UP Board Solutions Class 12 English Chapter 1 The Gold Watch

Story At A Glance

AS Sanku was a low-paid worker at a factory. He was very poor. His mother had died. He had a wife and two children. A third child was expected to come soon. He had to take loan from his fund to attend the death anniversary of his mother. So he was to pay the loan with interest. He owed some money to the store-keeper and tea- vendor. He owed some money to the fish woman also. There were also some other urgent needs of the family.

Thus Sanku was surrounded by many domestic problems. He was so much worried that he could not sleep in the night also. He was very much confused and disturbed. He tried to find out the way to end his misery. But he could not get any solution. Sanku had seen a gold watch on the table of the engineer. The engineer was his boss. He had seen that the watch remained lying on the table when the engineer went on lunch. So Sanku was

tempted to steal it. He had no other alternative to solve his problems. He thought he would get a considerable amount of money by selling it. One day at 1 o’clock the bell rang for interval. Everybody was in a hurry to go out. The engineer also went home. His watch was still lying on the table. There was nobody in the office. So Sanku thought it was the best time to steal the watch. He went into the office. But he was very nervous. He was afraid of being caught red-handed. His heart throbbed. But his urgent needs prompted him not to go back. So he gathered courage and put the watch into his pocket with trembling hands. Then he came out.

Now he was again trembling with fear. He doubted that somebody had seen him. He thought he would be checked by the watchman at the gate. He would be dismissed from his service. So he was again much confused. He could not control his feelings. So he again went to the office, saw in all directions and put the watch back at its place. Thus his problems and miseries remained unsolved.

कहानी पर एक दृष्टि

संकू एक कारखाने में कम वेतन वाला मजदूर था। वह बहुत गरीब था। उसकी माता का देहान्त हो गया था। उसकी एक पत्नी और दो बच्चे थे। एक तीसरे बच्चे के आने की शीघ्र आशा थी। उसे अपनी माँ की बरसी में जाने के लिए अपने फण्ड में से कर्जा लेना पड़ा था। इसलिए उसे वह कर्जा ब्याज सहित चुकाना था। कुछ धन उसे दुकानदार को तथा कुछ धन चाय वाले को देना था। मछली वाली औरत का भी धन उधार था। परिवार की और बहुत-सी जरूरी आवश्यकताएँ थीं।

इस प्रकार संकू अनेक घरेलू समस्याओं से घिरा हुआ था। वह इतना परेशान था कि रात को सो भी नहीं सकता था। वह बड़ा घबराया हुआ और चिन्तित था। वह अपने इन दुःखों को समाप्त करने का तरीका ढूंढ़ने की कोशिश करता था। किन्तु कोई हल नहीं ढूंढ़ सका। संकू ने इन्जीनियर की मेज पर एक सोने की घड़ी देखी। इन्जीनियर उसका अफसर था। उसने देखा कि जब इन्जीनियर दोपहर का भोजन करने जाता था तब भी घड़ी वहीं पड़ी रहती थी। इसलिए संकू को लालच आ गया कि वह उसे चुरा ले। अपनी समस्याओं को हल करने का उसके पास कोई और विकल्प था भी नहीं। उसने सोचा कि इसे बेचकर उसे काफी धन मिल जाएगा। एक दिन दोपहर को एक बजे मध्यान्तर की घण्टी बजी। प्रत्येक व्यक्ति बाहर जाने के लिए जल्दी में था। इन्जीनियर साहब भी घर चले गए। उनकी घड़ी अब भी मेज पर पड़ी थी। दफ्तर में कोई व्यक्ति नहीं था। इसलिए संकू ने सोचा कि घड़ी चुराने का यह सबसे अच्छा समय है। वह दफ्तर में गया। किन्तु वह बहुत घबराया हुआ था। उसे रंगे हाथों पकड़े जाने का भय था। उसका हृदय धड़क रहा था। किन्तु उसकी जरूरी आवश्यकताएँ उसे पीछे न हटने के लिए प्रेरित कर रही थीं। इसलिए उसने साहस बटोरा और काँपते हुए हाथों से घड़ी को अपनी जेब में रख लिया। फिर वह बाहर आया। अब वह पुनः भय से काँप रहा था। उसे सन्देह हुआ कि किसी ने उसे देख लिया है। उसने सोचा कि गेट पर चौकीदार उसे रोक लेगा। उसे नौकरी से हटा दिया जाएगा। वह पुनः घबरा गया। वह अपनी भावनाओं पर नियन्त्रण न कर सका। इसलिए वह दफ्तर में पुनः गया। चारों ओर देखा और घड़ी को वापस उसी स्थान पर रख दिया। इस प्रकार उसकी समस्याएँ और दुःख बिना हल किए ही रहे।

Understanding the Text

Short Answer Type Questions

Answer Two of the Following Questions in Not More Than 30 Words Each:

Question 1.

Question 1. Where did Sanku work? [2012]
(शंकु कहाँ कार्य करता था ?)
Answer: Sanku worked in a factory. He spent long hours working hard there to earn a living for his family.
(शंकु एक कारखाने में काम करता था ।)
In simple words: Sanku had a job in a factory where he worked every day.

