A Pair of Mustachios Summary and Explanation
CBSE Class 11 English (Elective) Short Stories Chapter 2- A Pair of Mustachios Summary, Explanation along with Difficult Word Meanings from Woven Words Book
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CBSE Class 11 English (Elective) Short Stories Chapter 2 – A Pair of Mustachios
Mulk Raj Anand
The short story “A Pair of Mustachios” by Mulk Raj Anand uses satire to emphasize social divisions in Indian society. The story shows how different styles of moustaches represent different classes, and power levels. The two main characters, Khan Azam Khan, a proud nobleman, and Seth Ramanand, a clever moneylender, get into a silly yet serious argument about their moustaches. This argument shows their pride, ego, and the clash between old aristocracy class and new wealth.
- A Pair of Mustachios Summary
- A Pair of Mustachios Summary in Hindi
- A Pair of Mustachios Theme
- A Pair of Mustachios Explanation
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A Pair of Mustachios Summary
The short story “A Pair of Mustachios” by Mulk Raj Anand begins with a humorous description of different styles of mustaches that represent the social classes in India. The narrator explains that in their society, a person’s mustache tells a lot about their social rank, whether they belong to the noble class, the middle class, or the lower class. The upper class usually wears mustaches curled upwards, showing pride. The story’s main characters are Khan Azam Khan, a proud aristocrat who belongs to the upper class, and Seth Ramanand, a clever and successful moneylender from the middle class. Khan Azam Khan is very proud of his noble background and believes that only men of high birth like him should wear the “Tiger Mustachio,” which is a thick, upward-curling mustache that symbolizes power and high status. One day, Khan Azam Khan is shocked and deeply offended to see Seth Ramanand wearing a similar “Tiger Mustachio”. He thinks that Seth Ramanand is insulting the traditional class system by copying the noble style.
Khan Azam Khan confronts him and demands that he stop wearing that type of mustache. However, Seth Ramanand points out that times have changed. To appease Khan, Ramanand lowers one tip of his moustache. However, Khan notices the other tip is still raised and becomes angry again. Desperate to defend the honour of his class, Khan pawns family heirlooms and a valuable ancestral necklace, just to force Ramanand to lower both tips of his moustache. But each time one tip goes down, the other seems to go up, either by accident or the moneylender’s cunning. This back-and-forth between the two becomes a battle of pride. In the end, Seth Ramanand cleverly turns the situation around, making Khan look foolish.
Summary of the Lesson A Pair of Mustachios in Hindi
मुल्क राज आनंद की लघु कहानी “ए पेयर ऑफ मस्टैचियोस” भारत में सामाजिक वर्गों को दर्शाने वाली मूंछों की विभिन्न शैलियों के एक विनोदी वर्णन से शुरू होती है। कथाकार बताते हैं कि उनके समाज में, किसी व्यक्ति की मूंछें उसके सामाजिक पद के बारे में बहुत कुछ बताती हैं, चाहे वह कुलीन वर्ग, मध्यम वर्ग या निम्न वर्ग से संबंधित हो। उच्च वर्ग, अभिजात वर्ग की तरह, आमतौर पर गर्व दिखाने के लिए ऊपर की ओर मुड़ी हुई मूंछें रखते हैं। कहानी के मुख्य पात्र खान आज़म खान हैं, जो एक घमंडी कुलीन व्यक्ति है जो पुराने सामंती वर्ग से संबंधित है, और सेठ रामानंद, जो मध्यम वर्ग का एक चतुर और सफल साहूकार है। खान आज़म खान को अपनी कुलीन पृष्ठभूमि पर बहुत गर्व है और उनका मानना है कि केवल उनके जैसे उच्च जन्म वाले पुरुषों को ही “टाइगर मस्टैचियो” रखना चाहिए जो एक मोटी, ऊपर की ओर मुड़ी हुई मूंछें हैं जो शक्ति और उच्च स्थिति का प्रतीक हैं। एक दिन, खान आज़म खान सेठ रामानंद को इसी तरह की मुड़ी हुई मूंछें पहने देखकर चौंक जाते हैं और बहुत नाराज होते हैं। उनका मानना है कि सेठ रामानंद कुलीन शैली की नकल करके पारंपरिक वर्ग व्यवस्था का अपमान कर रहे हैं।
खान आज़म खान उससे भिड़ जाता है और मांग करता है कि वह उस तरह की मूंछें रखना बंद कर दे। हालांकि, सेठ रामानंद बताते हैं कि समय बदल गया है। खान को खुश करने के लिए, रामानंद अपनी मूंछों की एक नोक को अस्थायी रूप से नीचे कर देता है। हालांकि, खान देखता है कि दूसरी नोक अभी भी उठी हुई है और फिर से क्रोधित हो जाता है। अपने वर्ग के प्रतीक के सम्मान की रक्षा के लिए बेताब, खान परिवार की विरासत और एक मूल्यवान पुश्तैनी हार को गिरवी रख देता है, बस रामानंद को अपनी मूंछों की दोनों नोकें नीचे करने के लिए मजबूर करने के लिए। लेकिन हर बार जब एक नोक नीचे जाती है, तो दूसरी ऊपर आ जाती है, या तो दुर्घटना से या साहूकार की चालाकी से। यह आगे-पीछे होना स्वाभिमान की लड़ाई बन जाती है, जो दिखाती है कि वर्ग और स्थिति से ग्रस्त समाज में एक साधारण मूंछ कितनी प्रतीकात्मक हो सकती है।अंत में, सेठ रामानंद बड़ी चतुराई से स्थिति को पलट देते हैं, जिससे खान मूर्ख नजर आते हैं।
Theme of the Lesson A Pair of Mustachios
The short story “A Pair of Mustachios” by Mulk Raj Anand revolves around the following themes:-
Pride and Ego
