
As the author went to university, he had a room of his own. The
common link of his friendship with his grandmother that they
had when they shared the same room, was changed now and
thus, his friendship with her ended. She became more private
and spent her whole day spinning wheel. From sunrise to
sunset, she would sit and silently recite her prayers. In the
afternoon, she used to feed sparrows in the verandah. Breaking
the bread into small pieces, she would feed hundreds of birds.
The birds would gather around her, some sat near her, some
on her legs, some on her shoulders and few on her head. She
never shooed them, but always smiled. She was the happiest in
that half an hour during the whole day.

15. When I decided to go abroad for further studies, I was sure my grandmother would be upset. I would be
away for five years, and at her age one could never tell. But my grandmother could. She was not even
sentimental. She came to leave me at the railway station but did not talk or show any emotion. Her lips
moved in prayer, her mind was lost in prayer. Her fingers were busy telling the beads of her rosary.
Silently she kissed my forehead, and when I left I cherished the moist imprint as perhaps the last sign
of physical contact between us. But that was not so. After five years I came back home and was met by
her at the station. She did not look a day older. She still had no time for words, and while she clasped
me in her arms I could hear her reciting her prayers. Even on the first day of my arrival, her happiest
moments were with her sparrows whom she fed longer and with frivolous rebukes.
Sentimental - a feeling of nostalgia, sadness or tenderness; an emotional feeling
Beads - a small piece of glass or stone threaded with others to make a rosary or necklace
Cherished - hold something dear
Moist- wet
Imprint - impression or stamp
Clasped – hold tightly
Frivolous – not having any serious purpose, light-hearted
Rebuke - disapproval of something or someone
frivolous rebukes - light hearted scoldings

16. Explanation
When the author decided to go abroad for further studies,
he believed it would be the last time he would see her as
he would be gone for five long years. As they all reached
the station, she held him tightly and kissed his forehead. He
thought it was the last physical contact with her. The wet
impression of her hand was dear to him. She was not
sentimental at all. When he came back after five years, she
came to meet him at the station. She looked just the way
she did five years ago, not a day older. She held him again
in her arms and was still reciting her prayers.
He noticed on the first day of his arrival that only sparrows
would make her happy.

17. In the evening a change came over her. She did not pray. She collected the women of the
neighbourhood, got an old drum and started to sing. For several hours she thumped the sagging
skins of the dilapidated drum and sang of the homecoming of warriors. We had to persuade her to
stop to avoid overstraining. That was the first time since I had known her that she did not pray.
The next morning she was taken ill. It was a mild fever and the doctor told us that it would go. But
my grandmother thought differently. She told us that her end was near. She said that, since only a
few hours before the close of the last chapter of her life she had omitted to pray, she was not
going to waste any more time talking to us.
Thumped- hit
Sagging – sinking downwards
Dilapidated – in a state of despair or ruin
the sagging skins of the dilapidated drum- The loose surface of the worn out drum
Persuade - to talk someone into doing something, requeste
Overstraining- overdoing something
Omitted - leave out or exclude something

18. Explanation
An evening, she didn’t follow her regular
routine of praying. She collected a few women
from the neighbourhood, got a drum and
started singing with them. She thumped the
ruined part of the drum and sang along. The
whole family persuaded her to stop as she
might get ill due to exhaustion. The next
morning, she fell ill. It was a mild fever. The
doctors told them that it would go away but she
took it differently. According to her, she would
die soon as her end was near. She started
chanting prayers as she didn’t want to waste
her last hours in talking to anyone.

19. We protested. But she ignored our protests. She lay peacefully in bed
praying and telling her beads. Even before we could suspect, her lips
stopped moving and the rosary fell from her lifeless fingers. A peaceful
pallor spread on her face and we knew that she was dead.
We lifted her off the bed and, as is customary, laid her on the ground and
covered her with a red shroud. After a few hours of mourning we left her
alone to make arrangements for her funeral. In the evening we went to her
room with a crude stretcher to take her to be cremated. The sun was
setting and had lit her room and verandah with a blaze of golden light. We
stopped half-way in the courtyard.
Protested - express an objection against something or someone
Pallor – an unhealthy pale appearance

20. All over the verandah and in her room right up to where she lay dead and stiff
wrapped in the red shroud, thousands of sparrows sat scattered on the floor. There
was no chirruping. We felt sorry for the birds and my mother fetched some bread for
them. She broke it into little crumbs, the way my grandmother used to, and threw it to
them. The sparrows took no notice of the bread. When we carried my grandmother’s
corpse off, they flew away quietly. Next morning the sweeper swept the bread
crumbs into the dustbin.
Customary - traditional
Crude – in a natural state, roughly made
Cremated - dispose of or burn a body after it is dead
Blaze - a very large burning fire
Shroud – a piece of cloth used to wrap a dead person
Corpse- dead body

21. Explanation
The family lifted her from the bed, laid her
on the ground and wrapped her with a
red- coloured cloth. Thousands of
sparrows sat silently near her. The
author’s mother fetched some bread for
the birds but they didn’t eat any. They
flew away later as the family carried the
dead body. The sweeper removed the
crumbs the next morning. The birds were
so sensitive. They did not want to eat
bread but were mourning the death of the
one who had fed them for so many days.

22. THANK
YOU