Section 2 The Thief

Talk to your partner about a time when someone you trusted let you down. How did you
feel at that time? Why do you think that person had behaved the way he (or she) did?
Will you ever trust him/her again?

In the following story a young, street-smart and petty thief thinks he has found his next
victim whose confidence and trust he wins easily. But when the time comes to put his
plan into action, something unexpected happens. )
I was still a thief when I met Arun and though I was only fifteen I was an experienced
and fairly successful hand.
Arun was watching the wrestlers when I approached him. He was about twenty, a tall,
lean fellow, and he looked kind and simple enough for my purpose. I hadn't had much
luck of late and thought I might be able to get into this young person's confidence. He
seemed quite fascinated by the wrestling. Two well-oiled men slid about in the soft mud,
grunting and slapping their thighs. When I drew Arun into conversation he didn't seem
to realize I was a stranger.
'You look like a wrestler yourself; I said.
'So do you; he replied, which put me out of my stride' for a moment because at the time
I was rather thin and bony and not very impressive physically.
'Yes; I said. 'I wrestle sometimes.'
'What's your name?'
'Deepak,' I lied.
Deepak was about my fifth name. I had earlier called myself Ranbir, Sudhir, Trilok and
Surinder After this preliminary2 exchange Arun confined himself to comments on the
match, and I didn't have much to say. After a while he walked away from the crowd of
spectators. I followed him.
'Hallo,' he said. 'Enjoying yourself?'
I gave him my most appeali ng 3 smile. 'I want to work for you; I said.

He didn't stop walking. 'And what makes you think I want someone to work for me?'
'Well,' I said, 'I've been wandering about all day looking for the best person to work for.
When I saw you I knew that no one else had a chance.'

p.ut
'1 me out of my stride: took me by surprise 1 2 preliminary: introductory 1 3 appealing: charming
'You flatter me,' he said .
'That's all rig ht .'
' But you can't work for me .'
'Why not?'
'Because I can't pay you .'
I thought that over for a minute.
Perhaps I had misjudged my man.
'Can you feed me?' I asked.
'Can you cook?' he countered.
'I can cook; I lied.
'If you can cook; he said, 'then I'll
feed you.'
He took me to his room and told me I
could sleep in the verandah. But I was
nearly back on the street that night.
The meal I cooked must have been
pretty awful because Arun gave it to the
neighbour's cat and told me to be off. But
I just hung around 4 smiling in my most
appealing way and then he couldn't help
laughing. He sat down on the bed and laughed for a full five minutes and later patted me
on the head and said, never mind, he'd teach me to cook in the morning. Not only did he
teach me to cook but he taught me to write my name and his and said he would soon
teach me to write whole sentences and add money on paper when you didn't have any
in your pocket!
It was quite pleasant working for Arun. I made the tea in the morning and later went out
shopping. I would take my time buying the day's supplies and make a profit of about
twenty-five paise a day. I would tell Arun that rice was fifty-six paise a pound (it generally
was), but I would get it at fifty paise a pound. I think he knew I made a little this way but
he didn't mind. He wasn't giving me a regular wage.
I was really grateful to Arun for teaching me to write. I knew that once I could write like
an educated man there would be no limit to what I could achieve. It might even be an
incentive 5 to be honest.

4just hung around: remained; stood or waited around with no probable purpose I 5incentive: motivation
 Arun made money by fits and starts 6 . He would be borrowing one week, lending the
next. He would keep worrying about his next cheque but as soon as it arrived he would
go out and celebrate lavishly7. He could be quite a spendthrift at times.

One evening he came home with a wad 8 of notes and at night I saw him tuck the bundles
under his mattress at the head of the bed. I had been working for Arun for nearly a
fortnight and, apart from the shopping, hadn't done much to exploit 9 him. I haa every
opportunity for doing so. I had a key to the front door which meant I had access to the
room whenever Arun was out. He was the most trusting person I had ever met. And that
was why I couldn't make up my mind to rob him. It's easy to rob a greedy man because
he deserves to be robbed. It's easy to rob a rich man because he can afford to be robbed.
But it's difficult to rob a poor man, even one who really doesn't care if he's robbed. A
rich man or a greedy man or a careful man wouldn't keep his money under a pillow
or mattress. He'd lock it up in a safe place. Arun had put his money where it would be
child's play for me to remove it without his knowledge.