At the heart of the story lies the pride of Khan Azam Khan, who sees his moustache as a symbol of family honor and aristocracy. His obsession with maintaining its superiority leads him to ridiculous extremes, even to the point of selling all his possessions. This theme explores how personal ego and exaggerated pride, when left unchecked, can lead to self-destruction. The moustache becomes a metaphor for inflated self-worth based on outdated notions of identity and class.
Social Class and Status Symbols
The story reflects on how people define themselves through social class. Khan belongs to a noble lineage and clings desperately to symbols like his “tiger moustache” to assert superiority despite not having much to his name. On the other hand, Ramanand, the moneylender, represents the rising middle class and is wealthy but lacks a noble background. His simple moustache, when curled slightly upward, is seen as a threat by Khan. The conflict between them shows the clash between old feudal pride and new financial power and its effect on Khan’s status symbol being threatened in the society.
Outdated Traditions and False Prestige
Mulk Raj Anand uses satire to show how traditions that once held meaning can become absurd in a modern world. Khan values appearance and upper-class background over practicality and logic, while Ramanand uses wit and business sense. The emphasis on moustache styles symbolizes the irrational value placed on superficial and outdated customs.
Power Struggles and Manipulation
Ramanand displays sharp business acumen and psychological understanding by cleverly exploiting Khan’s pride. The power struggle between the two men is not really about money or influence, but is about symbolic victory. Ramanand’s calm manipulation is in stark contrast with Khan’s impulsive and emotional reactions, thereby shifting the power dynamic in favor of the more adaptable and cunning character, leading Khan to make impractical and hasty decisions.
Irony and Humor
Anand uses irony and gentle humor to expose the foolishness of humans. Despite being the story’s loser in material terms, Khan believes he has upheld his honor. The irony here lies in the fact that his pride leads him to his ruin, while Ramanand walks away with all his wealth and still gets to keep his own moustache style. The humorous tone used throughout the story helps deliver a deeper message about vanity, tradition, and the sheer absurdity of ego.
A Pair of Mustachios Lesson Explanation
Passage: There are various kinds of mustachios worn in my country to mark the boundaries between the various classes of people. Outsiders may think it stupid to lay down, or rather to raise, lines of demarcation of this kind, but we are notorious in the whole world for sticking to our queer old conventions, prides and prejudices, even as the Chinese or the Americans or, for that matter, the English… And, at any rate, some people may think it easier and more convenient to wear permanent boundary-lines, like mustachios, which only need a smear of grease to keep them bright and shiny, rather than to wear frock coats, striped trousers and top hats, which constantly need to be laundered and dry-cleaned, and the maintenance of which is already leading to the bankruptcy of the European ruling classes. With them clothes make the man but, to us, mustachios make the man. So we prefer the various styles of mustachios to mark the differences between the classes.
Word Meanings:
mustachios (n): a large moustache (line of hair above the upper lip) with curly ends
demarcation (n): a border or a rule that shows the limits of something or how things are divided
notorious (adj.): famous for something bad
queer (adj.): strange, unusual, or not expected
conventions (n): a large formal meeting of people who do a particular job or have a similar interest
prejudices (n): an unfair and unreasonable opinion or feeling, especially when formed without enough thought or knowledge
smear (v): to spread a liquid or a thick substance over a surface
frock coats (n): formal men’s coat characterised by a knee-length skirt cut all around the base just above the knee
bankruptcy (n): a situation in which a business or a person becomes unable to pay their debts, and is officially bankrupt
Explanation of the above passage: The narrator begins the story by explaining how, in his country, different styles of mustaches are used to show the social status or class of a person. He says that outsiders may find it strange or even foolish to use mustaches for this purpose, but every country has its own unique customs and traditions. Just like the Chinese, Americans, or English follow their own ways, people in his country stick firmly to their old beliefs and habits, even if they seem odd to others. The narrator humorously adds that using mustaches to show class is cheaper and easier than wearing fancy clothes, like coats and hats, which need a lot of care and money. All a mustache needs is a bit of oil to look neat and shiny. So, in their culture, mustaches “make the man”, meaning they show who someone is, just like expensive clothing does in Western societies.