🎯 Exam Tip: Mention the specific place of work clearly to get full marks in short-answer questions.

Question 2. What were Sanku’s problems and how did he plan to solve them ? [2009, 12, 17, 18]
(शंकु की क्या समस्याएँ थीं और उन्हें हल करने के लिए उसने क्या योजना बनाई ?)
Answer: There were mainly two problems before Sanku :
(1) to meet the expenses of his family in his small income, and
(2) to repay the loan which he owed to different people. Sanku had only one way to solve these problems, to pick up the gold watch from the office table of his officer and to get money by selling it. He felt extremely desperate because his debts were increasing day by day.
(शंकु के सामने दो मुख्य समस्याएँ थीं :
(1) अपनी छोटी आमदनी में परिवार के खर्चे को पूरा करना, और
(2) वह कर्जा चुकाना जो उसने भिन्न-भिन्न लोगों से ले रखा था । शंकु के सामने इन समस्याओं को हल करने का एक ही रास्ता था कि वह अपने अफसर के दफ्तर की मेज से घड़ी उठाए और उसे बेचकर धन प्राप्त करे।)
In simple words: Sanku did not earn enough money to support his family and pay back his debts. He planned to steal his boss's gold watch and sell it to solve his financial troubles.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly list both problems (family expenses and loans) using numbers to make your answer easy for the examiner to read.

Question 3. What time of the day did Sanku think was the most suitable for stealing the gold watch and why? [2014]
(सोने की घड़ी चुराने के लिए शंकु ने सबसे उपयुक्त समय कौन-सा सोचा और क्यों ?)
Answer: Sanku thought that interval was the most suitable time for stealing the gold watch because at this time everyone went out for lunch. During this recess period, the office room would be completely deserted and empty.
(शंकु ने सोचा कि मध्यान्तर का समय सोने की घड़ी चुराने के लिए सबसे उपयुक्त समय है, क्योंकि इस समय सभी लोग दोपहर के भोजन के लिए बाहर जाते हैं।)
In simple words: Sanku chose the lunch break because the office would be empty and no one would see him take the watch.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use the keyword 'interval' or 'lunch break' and explain the reason (everyone being away) to secure maximum marks.

Question 4. What did Sanku’s wife ask him to bring from the market ? [2016]
(शंकु की पत्नी ने उससे बाजार से क्या लाने को कहा ?)
Answer: Sanku’s wife asked him to bring from the market ointment for the sores on her child’s body and two bananas also. She reminded him of this just as he was leaving for work.
(शंकु की पत्नी ने उससे बाजार से अपने बच्चे के शरीर पर हो रहे घावों के लिए मरहम और दो केले लाने को कहा ।)
In simple words: Sanku's wife wanted him to buy medicine for their child's sores and two bananas.

🎯 Exam Tip: Do not forget to mention both items—the ointment for sores and the two bananas—to write a complete answer.

Question 5. What stopped Sanku from stealing the watch in the beginning ? [2018]
(आरम्भ में शंकु को कौन-सी बात ने घड़ी चुराने से रोका ?)
Answer: Sanku was afraid of being caught. So this thing stopped Sanku from stealing the watch. His hesitation and fear of disgrace made him put off the act multiple times.
(शंकु को पकड़े जाने का भय था । इस बात ने उसे घड़ी चुराने से रोका ।)
In simple words: At first, Sanku was too scared of getting caught and punished, which stopped him from taking the watch.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on the emotion of 'fear' or 'hesitation' as the primary reason why he hesitated initially.

Question 6. Why could he no longer postpone the act of stealing ?
(चोरी करने के कार्य को वह और अधिक क्यों नहीं टाल सका ?)
Answer: Sanku had many urgent needs. He needed money very soon. So he could no longer postpone the act of stealing. The pressure from his creditors was growing too intense to ignore.
(शंकु की बहुत-सी जरूरी जरूरतें थीं। उसे बहुत जल्द पैसे की आवश्यकता थी। इसलिए वह चोरी के कार्य को और अधिक नहीं टाल सकता था।)
In simple words: Sanku's financial problems were very urgent, and he needed money immediately, so he could not wait any longer to steal the watch.

🎯 Exam Tip: Highlight his 'urgent needs' and 'immediate requirement of money' as the key driving factors.

Question 7. What made Sanku decide that he had no other choice but to steal ? [2009]
(कौन-सी बात ने शंकू को यह निश्चय करने के लिए बाध्य किया कि चोरी करने के अतिरिक्त उसके पास और कोई विकल्प नहीं है ?)
Or
Why did Sanku steal the watch ? [2010, 15, 16, 18]
(शंकू ने घड़ी क्यों चुराई ?)
Answer: Sanku’s urgent needs and pressure of the people to pay loan made him decide that he had no other choice but to steal. He was overwhelmed by his mounting debts and saw no other way out of his financial misery. (शंकू की आवश्यकताओं ने तथा लोगों के दबाव ने कि वह कर्जा चुकाए, यह निश्चय करने के लिए बाध्य कर दिया कि चोरी करने के अतिरिक्त उसके पास अन्य कोई विकल्प नहीं है।)
In simple words: Sanku had many urgent money problems and people were pressuring him to pay back his loans. Because he had no other way to get money, he felt forced to steal the watch.