It's time I did some real work, I told myself. I'm getting out of practice ... If I don't take
the money, he'll only waste it on his friends ... He doesn't even pay me ...

Arun was asleep. Moonlight came in from the verandah and fell
'I across the bed. I sat up on the floor, my blanket wrapped round
me, considering the situation. There was quite a lot of money in
that wad and if I took it I would have to leave town-I might make
the 10.30 express to Amritsar ...

Slipping out of the blanket, I crept on all four

through the door and up to the bed and
peeped at Arun. He was sleeping peacefully
with a soft and easy breathing. His face
was clear and unlined. Even I had more
markings on my face, though mine were
mostly scars.

My hand took on an identity of its own

as it slid around under the mattress,
the fingers searching for the notes.
They found them and I drew them out
without a crackle.
Arun sighed in his sleep and turned on his side, towards me. My free hand was resting
on the bed and his hair touched my fingers. I was frightened when his hair touched my

6by fits and starts: not very regularly I lavishly: wastefully I Bwad: bundle I gexp l o it: take advantage of
fingers, and crawled quickly and
quietly out of the room. When I was
in the street I began to run . I ran
down the bazaar road to the station.
The shops were all closed but a few
lights were on in the upper windows.
I had the notes at my waist, held
there by the string of my pyjamas. I
felt I had to stop and count the notes
though I knew it might make me late
for the train. It was already 10.20 by
the clock tower. I slowed down to a
walk and my fingers flicked through
the notes. There were about a
hundred rupees in fives. A good haul.
I could live like a prince for a month
or two.

When I reached the station I did not

stop at the ticket office (I had never
bought a ticket in my life) but dashed
straight onto the platform. The
Amritsar Express was just moving
out. It was moving slowly enough for me to be able to jump on the footboard of one of
the carriages but I hesitated for some urgent, unexplainable reason.

I hesitated long enough for the train to leave without me.

When it had gone and the noise and busy confusion of the platform had subsided,
I found myself standing alone on the deserted platform. The knowledge that I had
a hundred stolen rupees in my pyjamas only increased my feeling of isolation and
loneliness. I had no idea where to spend the night. I had never kept any friends because
sometimes friends can be one's undoing. I didn't want to make myself conspicuous 1o by
staying at a hotel. And the only person I knew really well in town was the person I
had robbed!

Leaving the station, I walked slowly through the bazaar keeping to dark, deserted alleys.
I kept thinking of Arun. He would still be asleep, blissfully11 unaware of his loss.

I have made a study of men's faces when they have lost something of material value.
The greedy man shows panic, the rich man shows anger, the poor man shows fear.

1oconspicuous: attracting attention to oneself I 11blissfully: happily

 But I knew that neither panic nor anger nor fear would show on Arun's face when he
' discovered the theft; only a terrible sadness not for the loss of the money but for my
having betrayed his trust. I found myself on the maidan and sat down on a bench with
my feet tucked up under my haunches. The night was a little cold and I regretted not
~aving brought Arun's blanket along. A light drizzle added to my discomfort. Soon it was
raining heavily. My shirt and pyjamas stuck to my skin and a cold wind brought the rain
whipping across my face.
I told myself that sleeping on a bench was something I should have been used to by now
but the verandah had softened me. I walked back to the bazaar and sat down on the steps
of a closed shop. A few vagrants 12 lay beside me, rolled up tight in thin blankets. The clock
showed midnight. I felt for the notes. They were still with me but had lost their crispness
and were damp with rainwater. Arun's money. In the morning he would probably have
given me a rupee to go to the pictures but now I had it all. No more cooking his meals,
running to the bazaar, or learning to write whole sentences. Whole sentences ...
.................... ........................ .
They were something I had forgotten in the
Do you think Arun's
excitement of a hundred rupees. Whole sentences,
goodness of spirit made
I knew, could one day bring me more than a
Deepak listen to his inner
hundred rupees. It was a simple matter to steal (and
voice when faced with the
sometimes just as simple to be caught) but to be a
. conflict? Why, or why not?
really big man, a wise and successful man, that was .
.............: .-.- .......................... .
something. I should go back to Arun, I told myself, if
: ....
only to learn how to write. :.-

Perhaps it was also concern for Arun that drew me back. A sense of sympathy is one of my
weaknesses, and through hesitation over a theft I had often been caught. A successful thief
must be pitiless. I was fond of Arun. My affection for him, my sense of sympathy, but most
of all my desire to write whole sentences, drew me back to the room.
I hurried back to the room extremely nervous, for it is easier to steal something than to
return it undetected. If I was caught beside the bed now, with the money in my hand,
or with my hand under the mattress, there could be only one explanation: that I was
actually stealing. If Arun woke up I would be lost.