Passage: And very unique and poetical symbols they are too. For instance, there is the famous lion moustache, the fearsome upstanding symbol of that great order of resplendent rajas, maharajas, nawabs and English army generals who are so well known for their devotion to the King Emperor. Then there is the tiger moustache, the uncanny, several-pointed moustache worn by the unbending, unchanging survivals from the ranks of the feudal gentry who have nothing left but pride in their greatness and a few mementoes of past glory, scrolls of honour granted by the former emperors, a few gold trinkets, heirlooms and bits of land. Next there is the goat moustache—a rather unsure brand, worn by the nouveau riche, the new commercial bourgeoisie and the shopkeeper class who somehow don’t belong—an indifferent, thin little line of a moustache, worn so that its tips can be turned up or down as the occasion demands—a show of power to some coolie or humility to a prosperous client. There is the Charlie Chaplin moustache worn by the lower middle class, by clerks and professional men, a kind of half-and-half affair, deliberately designed as a compromise between the traditional full moustache and the clean-shaven Curzon cut of the sahibs like them to keep mustachios at all.
Word Meanings:
fearsome (adj.): frightening, especially in appearance
resplendent (adj.): having a very bright or beautiful appearance
uncanny (adj.): strange or mysterious
unbending (adj.): If someone is unbending, they often make fixed judgments and decisions that they are unwilling to change
unchanging (adj.): not changing
mementoes (n): an object that you keep to remember a person, place, or event
heirlooms (n): a valuable object that has been given by older members of a family to younger members of the same family over many years
nouveau riche (n): people who have recently acquired wealth
commercial bourgeoise (n): the middle-class, specifically those involved in trade and commerce, as opposed to industrial or financial activities
humility (n): the quality of not being proud because you are aware of your bad qualities
prosperous (adj.): successful, usually by earning a lot of money
devotion (n): loyalty and love or care for someone or something
feudal gentry (n): a class of landowners, typically below the nobility but still holding significant land and power
Explanation of the above passage: The narrator continues the story by saying that different styles of mustaches in his country are like symbols of different social classes. First, he talks about the lion mustache. It stands tall and proud, and is worn by kings, nawabs, and English army generals. It shows their power, pride, and royal lifestyle. Next is the tiger mustache. It has many sharp points and is worn by old landlords and feudal families. These people don’t have much money now, but they still have great pride and memories of their past glory. Then comes the goat mustache, which is thin and can be shaped up or down. It is worn by shopkeepers and new rich people. They try to look powerful in front of poor people and act humble in front of rich customers. This shows they are unsure about their place in society. Finally, there is the Charlie Chaplin mustache, a small and simple one. It is worn by clerks and office workers. It’s a mix of old and new styles, showing how these people try to balance between traditional and modern ways.
The narrator uses these mustaches to show how people’s class is shown through their appearance, especially their facial hair.
Passage: ‘There is the sheep moustache of the coolies and the lower orders, the mouse moustache of the peasants, and so on.
In fact, there are endless styles of mustachios, all appropriate to the wearers and indicative of the various orders, as rigorously adhered to as if they had all been patented by the Government of India or had been sanctioned by special appointment with His Majesty, the King, or Her Majesty, the Queen. And any poaching on the style of one class by members of another is resented, and the rising ratio of murders in my country is interpreted by certain authorities as being indicative of the increasing jealousy with which each class is guarding its rights and privileges in regard to the mark of the mustachio.
Word Meanings:
coolies (n): an offensive word for a person whose job is to carry things, especially travellers’ bags at stations, airports, etc.
peasants (n): a person who owns or rents a small piece of land and grows crops, keeps animals, etc. on it, especially one who has a low income, very little education, and a low social position.
indicative (adj.): being or relating to a sign that something exists, is true, or is likely to happen
rigorously (adv): in a careful way so that every part of something is looked at or considered to make certain it is correct or safe
adhered (v): to stick firmly
patented (adj.): obtain a patent for (an invention)
sanctioned (n): an official order
poaching (n): the act of taking and using something, usually an idea, for yourself unfairly or dishonestly
Explanation of the above passage: The narrator adds that there are even more kinds of mustaches, such as the sheep mustache, worn by coolies (laborers) and lower-class people, and the mouse mustache, worn by peasants. These styles are seen as fitting for their class. He says that there are endless styles of mustaches, and each one clearly shows which class the person belongs to. These styles are followed so strictly that it feels like they have been officially approved by the government or royalty, giving permission for who can wear what style. The narrator also mentions that if someone from a lower class tries to copy the mustache style of a higher class, it causes anger and jealousy. In fact, he jokingly says that some officials believe the increasing number of murders in the country is due to people trying to protect their mustache styles and class identity. This paragraph shows how important mustaches are in representing social status in the narrator’s country.
