NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English (Footprints Without Feet) Chapter 8: Bholi

Complete solutions for Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Chapter 8 – “Bholi” by K.A. Abbas: an original summary, theme and message, word meanings, and every textbook exercise question (Think about it and Talk about it) answered in full. We keep the questions exactly as printed in the NCERT book, and add extra practice, MCQs and assertion–reason questions to help you score full marks.

Class: 10 Subject: English Book: Footprints Without Feet Type: Story (Chapter 8) Author: K.A. Abbas Session: 2026–27
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About the author

Khwaja Ahmad Abbas (1914–1987), popularly known as K.A. Abbas, was an eminent Indian author, journalist and film-maker who wrote in Urdu, Hindi and English. A powerful voice for social reform, he used his stories and films to expose injustice, poverty and discrimination, especially the unequal treatment of women. He is remembered for screenplays such as those for Awara and Shree 420, and his journalistic column ‘Last Page’ ran for decades. In “Bholi”, Abbas champions the cause of the girl child and the transformative power of education with deep sympathy and quiet realism.

Summary

Sulekha, the fourth and youngest daughter of Numberdar Ramlal, is nicknamed Bholi (“the simpleton”). As a baby she fell off a cot and damaged part of her brain, and a later attack of small-pox left her face badly scarred with pock-marks. She also stammered and spoke very little because other children mocked her. While her healthy, good-looking sisters were married off easily, her parents despaired of finding a husband for her.

When a girls’ school opened in the village, the Tehsildar pressed Ramlal – a government revenue official – to set an example by sending his daughters to school. Ramlal’s wife agreed to send only Bholi, since she seemed unlikely to marry anyway. Frightened at first, Bholi was won over by her gentle teacher, who patiently encouraged her, gave her a colourful book and promised that one day she would be the most learned person in the village and that no one would laugh at her. This kindness lit a new hope in Bholi.

Years passed and the village grew into a small town. Bholi’s parents arranged her marriage to Bishamber Nath, a wealthy but elderly, lame widower who asked for no dowry. At the wedding, however, he saw her pock-marks and demanded five thousand rupees. The helpless Ramlal counted out the notes. But the educated, transformed Bholi flung the garland into the fire and, speaking clearly without a stammer, refused to marry such a greedy, mean man – though she had earlier agreed for the sake of her father’s honour. Calmly, she promised to look after her parents in their old age and to teach in the very school that had changed her life. Her smiling teacher watched, satisfied at the “completion of her masterpiece”.

Theme & message

“Bholi” highlights the power of education to transform a person and build self-confidence. A neglected, stammering girl, written off as a “dumb cow”, grows into a self-respecting woman who can think, speak and decide for herself. The story also condemns the unequal treatment of the girl child, the evil of dowry and the obsession with looks. Its message is clear: educate girls, treat them with dignity, and they will rise above every disadvantage.

Word meanings

WordEnglish meaningHindi meaning
simpletona foolish person easily trickedभोला / मूर्ख व्यक्ति
numberdaran official who collects revenueलगान वसूलने वाला अधिकारी
backwardslow in mental developmentमंदबुद्धि
disfiguredspoilt in appearanceविकृत / बदसूरत
pock-marksscars left by small-poxचेचक के दाग
stammeredspoke with difficulty, repeating soundsहकलाना
mimickedimitated to make funनकल उतारना
prosperouswealthy, well-to-doसमृद्ध / खुशहाल
mattedtangled (hair)उलझे हुए (बाल)
fascinatedgreatly attractedमोहित होना
scurriedran or moved hurriedlyतेज़ी से भागना
soothingcalming, comfortingशांत करने वाला
throbbingbeating fast (heart)धड़कना
dowrymoney/goods given with a brideदहेज
auspiciousfavourable, luckyशुभ
downcastlooking downwardsनीचे की ओर झुका हुआ
contemptfeeling that something is worthlessतिरस्कार / घृणा
thunderstruckextremely shockedहक्का-बक्का
izzathonour, reputationइज़्ज़त / सम्मान
contemptibledeserving scorn; meanनीच / घृणित
ginningseparating cotton from its seedsरूई ओटना

Think about it

1. Bholi had many apprehensions about going to school. What made her feel that she was going to a better place than her home?