I opened the door clumsily and stood in the doorway in clouded moonlight. Gradually
my eyes became accustomed to the darkness of the room. Arun was still asleep. I went
on all fours again and crept noiselessly to the head of the bed. My hand came up with
the notes. I felt his breath on my fingers. I was fascinated by his tranquil 13 features
and easy breathing and remained motionless for a minute. Then my hand explored the
mattress, found the edge, slipped under it with the notes.

, }2vagrants: wanderers I 13tranquil: peaceful

I awoke late next morning to find that Arun had already made the tea. I found it difficult
to face him in the harsh light of day. His hand was stretched out towards me. There was
a five-rupee note between his fingers. My heart sank.
'I made some money yesterday; he said. 'Now you'll get paid regularly.'
My spirit rose as rapidly as it had fallen. I congratulated myself on having returned the
money. But when I took the note, I realized that he knew everything. The note was still
wet from last night's rain.
'Today I'll teach you to write a little more than your name,' he said.
He knew, but neither his lips nor his eyes said anything about their knowing.
I smiled at Arun in my most appealing way. And the smile came by itself, without my
knowing it.
Ruskin Bond

Ruskin Bond (b. 1934) is a well-known contemporary Indian author of British descent. He was
born in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, on 19 May 1934 to an Anglo-Indian couple. He is one of the
most admired children's writers in India. He has received numerous awards and accolades for his
prolific work. He spent most of his childhood in the mountains, and thus his writings display his
fondness for nature and the mountains. He was very close to his father, and he regards the time
spent with him as the happiest time of his life. After his father's untimely death, he grew up to
become somewhat lonely and private. But this helped him understand the world of children quite
I
well, and inspired many of his works. In fact many of his works are inspired by his life journey, I
such as the novel The Room on the Roof, which narrates how he decided to take up writing as
a career. Many of his stories have been adapted into movies as well. ~

Overview
1. The story is told from the point of view of:
a. Ruskin Bond, the author 0
b. Oeepak, the thief 0
c. Arun, Oeepak's employer 0
2. From the statements given below, select the one that comes closest to the
main idea of the story.
a. Oeepak steals money from his employer and leaves the town. o
b. Oeepak steals money from his employer, but returns it to him after
confessing to the crime the next morning.
o
c. Oeepak steals money from his employer, but returns it the same night
after changing his mind about leaving the town.
 3. Do you think the title of the story is a suitable one? If you don't, say why not and
~ provide an appropriate replacement for it.

Read and answer

1. Fill in the blanks to complete a summary of the story.

Deepak was ... .. ... ....... ..................... ..... years of age when he met Arun for the first time
at a ......................... ........ .. .. .... match. Arun, at that time, was about ........ .... ............... ....... .... ...
years older than him. Deepak told Arun that he wanted to .... ..... .. .............................. for
him but he was actually a ...... .. .... ......... ... .. ..... .... .. .... and he was hoping to win Arun's
.... ................................. .... and then steal from him. Deepak lied to Arun, saying that he
knew how to ... ... ........ .... .. ..................... and Arun allowed him to stay in his home and
sleep on the .... ...... ......... ...... ..... .. .. ... ... . . When Arun found out that Deepak couldn't
cook, he first turned him out, but then took him back and promised to teach him to
.... ..... ............. .. .......... .. .. ... and to ........ ...... ......... ........ .. .. ...... . Deepak ............... ...... .... .. ............. .
working for Arun even though he wasn't .......... .. ..... .. ...... .. ....................... .... ....... as he
was ......... ...... ........ .................. to Arun for teaching him to ..... ........ .... ... .... ..... ............ whole
sentences. He thought this skill might make him an ..... .. ............ .......... ... .... ..... man. One
night, however, he couldn't resist the temptation to steal money from Arun which
was kept under his .... ... .................................. . He left the house hoping to catch a train
to ....... ............... .. ...... .. .. ...... . but gave up the idea and returned to Arun's house because
he felt it was better to learn how to .. ... .. ....... .. .... .. ... .. ... ... .......... ..... .... .... than to spend his
life as a .............. .... ....................... . He also felt .... ...... ... ........... ......... ........ for Arun who had
.... .................... .. .... ........... him completely.
(J~ 2. Why, according to Deepak, was he unable to make up his mind to rob Arun?
3. What were the three factors that prompted Deepak to return to Arun's house and
,,,,j replace the money he had stolen?
4. My spirit rose as rapidly as it had fallen. I congratulated myself on having returned
the money. But when I took the note, I realized that he knew everything. The note was
still wet from last night's rain.
Today I'll teach you to write a little more than your name,' he said.
He knew, but neither his lips nor his eyes said anything about their knowing .
.\J .8j
• Why had the speaker's spirits 'fallen' and what made them rise again?