Passage: Of course, the analysis of the expert is rather too abstract and not all the murders can be traced to this cause but, certainly, it is true that the preferences of the people in regard to their mustachios are causing a lot of trouble in our parts.
For instance, there was a rumpus in my own village the other day about a pair of mustachios.
Word Meanings:
abstract (adj.): existing as an idea, feeling, or quality, not as a material object
rumpus (n): a lot of noise, especially a loud and confused argument or complaint
Explanation of the above passage: The narrator says that while it might sound silly, people in his area do get into serious fights over mustache styles. Experts may be exaggerating when they say that many murders happen because of mustache issues, but there is some truth to it. People care a lot about how mustaches are worn because each style shows your social class.
He gives an example from his own village, where there was a big fight just because of a pair of mustaches. This shows how something as small as the way someone wears a mustache can cause big problems in society.
Passage: It so happened that Seth Ramanand, the grocer and moneylender, who had been doing well out of the recent fall in the price of wheat by buying up whole crops cheap from the hard-pressed peasants and then selling them at higher prices, took it into his head to twist the goat moustache, integral to his order and position in society, at the tips, so that it looked nearly like a tiger moustache.
Word Meanings:
grocer (n): a person who owns or works in a shop selling food and small things for the home
moneylender (n): a person or organization whose job is to lend money to people in return for payment
integral (adj.): necessary and important
Explanation of the above passage: He continues telling us about an incident in his village. A rich shopkeeper and moneylender named Seth Ramanand had made a lot of money by buying wheat at a lower price, from poor farmers and selling it at a higher price. Feeling proud and successful, he decided to change the style of his moustache. Normally, people like him wore the goat moustache, which suited their social class. But one day, he twisted the ends of his moustache to make it look like a tiger moustache. This moustache style was usually worn by landlords and people from a higher class. Seth Ramanand tried to look more powerful by copying the moustache style of a richer class. This made people in the village angry because it was seen as breaking class rules.
Passage: Nobody seemed to mind very much because most of the mouse-moustached peasants in our village are beholden to the local moneylender, either because they owe him interest on a loan, or an instalment on a mortgage of jewellery or land. Besides, the Seth had been careful enough to twist his moustache so that it seemed nearly, though not quite, like a tiger moustache.
Word Meanings:
beholden (adj.): feeling you have a duty to someone because they have done something for you
mortgage (v): to offer something of value in order to borrow money from a bank or similar organization
Explanation of the above passage: The narrator explains that at first, no one really protested when Seth Ramanand changed the style of his moustache. This was mainly because most of the villagers, especially the poor farmers depended on the Seth. They either owed him money or had taken loans, so they didn’t want to upset him. Also, Seth Ramanand was clever. He didn’t make his moustache look exactly like a tiger moustache, which belonged to the upper class, but only made it almost look like one. This way, he avoided direct conflict while still showing off his growing power and wealth.
Passage: But there lives in the vicinity of our village, in an old dilapidated Moghul style house, a mussulman named Khan Azam Khan, who claims descent from an ancient Afghan family whose heads were noblemen and councillors in the court of the great Moghuls. Khan Azam Khan, a tall, middleaged man, is a handsome and dignified person, and he wears a tiger moustache and remains adorned with the faded remnants of a gold-brocaded waistcoat, though he hasn’t even a patch of land left.
Word Meanings:
vicinity (n): the area around a place or where the speaker is
dilapidated (adj.): old and in poor condition
mussulman (n): a follower of the religion of Islam; a Muslim
councillors (n): an elected member of a local government
moghul (n): the Mughals or the Mughal Empire
dignified (adj.): controlled, serious, and calm, and therefore deserving respect
remnants (n): a small piece or amount of something that is left from a larger original piece or amount
gold-brocaded (n): a fabric, typically brocade, that has been embellished with a raised design using gold threads or materials
waistcoat (n): a close-fitting waist-length garment, typically having no sleeves or collar and buttoning down the front, worn especially by men over a shirt and under a jacket.