ANSWERAt first Bholi was terrified, since she did not know what a school was and even feared she might be sold like their old cow, Lakshmi. But on that day she was given a clean dress, was bathed, and oil was rubbed into her hair – care she had never received at home, where she always wore her sisters’ old, unwashed cast-offs. This unusual attention made her begin to believe that she was being taken to a place better than her home.

2. How did Bholi’s teacher play an important role in changing the course of her life?

ANSWERThe teacher was the turning point in Bholi’s life. With a soft, soothing voice she spoke to the frightened, stammering girl, encouraged her to say her name and praised every small effort. She told Bholi to “put the fear out of your heart”, gave her a colourful book, and promised that one day she would be the most learned person in the village, that people would respect her and that no one would ever laugh at her. This patience and faith filled Bholi with hope and self-confidence, ultimately transforming her into a bold, educated and self-respecting woman.

3. Why did Bholi at first agree to an unequal match? Why did she later reject the marriage? What does this tell us about her?

ANSWERBholi first agreed to marry the elderly, lame Bishamber Nath for the sake of her father’s honour (izzat), knowing how difficult it was to find her a husband. But when Bishamber, on seeing her pock-marks, greedily demanded five thousand rupees and humiliated her father, she rejected the marriage. She refused to accept such a mean, greedy and contemptible coward as her husband. This shows that Bholi had become educated, self-respecting and courageous – she valued her father’s dignity yet refused to be insulted or treated as a commodity to be bought.

4. Bholi’s real name is Sulekha. We are told this right at the beginning. But only in the last but one paragraph of the story is Bholi called Sulekha again. Why do you think she is called Sulekha at that point in the story?

ANSWERThe name “Bholi” (simpleton) symbolised a neglected, mocked and helpless girl. By the end she has changed completely – she speaks boldly without a stammer, refuses an unjust marriage and decides to serve her parents and teach in her school. She is no longer a “simpleton” but a mature, confident and dignified woman. So the author calls her by her real name, Sulekha, to mark this transformation and to give her back her true identity and self-worth.

5. Bholi’s story must have moved you. Do you think girl children are not treated at par with boys? You are aware that the government has introduced a scheme to save the girl child as the sex ratio is declining. The scheme is called Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Save the Girl Child. Read about the scheme and design a poster in groups of four and display on the school notice board.

ANSWERYes, in many homes girl children are still not treated equally with boys – in Bholi’s family the sons were sent to city schools and colleges while the daughters were prepared only for marriage, and Bholi herself was neglected. Such discrimination continues in real life through unequal access to education, nutrition and opportunities, and is reflected in the declining sex ratio.Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (“Save the Girl Child, Educate the Girl Child”) is a government scheme launched to prevent female foeticide, improve the child sex ratio and ensure the survival, protection and education of girls.Poster idea (do in groups of four): draw a confident girl carrying books with the slogans “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao”, “Educate a girl, empower a nation” and “A daughter is a gift, not a burden.” Add facts about equal rights to education and display it on the notice board.

Talk about it

1. Bholi’s teacher helped her overcome social barriers by encouraging and motivating her. How do you think you can contribute towards changing the social attitudes illustrated in this story?

ANSWERWe can help change such attitudes by treating girls and boys equally and by speaking up against discrimination at home and in school. We can encourage girls around us to study and pursue their dreams, support campaigns for girls’ education, and refuse to take part in or accept the dowry system. By respecting every individual regardless of looks, gender or disability – and by setting an example through our own behaviour – we can gradually change the mindset shown in the story.

2. Should girls be aware of their rights, and assert them? Should girls and boys have the same rights, duties and privileges? What are some of the ways in which society treats them differently? When we speak of ‘human rights’, do we differentiate between girls’ rights and boys’ rights?