...
 b. The narrator says : '.. . he knew everything ... '. Who is 'he' and what did 'he' know?
How did he know th is?
c. What do the last two li nes of the extract te ll us about the kind of person
Arun was?

Think and answer

1. The narrator Oeepak describes Arun, when he first sees him, as 'kind and simple
enough for my purpose'.
a. What was Oeepak's 'purpose'?
b. Was Oeepak accurate in his assessment of Arun as 'kind and simple'? Give
examples to justify your view.
c. In the light of later events, describe the irony in Oeepak's observation about Arun.
(Hint: Irony occurs when things don't happen the way they were expected to.)
2. Oeepak describes himself smiling at Arun
in his 'most appealing way' twice at the
beginning of the story and once again at the
end. Is the purpose of the smile the same at
the end of the story as it is at the beginning?
3. Oeepak describes himself at the beginning
of the story as an experienced and fairly
successful thief. Yet by the end of the story
we see a change in him. How much of this
change is the result of his interactions with
Arun and how much of this is because of his
own inner nature? Provide evidence from
the story to support your point of view.

Word power
Words from the text

A. Fill in the blanks in the sentences that follow with the appropriate choice from
the brackets.

1. When I arrived at the party, I found that everyone was dressed in formal clothes
and I felt very ....... ............. ............. ..... .... ..... ..... ... in my torn jeans and purple t-shirt.
(suspicious/conscious/conspicuous)
 2. During a holiday I like to leave the noisy city and go to a more .............. ............... .. ... .
place in the hills or by the ocean. (tranquil/traditional/transit)
3. The workers were offered a generous bonus as .. ..... .. .... .. .... ... .. ..... .... .. to complete the
project sooner. (a payment/an incentive/an assurance)
4. The wealthy businessman was known for entertaining guests ... ........... .. ... ... ..... ... .. ...
in his penthouse apartment. (expensively/lavishly/foolishly)
5. The manager ..... .. ..... .... ......... ......... . my soft nature by giving me extra work, knowing
that I would not refuse. (exploited/advantaged/explored)
6. I am looking for a new internet provider as the current service is not consistent; it
works in ........ .. ...... .................... .. ............ .... ......... . (starts and stops/fits and starts/stop
and start)
7. During the debate on TV, my opponent tried to .... .... ...... .... .. ....... .. .. ... .. ... .... .......... ..... ...
by bringing up irrelevant matters of a personal nature. (put me in my place/put
me out of my stride/put me on the ground)
8. Not having much to do during the summer holidays, we .... ........ .. .......... ... ....... .
various malls. (just hung around/just hung onto/just hung inside)

Concrete nouns that identify personality types

B. Fill in the blanks in the following paragraph with words chosen from below. The
words are nouns that describe specific personality types. You may check your
dictionary for the meaning of unfamiliar words.

I
mercenary

tycoon
entrepreneur

altruist
pauper

protagonist
novice

scrooge
penitent I
Deepak, the narrator and main character of the story, can be described as the
....... .. .... ... ... ..... ........... of the tale. He is a petty thief but, as he claims to have a lot of
experience, he is not a ............ ....................... at his trade. However, he has not had much
luck for some time and, unlike the rich men he refers to in his narration, is currently
a .. ... ............. ..... ...... ...... . He hopes to improve his financial situation by exploiting Arun.
We are not told what Arun does for a living, but as he keeps losing and making
money, he could be an ..... .... .. ..... ...... ..... .. ... ... . He spends money as if he is a business
.... ... ...... .. .. ........ .... .. .... . He likes people in general and like an .... .... .. ...... ..... .......... .. .., would
be glad to help those who are in need. As he is generous with his money he cannot
be described as a ... .. .. ... .... .. ..... .. ......... .. . . Deepak initially appears to be a person who