Explanation of the above passage: The narrator tells us about Khan Azam Khan, a proud Muslim man who lives near the village in an old, broken-down Mughal-style house. He claims that he comes from a noble Afghan family whose ancestors were once important ministers and nobles in the Mughal court.
Even though Khan has lost all his land and wealth, he still holds on to his pride and traditions. He is described as tall, good-looking, and he wears a tiger moustache, which is a symbol of the proud and noble class. He also continues to wear a golden waistcoat, showing that he still wants to appear like a man of high status, even if he no longer has the riches to match it.
Passage: Some people, notably the landlord of our village and the moneylender, maliciously say that he is an impostor, and that all his talk about his blue blood is merely the bluff of a rascal. Others, like the priest of the temple, concede that his ancestors were certainly attached to the Court of the Great Moghuls, but as sweepers. The landlord, the moneylender and the priest are manifestly jealous of anyone’s long ancestry, however, because they have all risen from nothing—and it is obvious from the stately ruins around Khan Azam Khan what grace was once his and his forefathers. Only Khan Azam Khan’s pride is greatly in excess of his present possessions and he is inordinately jealous of his old privileges and rather foolish and headstrong in safeguarding every sacred brick of his tottering house against vandalism.
Word Meanings:
maliciously (adv): in a way that is intended to cause harm, upset, or damage
impostor (n): a person who pretends to be someone else
blue blood (n): here, royal or upper class ancestors and heritage
the bluff of a rascal (n): the deceptive or dishonest act of a mischievous and trickster-like person
manifestly (adv): very obviously
forefathers (n): members of a family, national, or religious group who lived in the past
vandalism (n): the deliberate destruction of a property
inordinately (adv): in a way that is much more than usual or expected
headstrong (adj.): very determined to do what you want without listening to others
tottering (adj.): shaking and moving from side to side, and likely to fall
Explanation of the above passage: Some people in the village like the landlord and the moneylender say bad things about Khan Azam Khan. They claim he is lying about being from a royal or noble family. They say he just wants to pretend that he belongs to the high class. Even the priest says that maybe his family did work in the Mughal court, but only as sweepers, not as noblemen.
But these same people, the landlord, the moneylender, and the priest never had a rich or important family background. So, they may just be jealous of Khan Azam Khan’s history. Even though his house is now broken and old, it still shows signs that it was once a beautiful and grand place. Khan Azam Khan has lost his wealth and land, but he still holds on to his pride. He is very proud of his family name. He is also very protective of his broken-down house, treating it like a sacred place. He might not have much now, but he still holds on tightly to his honour, pride, and memories of past glory, even if he is being stubborn and foolish about it.
Passage: Khan Azam Khan happened to go to the moneylender’s shop to pawn his wife’s gold nose-ring one morning and he noticed the upturning tendency of the hair on Ramanand’s upper lip which made the moneylender’s goat moustache look almost like his own tiger moustache.
Word Meanings:
upturning (v): turn (something) upwards or upside down
tendency (n): a likelihood to happen or to have a particular characteristic or effect
Explanation of the above passage: One morning, Khan Azam Khan went to Ramanand, the moneylender, to exchange his wife’s gold nose-ring for money. While he was there, he noticed something that made him very upset. He saw that Ramanand’s moustache, which was usually a goat-style (worn by lower-class businessmen), now had its tips twisted upwards. This made it look almost like a tiger moustache, the kind that Khan Azam Khan wore, which was a symbol of royal and noble pride.
Passage: ‘Since when have the lentil-eating shopkeepers become noblemen?’ he asked sourly.
‘I don’t know what you mean, Khan’, Ramanand answered.
‘You know what I mean, seed of a donkey!’ said the Khan. Look at the way you have turned the tips of your moustache upwards. It almost looks like my tiger moustache. Turn the tips down to the style proper to the goat that you are! Fancy the airs of people nowadays!’
‘Oh, Khan, don’t get so excited,’ said the moneylender, who was nothing if he was not amenable, having built up his business on the maxim that the customer is always right.
‘I tell you, turn the tip of your moustache down if you value your life!’ raged Khan Azam Khan.
Word Meanings:
lentil (n): a very small dried bean that is cooked and eaten
asked sourly (adv): in a way that is unfriendly or easily annoyed
raged (n): extreme or violent anger
Explanation of the above passage: When Khan Azam Khan saw Ramanand’s moustache curled upwards like a tiger- moustache, he became very angry. He felt insulted because the tiger moustache was a sign of pride and nobility, and he believed only people from royal or noble families had the right to wear it that way. Khan thought Ramanand, a simple shopkeeper and moneylender, had no right to copy it. He asked in a rude way, since when had lentil-eating shopkeepers become noblemen to Rmanand, to which Ramanand politely replied that he didn’t know what Khan was talking about. But Khan shouted angrily and called him the seed of a donkey. He told him to look at his moustache and said that the way he had turned its tips upwards made it look like a tiger moustache. He warned Ramanand to turn the tips downward, back to the goat style that suits his status. Khan mocked him for trying to act like someone of high class, calling him a “seed of a donkey”.