ANSWERYes, girls must be aware of their rights and assert them confidently, just as Bholi finally did. Girls and boys should enjoy exactly the same rights, duties and privileges. In practice, however, society often treats them differently – girls may get less education, more household work, less freedom, early marriage and pressure over appearance, while boys are given more opportunities and importance. Human rights belong to every human being equally; they make no distinction between girls’ rights and boys’ rights. Equality and dignity are the right of all.

3. Do you think the characters in the story were speaking to each other in English? If not, in which language were they speaking? (You can get clues from the names of the persons and the non-English words used in the story.)

ANSWERNo, the characters were certainly not speaking in English. The Indian names (Sulekha, Ramlal, Champa, Bishamber) and the many Hindi/Urdu words used in the story – numberdar, Tehsildar, Pitaji, izzat, sahib – clearly show that they were speaking in Hindi (or a related regional language of North India). The story is set in an Indian village, and the author has only written it down in English for the reader.

Extra questions

Short answer (30–40 words)

1. How did Bholi get her nickname, and what does it mean?

ANSWERHer real name was Sulekha, but because a fall in infancy left her mentally backward and slow, everyone began calling her “Bholi”, meaning “the simpleton” – a foolish, simple-minded person.

2. Why was Ramlal worried only about Bholi and not his other daughters?

ANSWERHis other daughters were good-looking, healthy and intelligent, so finding bridegrooms for them was easy. Bholi, however, had neither good looks nor intelligence and was scarred by pock-marks, so her father feared she might never marry.

3. Why did Bholi’s mother agree to send her to school?

ANSWERForced by the Tehsildar’s order, Ramlal had to send a daughter to school. His wife chose Bholi, reasoning that since the ugly, witless girl was unlikely to marry anyway, the teachers might as well worry about her.

4. What promise did the teacher make to Bholi on her first day?

ANSWERThe teacher promised that if Bholi came to school regularly, she would learn to read, become the most learned person in the village, win people’s respect and be able to speak without the slightest stammer.

5. Why did Bishamber Nath demand five thousand rupees at the wedding?

ANSWERWhen the veil was lifted, Bishamber Nath saw Bholi’s pock-marked face. Out of greed, he used this as an excuse and demanded five thousand rupees as dowry, threatening to call off the marriage otherwise.

Long answer (100–120 words)

6. “Bholi’s transformation is the result of education and a teacher’s faith.” Discuss with reference to the story.

ANSWERAt the start, Bholi is a neglected, stammering girl whom everyone mocks and dismisses as a “dumb cow”. She has no clothes of her own, no care and no voice. The single force that changes her life is education, made possible by a kind teacher who treats her with patience and respect. The teacher encourages every small effort, gives her hope, and assures her that learning will earn her respect. Years of schooling turn the frightened child into a confident, thinking woman who can speak clearly and judge right from wrong. At the wedding she boldly rejects a greedy, dishonest man and chooses to serve her parents and teach. Thus education, backed by a teacher’s faith, gives Bholi dignity, courage and a new identity.

7. Write a character sketch of Bholi.

ANSWERBholi, whose real name is Sulekha, is the youngest daughter of Numberdar Ramlal. Physically she is scarred by pock-marks and slowed by a childhood injury, and she stammers, so she is neglected and ridiculed as a simpleton. Yet beneath this she is sensitive, observant and full of longing for love and acceptance. Once educated, she emerges as intelligent, confident and self-respecting. She is also dutiful and devoted – willing to marry an old man for her father’s honour, yet bold and principled enough to reject a greedy, contemptible suitor. Finally she shows maturity and compassion, choosing to care for her parents and teach in her school. Bholi represents the transforming power of education on a once-helpless girl.

