The Ghat of the only world

 

The Ghat of the Only World- Summary

The lesson opens on a note where the author’s friend Shahid who has a malignant tumour wants him to write about him after his last breath and how the author resists it. This is because of his lack of ability to respond in a situation like this. Shahid knew him well and thus, he made him agree on this. The author tells us how he made notes of every encounter and telephone conversation with Shahid after that day to be able to write about him. Now, the author’s fascination with his friend dates back to a time when they were not friends. Amitav knew Shahid for his work in poetry. It was only through a friend that they met but remained only acquaintances. A year later when Shahid moved to Brooklyn, they got closer upon frequent brunches. It was after a sudden temporary lapse of memory, that Shahid moved from Manhattan to live with his sister. The author mentions one such day when he went along with Shahid’s siblings to pick him up from the hospital after a surgery. Shahid refused to take the help of a wheelchair claiming that he is still fit to trust his toes. Upon seeing him lose his balance, they called the escort back with the wheelchair. Shahid, being full of life, got excited upon knowing that the guy knows Spanish as he had always wanted to learn the language. Shahid and the author had a great deal in common. To quote a few, they had common love for Indian dishes like rogan josh and a shared indifference towards cricket. Despite knowing where his disease was going to take him, Shahid always surrounded himself with people which according to him gave him no time to be sad. There used to be a party in his living room almost daily with a person or two in the kitchen cooking his favourite rogan josh while he gave direction amidst his partying. He talked endlessly about his favourite Ghazal singer and her stories of witty replies. Once at Barcelona airport, he too replied wittily to the security guard and made a mention about it in his poetry. The author then talks about how the prevailing situations in Kashmir affected him. He wrote a lot of poetry about Kashmir and thought that politics and religion should act separately. He felt that people must stay united despite religion. He gave the credit of this way of thinking to his upbringing. The author mentions how he wished to be in Kashmir while taking his last breath but could not due to logistical issues. He took his last breath in his sleep leaving a void in the author’s life. The author is left thinking how a bond of such short duration can have such a lasting impact.

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The Ghat of the Only World- NCERT BOOK Question and Answers

1. What impressions of Shahid do you gather from the piece?

A. Shahid was a man full of life and spirit. An excellent poet, he wrote amazing pieces. He was known for his hospitality and everyone loved going to his parties. He was very fond of the company of others. He had the ability to change the dull and ordinary into bright and remarkable. An excellent scholar as he was, he was no less good a teacher. He was also very fond of cooking and appreciated authenticity and precision when it came to food. A few instances imply that he was a man with a good sense of humour. He was sensitive towards the political environment. He was deeply connected to his roots and thus, wanted to take his last few breaths in Kashmir.

2. How do Shahid and the writer react to the knowledge that Shahid is going to die?

A. The fact that Shahid’s malignant tumour was going to consume him, affected both of them quite differently. Shahid was content and calm upon hearing it. The fact that his disease was taking its toll on him did not keep him away from living life like it was a celebration. He was full of life and was joyful. He wanted Amitav to write about him after he died whereas, on the other hand, the author tried to delay the acknowledgement of the fact that his dear friend’s end was near. Nor did he accept to write about him at first because of his lack of ability to respond in such a situation. Shahid knew Amitav would try making all excuses to keep himself away from writing after something tragic and thus, he put them all away while he was alive.

 

3. Look up the dictionary for the meaning of the word ‘diaspora’. What do you understand of the Indian diaspora from this piece?

A. Diaspora means the dispersion or spread of any people from their original homeland to another country. The chapter, ‘The Ghat of the Only World’ describes many Indians living in the United States, away from their motherland. Shahid lived in Manhattan and later shifted to Brooklyn. His sister taught at the Pratt Institute in America. Amitav Ghosh lived a few blocks away. Though the narrator and Shahid lived in the United States, they loved Indians and Indian things like Rogan Josh, Begum Akhtar and Kishore Kumar. Shahid had a passionate love for Kashmir, so he wanted to go back to Kashmir to die.