Although Ramanand tried to stay polite, since he believed in treating customers well to keep his business successful, Khan grew furious. He even threatened him, shouting that Ramanand must fix his moustache or risk losing his life.
Passage: ‘If that is all the trouble, here you are’, said Ramanand, brushing one end of his moustache with his oily hand so that it dropped like a dead fly. ‘Come, show me the trinkets. How much do you want for them?’
Word Meanings:
dropped like a dead fly (v): here, to fall down
Explanation of the above passage: Ramanand stayed calm when Khan Azam Khan got angry about his moustache. He quickly bent one tip down off his mustache. Then, he changed the topic and asked how much Khan wanted for the gold nose-ring, showing his smart and peaceful way of handling customers.
Passage: Now that Khan Azam Khan’s pride was appeased, he was like soft wax in the merchant’s sure hand. His need, and the need of his family, for food, was great and he humbly accepted the value which the moneylender put on his wife’s nose-ring.
Word Meanings:
appeased (v): to prevent further disagreement or fighting by letting the opposing side have something that they want
humbly (adv): in a way that shows that you do not think you are important
Explanation of the above passage: Khan Azam Khan’s pride was satisfied and he became calm and easy to deal with. He was in great need of food for himself and his family, so he quietly agreed to the price that the moneylender, Ramanand, offered for his wife’s gold nose-ring. This shows how hunger and need made him set aside his anger and pride.
Passage: But as he was departing, after negotiating his business, he noticed that though one end of the moneylender’s moustache had come down at his behest, the other end was still up.
Word Meanings:
behest (n): a request or because someone has asked or ordered you to do something
Explanation of the above passage: As Khan Azam Khan was leaving after pawning the nose-ring, he noticed something that made him angry again. Only one end of the moneylender Ramanand’s moustache was turned down, while the other end was still curled upwards. This meant that Ramanand had only pretended to fully obey him, which hurt Khan’s pride all over again.
Passage: ‘A strange trick you have played on me, you swine,’ the Khan said.
‘I have paid you the best value for your trinket, Khan, that any moneylender will pay in these parts,’ he said, ‘especially in these days when the sarkars of the whole world are threatening to go off the gold standard.’
Word Meanings:
swine (n): a person who you consider to be extremely unpleasant and unkind
trinket (n): a small decorative object, or a piece of jewellery that is cheap or of low quality
sarkars (n): governments (in Hindi)
Explanation of the above passage: Khan Azam Khan got angry and said the moneylender had tricked him. He called him names for not turning both ends of his moustache down. Ramanand calmly replied that he had given the best possible price for the nose-ring, better than any other moneylender would offer, especially since many governments around the world were worried about the value of gold.
Passage: ‘It has nothing to do with the trinket,’ said Azam Khan, ‘but one end of your moustache is still up like my tiger moustache though you have brought down the other to your proper goat’s style. Bring that other end down also so that there is no aping by your moustache of mine.’
Word Meanings:
aping (v): to copy something or someone badly and unsuccessfully
Explanation of the above passage: Khan Azam Khan said that the problem wasn’t about the nose-ring, but about the moneylender’s moustache. He pointed out that one end of Ramanand’s moustache was still turned up, like his own tiger moustache, even though the other end had been turned down to the proper goat’s style. He demanded that Ramanand turn the other end down as well, so that his moustache wouldn’t look like his.
Passage: ‘Now Khan,’ said the moneylender, ‘I humbled myself because you are doing business with me. You can’t expect me to become a mere worm just because you have pawned a trinket with me. If you were pledging some more expensive jewellery I might consider obliging you a little more. Anyhow, my humble milk-skimmer doesn’t look a bit like your valiant tiger moustache.
Word Meanings:
pledging (n): a serious or formal promise
humble milk-skimmer (n): A skimmer is a flat, sieve -like scoop or spoon used for skimming cooking liquids or lifting ripened cream from milk, such as a spider used in Chinese cuisine; here the shape of the Seth’s moustache is said to be like the milk skimmer
Explanation of the above passage: The moneylender, Ramanand, replied to Khan Azam Khan, saying that he had already humbled himself enough by doing business with him. He told the Khan that he could not expect him to act like a servant just because the Khan had pawned a trinket. Ramanand added that if the Khan had promised something more valuable, he might have been more willing to comply. He also mentioned that his “humble” moustache didn’t look anything like the Khan’s proud tiger moustache.