MCQs & Assertion–Reason

1. What was Bholi’s real name?

(a) Champa   (b) Sulekha   (c) Radha   (d) Mangla

2. What caused Bholi to become a backward child?

(a) A high fever   (b) An attack of small-pox   (c) A fall off the cot in infancy   (d) Poor diet

3. What permanently disfigured Bholi’s body?

(a) An accident   (b) Small-pox pock-marks   (c) A burn   (d) A skin disease

4. Who pressed Ramlal to send his daughters to school?

(a) The headmistress   (b) His wife   (c) The Tehsildar   (d) Bishamber Nath

5. Why did Bholi’s mother choose to send Bholi to school?

(a) She was the cleverest   (b) She was unlikely to marry anyway   (c) She begged to go   (d) She was the eldest

6. What did the teacher give Bholi on her first day?

(a) A slate   (b) A colourful picture book   (c) Sweets   (d) New clothes

7. Who was Bishamber Nath?

(a) A young teacher   (b) A wealthy elderly grocer   (c) Bholi’s cousin   (d) A village priest

8. How much dowry did Bishamber Nath demand at the wedding?

(a) Two thousand rupees   (b) One thousand rupees   (c) Five thousand rupees   (d) Ten thousand rupees

9. What did Bholi do with the wedding garland?

(a) Put it on Bishamber   (b) Flung it into the fire   (c) Gave it to her father   (d) Tore it up

10. What did Bholi finally decide to do with her life?

(a) Leave the village   (b) Marry another man   (c) Serve her parents and teach in her school   (d) Stay silent forever

Answer key: 1-(b), 2-(c), 3-(b), 4-(c), 5-(b), 6-(b), 7-(b), 8-(c), 9-(b), 10-(c).

Assertion–Reason – choose: (a) A and R true, R explains A; (b) A and R true, R does not explain A; (c) A true, R false; (d) A false, R true.

1. Assertion (A): Bholi’s parents decided to send her, rather than her sisters, to school.

Reason (R): They believed Bholi was unlikely to get married, so it did not matter if she studied.

2. Assertion (A): Bholi’s teacher played a key role in transforming her life.

Reason (R): The teacher encouraged her with patience and assured her that education would earn her respect.

3. Assertion (A): Bholi agreed to marry the elderly, lame Bishamber Nath.

Reason (R): She was deeply in love with him.

4. Assertion (A): Bholi rejected the marriage at the last moment.

Reason (R): Bishamber Nath greedily demanded dowry and humiliated her father after seeing her pock-marks.

5. Assertion (A): The author calls Bholi “Sulekha” again near the end of the story.

Reason (R): She had transformed into a confident, dignified woman and was no longer a simpleton.

Answer key: 1-(a), 2-(a), 3-(c) [A true, but R false – she agreed for her father’s honour, not love], 4-(a), 5-(a).

Exam tips & common mistakes

Score full marks

Tips: Always link Bholi’s growth to the theme of education and the girl child – examiners reward this. Remember the order of events: fall → small-pox → school → teacher’s encouragement → arranged marriage → dowry demand → bold refusal. Quote small details (the colourful book, “put the fear out of your heart”, the garland flung into the fire) to strengthen answers.

Common mistakes: Do not say Bholi rejected the marriage because of Bishamber’s age or limp – she had accepted those; she rejected him for his greed and meanness. Do not confuse her real name (Sulekha) with her nickname (Bholi). Do not write that her mother sent her to school out of love – it was because she seemed unfit for marriage.

FAQs

Who is the author of ‘Bholi’?

The story “Bholi” is written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas (K.A. Abbas), a noted Indian writer, journalist and film-maker known for his focus on social issues.

What is the main theme of ‘Bholi’?

The story shows the power of education to transform a neglected girl into a confident, self-respecting woman, while condemning gender discrimination, the dowry system and judging people by their looks.

Why did Bholi refuse to marry Bishamber Nath?

Although she had agreed for her father’s honour, she refused when Bishamber greedily demanded five thousand rupees and humiliated her father after seeing her pock-marks. She would not marry such a mean, greedy coward.

Questions are reproduced verbatim from the NCERT Footprints Without Feet textbook; summaries and answers are written originally by ClearStudy.

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