The lost spring. Summary and guide cbse class 12.

The lost spring by Anees Jung depicts us with the various desires and wishes of poor children which remain unfulfilled due to their family conditions and problems. They have various curiosities and desires within them which remains unfulfilled. In the story we see how there are two boys who has their own problems and aspirations. They try to fulfill them yet gets disappointment or huge struggle unlike the lucky children. The strong talks about two boys one named Saheb and another named as Mukesh. The story is divided into two halves one which deals with Saheb's life and another with Mukesh. 

" sometimes I find a rupee in the garbage."

This is said by Saheb-E-Alam or Saheb who lives in Seemapuri with his refugee family from Dhaka. Their feilds and houses had been continuously swept away by floods due to which they travels to India and lived in   Seemapuri an outscort of Delhi. Saheb belongs was happy with his free life of a ragpicker where he would excitedly dig the garbage for he wanted to find a rupee eagerly. He desired of wearing shoes going to school and playing tennis. His excitement can be clearly seen when the narrator jokes with him saying that she's going to open a school and Saheb could join there, later we see him asking her whether her school was ready. He belonged to a family for whome garbage was like gold for it gave them some money to feed their stomach. They had no identity no permits but had a ration card which gave them grains to eat and right to vote. They didn't have a proper drainage facility a proper house to live in and they were uneducated too. 

Later we see Saheb working in the tea stall earning Rs.800 per month with all the free meals. He seemed quite upset as he had lost his freedom. He was no more his own master and thus the steel canister which belonged to his owner seemed very heavy compared to his sack which he carried on his shoulders before.

" I want to drive a car! "

This is told by Mukesh who desires to become a motor mechanic and walks long distances to learn something about cars. He lived in Firozabad with his bangle making family. They were poor, innocent and uneducated due to which they weren't given facilities which employees are to be getting in the bangle factory. They were to work in dingy cells with no contact with the fresh air and sunlight. They were to look at the hot burning furnace with their naked eye due to which many of them had lost their eyesights.  They tried to protest against the bangle factory owners for unjust being with them but they were beaten up and jailed by the police.  They were severly trapped in a vicious circle between the policemen, the law keepers, the beauracrats, the politicians. They wanted to form a cooperative but felt it would be illegal thus they beleived that bangle making were their destinity and fate. 

Mukesh being very ambitious goes to the garage far away from his home walking to learn something about cars. He knows how to drive it and has learnt many things about it.  When then author asks him if he wanted to fly aeroplanes. He has no interest on them as he never noticed them flying over Firozabad.

 

Saheb is less ambitious than Mukesh as he wanted to go to school wear shoes and play tennis. Later he ends up working on a tea stall under an owner. Whereas Mukesh wants to become his own master by driving his own cars and opening a garage of himself. He has the ability to break the tradition  of bangle making and change their destiny.

IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER:

1) what is the contracts between Saheb and Mukesh?

2) what is Saheb's desires amd Mukesh'so? 

3) what are the family conditions of both the boys?

4) why are the bangle makers trapped in a vicious circle?

5) why did Saheb's family travel from Dhaka to India do they have permits how do they live in what conditions?

6) Saheb's job and his desires was he happy?