Passage: ‘Bring that tip down!’ Khan Azam Khan roared, for, the more he had looked at the moneylender’s moustache the more the still upturned tip seemed to him like an effort at an imitation of his own.
‘Now, be sensible, Khan,’ the moneylender said, waving his hand with an imperturbable calm.
‘I tell you, turn that tip down or I shall wring your neck,’ said the Khan.
‘All right, the next time you come to do business with me, I shall bring that tip down,’ answered the moneylender cunningly.
Word Meanings:
imperturbable (adj.): always staying calm and controlled, even in difficult situations that would cause other people to worry
Wring your neck (idiom): used for emphasizing that you are very angry at someone
Explanation of the above passage: Khan Azam Khan became angrier as he looked at the moneylender’s moustache. He felt that the upturned tip of Ramanand’s moustache was trying to imitate his own tiger moustache. Khan demanded that Ramanand turn the tip down. The moneylender, however, remained calm and tried to reason with him, asking him to be sensible. The Khan threatened Ramanand. Ramanand, without getting upset, cleverly replied that the next time the Khan came to do business with him, he would turn the tip down.
Passage: ‘That is fair,’ said Chaudhary Chottu Ram, the landlord of the village, who was sitting under the tree opposite.
‘To be sure! To be sure!’ some peasants chimed in sheepishly.
Word Meanings:
landlord (n): a person or organization that owns a building or an area of land and is paid by other people for the use of it
chimed (v): join or interrupt a conversation by making a remark
sheepishly (adv): in a way that is embarrassed because you have done something wrong or silly
Explanation of the above passage: Chaudhary Chottu Ram, the village landlord, agreed with the moneylender’s response. Some of the peasants, who were also watching the scene, agreed with the landlord, however were hesitant or uncomfortable with the situation due to their low class.
Passage: Khan Azam Khan managed to control his murderous impulses and walked away. But he could not quell his pride, the pride of generations of his ancestors who had worn the tiger moustache as a mark of their high position. To see the symbol of his honour imitated by a moneylender—this was too much for him. He went home and fetched a necklace which had come down to his family through seven generations and, placing it before the moneylender, said:
Word Meanings:
impulses (n): a sudden strong wish to do something
fetched (v): to go to another place to get something
Explanation of the above passage: Khan Azam Khan tried to calm himself and walked away, but his pride was hard to control. The tiger moustache, which was a symbol of his family’s noble status, being copied by a moneylender, was too much for him. To protect his pride, he went home, took a necklace that had been in his family for seven generations, and brought it to the moneylender.
Passage: ‘Now will you bring that tip of your moustache down?’
‘By all means, Khan,’ said the moneylender. ‘But let us see about this necklace. How much do you want for it?’
‘Any price will do, so long as you bring the tip of your moustache down,’ answered Azam Khan.
Word Meanings:
By all means (idiom): used to give permission
Explanation of the above passage: Khan Azam Khan asks the moneylender to lower the tip of his moustache. The moneylender agrees, but first asks about the necklace Khan brought. Khan says he will accept any price for it, as long as the moneylender lowers his moustache tip.
Passage: After they had settled the business, the moneylender said: ‘Now Khan, I shall carry out your will.’ And he ceremoniously brushed the upturned tip of his moustache down.
As Azam Khan was walking away, however, he noticed that the other tip of the moneylender’s moustache had now gone up and stood dubiously like the upturned end of his own exalted tiger moustache. He turned on his feet and shouted:
Word Meanings:
ceremoniously (adv): in a way that is very formal or polite
dubiously (adv): in a way that is probably not true or fair, or that is probably not honest
exalted (adj.): (of a person or their rank or status) at a high or powerful level
Explanation of the above passage: After they finished their business, the moneylender agreed to lower his moustache tip as Khan requested. However, as Khan was leaving, he noticed that the other tip of the moneylender’s moustache had now gone up again, looking like the tip of his own tiger moustache. Khan became angry again and turned around, shouting.
Passage: ‘I shall kill you if you don’t brush that moustache into the shape appropriate to your position as a lentil-eating moneylender!’
‘Now, now, Khan, come to your senses. You know it is only the illusion of a tiger’s moustache and nowhere like your brave and wonderful adornment,’ said the greasy moneylender.
‘I tell you I won’t have you insulting the insignia of my order!’ shouted Azam Khan. ‘You bring that tip down!’
‘I wouldn’t do it, Khan, even if you pawned all the jewellery you possess to me,’ said the moneylender.