🎯 Exam Tip: Mention both "urgent needs" and "pressure to pay loans" as the two main reasons to secure full marks.

Question 8. Describe how Sanku steals the gold watch ? (वर्णन कीजिए कि शंकू सोने की घड़ी कैसे चुराता है ?)
Or
At what time did Sanku decide to steal the watch and why? [2014]
(शंकू ने घड़ी को किस समय और क्यों चुराने का निश्चय किया ?)
Answer: One day Sanku saw that his engineer had gone to lunch and his watch was lying on his table. So he went into the office, looked all around him and put the watch into his pocket with trembling hands. His heart was racing with fear as he took this risky step. (एक दिन शंकू ने देखा कि उसका इन्जीनियर दोपहर के भोजन पर गया हुआ है और उसकी घड़ी उसकी मेज पर पड़ी हुई है। अत: वह दफ्तर में गया, अपने चारों ओर देखा और काँपते हुए हाथों से घड़ी को जेब में रख लिया।)
In simple words: When the engineer went for lunch, Sanku saw the watch left on the table. He quickly walked into the office, checked that no one was watching, and nervously put it in his pocket.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use descriptive words like "lunch time", "lying on the table", and "trembling hands" to accurately depict Sanku's state of mind during the theft.

Question 9. Why did Sanku curse himself ? [2011, 18]
(शंकू ने स्वयं को क्यों कोसा ?)
Answer: When Sanku knew that his wife was pregnant, he thought that it would be another burden on him. So he cursed himself. He felt completely helpless because he could barely afford to feed his existing family. (जब शंकू को पता लगा कि उसकी पत्नी गर्भवती है, तब उसने सोचा कि यह उस पर एक दूसरा बोझ होगा। अत: उसने स्वयं को कोसा।)
In simple words: Sanku was already struggling with extreme poverty. When he found out his wife was pregnant, he cursed himself because he knew he could not afford to support another child.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly connect his wife's pregnancy to his financial burden to explain why he felt so desperate and cursed himself.

Question 10. What were Sanku’s feelings before stealing the watch? (घड़ी चुराने से पहले शंकू की क्या भावनाएँ थीं ?)
Or
Answer: Before stealing the watch, Sanku was filled with intense fear, hesitation, and anxiety. The conflict between his moral conscience and his desperate poverty made him extremely restless. (घड़ी चुराने से पहले, शंकू अत्यधिक भय, संकोच और चिंता से भरा हुआ था।)
In simple words: Before stealing, Sanku felt very scared and nervous. He was worried about what would happen if someone caught him red-handed.

🎯 Exam Tip: Highlight his internal conflict—the fear of being caught versus his desperate need for money—to get full marks.

Question. Why did Sanku hesitate and was afraid of stealing the watch in the beginning? [2014]
Answer: Sanku was much afraid before stealing the watch. He feared that someone might see him. He was nervous. His heart throbbed. His hesitation stemmed from his innate fear of being labeled a thief.
In simple words: Sanku was scared to steal the watch at first because he was worried someone would catch him. His heart was beating fast because of his nervousness.

🎯 Exam Tip: Mention Sanku's physical reactions like nervousness and his throbbing heart to show his fear clearly.

Question 11. What thoughts troubled Sanku after committing the theft ? [2015, 17, 18]
Or
Describe the behaviour of Sanku after he had committed the theft.
Or
Why did Sanku feel suffocated? [2017]
Answer: After committing the theft Sanku feared that somebody had seen him stealing the watch. He would be caught as a thief. He would be dismissed. These thoughts troubled Sanku very much. The overwhelming guilt and fear of public humiliation made him feel completely breathless.
In simple words: After stealing the watch, Sanku was terrified that someone had seen him. He worried he would lose his job and be called a thief, which made him feel extremely uneasy.

🎯 Exam Tip: When answering questions with multiple 'Or' options, ensure your response addresses the core theme of fear and guilt after the theft.

Question 12. ‘Sanku was essentially an honest man.’ Do you agree with the statement? Give reasons in support of your [2010,1]
Answer: I fully agree with the statement that Sanku was essentially an honest man. He stole the watch under compulsion of his poverty. But he could not keep it with him and put back on the table of his officer. So it also shows that he was honest. His conscience ultimately triumphed over his desperate financial needs.
In simple words: Sanku was a good person who only stole because he was very poor. Since his conscience did not let him keep the stolen watch, he returned it, proving his basic honesty.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly state your agreement or disagreement in the very first sentence, followed by the key reason of him returning the watch.

Question 13. What made Sanku put the watch back on the table ? [2011]
Answer: Sanku put the watch back on the table because he was afraid of being caught and punished. The fear of losing his job and facing social disgrace compelled him to undo his action.
In simple words: Sanku returned the watch because he was terrified of getting caught and facing punishment.

🎯 Exam Tip: Keep this answer concise and focus directly on his fear of consequences like being caught and punished.