Word Meanings:
illusion (n): something that is not really what it seems to be
adornment (n): something decorative, or the act of decorating something or someone
insignia (n): an object or mark that shows that a person belongs to a particular organization or group, or has a particular rank
Explanation of the above passage: Khan Azam Khan, furious, threatened to kill the moneylender if he didn’t fix his moustache to look more like a goat’s moustache, which was appropriate for a moneylender. The moneylender tried to calm him down, saying that his moustache didn’t resemble Khan’s tiger moustache. But Khan insisted that the moneylender bring his moustache down. The moneylender, however, refused, saying he would not do it even if Khan pawned all his jewellery.
Passage: ‘I would rather lose all my remaining worldly possessions, my pots and pans, my clothes, even my house, than see the tip of your moustache turned up like that!’ spluttered Azam Khan.
‘Achcha, if you care so little for all your goods and chattels you sell them to me and then I shall turn that tip of my moustache down,’ said the moneylender. ‘And what is more, I shall keep it flat. Now, is that a bargain?’
‘That seems fair enough,’ said the landlord from under the tree where he was preparing for a siesta.
‘But what proof have I that you will keep your word?’ said Azam Khan. ‘You oily lentil-eaters never keep your promises.’
Word Meanings:
worldly possessions (n): everything that one owns
spluttered (v): to speak in a quick and confused way, producing short, unclear noises because of surprise, anger, etc.
goods and chattels (n): all kinds of personal possessions
siesta (n): a rest or sleep taken after lunch, especially in hot countries
Explanation of the above passage: Khan Azam Khan, still angry, said that he would rather lose everything he owned than see the moneylender’s moustache turned up like that. The moneylender, calm as ever, suggested that Khan sell all his possessions to him, and in return, he would turn the tip of his moustache down and keep it flat. The landlord, overhearing, agreed that it seemed like a fair deal. However, Khan Azam Khan was suspicious and doubted that the moneylender would keep his word, as he thought moneylenders often broke promises.
Passage: ‘We shall draw up a deed, here and now,’ said the moneylender. ‘And we shall have it signed by the five elders of the village who are seated under that tree. What more do you want?’
‘Now, there is no catch in that,’ put in the landlord. ‘I and four other elders will come to court as witnesses on your behalf if he doesn’t keep his moustache to the goat style ever afterwards.’
‘I shall excommunicate him from religion if he doesn’t keep his word,’ added the priest, who had arrived on the scene on hearing the hubbub.
‘Achcha,’ agreed Azam Khan.
Word Meanings:
deed (n): a legal document that is an official record of an agreement
excommunicate (v): to banish someone from their religion
hubbub (n): a loud noise, especially caused by a lot of people all talking at the same time
Explanation of the above passage: The moneylender suggested that they make a formal agreement right then, signed by the five village elders who were sitting nearby as the witnesses. The landlord assured Azam Khan that he and the other elders would act as witnesses in case the moneylender didn’t keep his promise to keep his moustache in the proper style. The priest, who had joined them after hearing the argument, added that he would ban the moneylender from their religion if he didn’t honor the agreement. Azam Khan, after hearing all this, agreed to the plan.
Passage: And he forthwith had a deed prepared by the petition writer of the village, who sat smoking his hubble-bubble under the tree. And this document, transferring all his household goods and chattels, was signed in the presence of the five elders of the village and sealed. And the moneylender forthwith brought both tips of his moustache down and kept them glued in the goat style appropriate to his order.
Word Meanings:
forthwith (adv): immediately
Explanation of the above passage: Azam Khan quickly had a paper written to give away all his belongings. The five village elders signed it, and the moneylender, after agreeing to the deal, made sure both tips of his moustache were brought down and stayed in the proper style for his position.
Passage: Only, as soon as Khan Azam Khan’s back was turned he muttered to the peasants seated nearby: ‘My father was a Sultan.’
And they laughed to see the Khan give a special twist to his moustache as he walked away maintaining the valiant uprightness to the symbol of his ancient and noble family, though he had become a pauper.
Word Meanings:
muttered (v): to speak quietly and in a low voice that is not easy to hear, often when you are worried or complaining about something
valiant (adj.): very brave
pauper (n): a very poor person
Explanation of the above passage: After Azam Khan left, he whispered to some nearby villagers and said that his father was a Sultan. The villagers found it funny and laughed as he walked away. Even though he had lost all his belongings, he still walked with pride, keeping his moustache in the noble style of his ancestors. This showed that, despite losing everything, his pride in his ancestors remained strong.
Conclusion
This post provides the students with a comprehensive understanding of the Short Stories Chapter 2 – A Pair of Mustachios By Mulk Raj Anand from the CBSE Class 11 English Woven Words Book. It provides the students with the introduction, theme, summary, lesson explanation with word meanings, ensuring that the students comprehend the chapter effectively.
Nice explanation of this chapter 2. Good details be like this chapter. Fastly learning them.