ABOUT AUTHOR 

Manohar Malgaonkar was born in 12 July,  1913 in Mumbai. He was a famous novelist and short story writer who has 25 publications already to his credit. Some of his main creations are – ‘A Bend in the Ganges’, ‘Distant Drum’, ‘Bombay Beware’ etc. he usually wrote comical short stories. His narrative with profound comedy ties up the reader’s excitement until the end. He died in 12 June, 2010 in Uttara Kannada. 

EXPLANATION 

The present short story, ‘A Pinch of Snuff’ is initially taken from ‘Contemporary Indian Short Stories in English’. This story is a comical and adventurous story that ties up reader’s excitement until the end.

Initially, the narrator’s mother announces the expected arrival of Nanukaka, her brother who has to stay there for 2-3 days. The narrator on
hearing this news from his mother advised her to send a telegram to him informing him of narrator’s transfer to avoid Nanukaka but she retorts that he must have started his travel. On asking the purpose of his arrival; he was acquainted that it was to meet some minister. The narrator perceives that Nanukaka would stay there for a long time because ministers do not see people for months but his mother assured him that Nanukaka would manage everything. The narrator is under-secretary on probation and has been taught to regard ministers higher than God.

The narrator goes to the station and he sees Nanukaka who has an impressive personality with white hair and mustache. When Nanukaka asks him the question to arrange his meeting with minister, the narrator explains that he is only an undersecretary on probation and can’t arrange for their interview. Nanukaka takes a pinch of snuff and seems to be lost in thoughts.

Narrator’s mother was very excited when Nanukaka arrived home, but to narrator’s hard luck, he had to give up his bedroom to Nanukaka. Narrator once took Nanukaka to the north block to see the welfare minister but after exactly two hours Nanukaka returned from the office with expletives in his mother tongue Marathi because he could not meet the minister but only could get an appointment with minister three days later. When they were driving back to home, a yellow car passed ahead of them and somebody waved his hand to the narrator. Nanukaka inquired about it and was told that he was Ratiram, the son of Sohanlal Ratiram, the party boss in Delhi. Sometimes later, Sohanlal said to Nanukaca that his son was in balance ministry but due to some reason some body had poisoned the ambassador’s mind against his son. Nanukaka announced that he will manage the problem.

Nanukaka then opened his snuff box and had a pinch of it and started to talk about the welfare minister. By the reaction of Sohanlal he came to know that the minister and he were now at daggers drawn because the minister has refused the proposal of his daughter’s marriage with his son and instead had decided to marry her to the prince of Ninnore. When they came back to home, (the narrator and Nanukaka) Nanukaka was strangely silent but the next morning he was back to usual. This day he decided to pay a visit to minister’s house. By using brain, Nanukaka managed to get an enormous, princely and outlandish car and the narrator was made its driver.

Nanukaka dressed himself and looked every inch like a pandit from the princely state. When the minister’s secretary asked his purpose of coming to the place he said that he had no wish to disturb the minister. He asked for visitors book and wrote his name as hereditary astrologer to Maharaja of Ninnore and gave out address and without delay, he ordered me to get to Sutkatta’s palace which he really did not meant, it was to show off. We drove quickly to home. We just had tea when a car with white triangle stopped in front of our house and the welfare minister stepped out. Nanukaka received him respectedly. After the meeting with minister, Nanukaka departed from my house next day.

The narrator thinks that if minister comes to know about the reality of Nanukaka what will happen and he also hopes that in a situation like this Nanukaka will not let his head down but he wants to be far away from the place when such thing happens.

SUMMARY  

‘A Pinch of Snuff’ is an exciting story full of wit and humor written by Manohar Malagaonkar .This story is taken from his book “Contemporary Indian Short Stories in English“. Nanukaka is the main character of this story. He is a man equipped with tricks to deal with any kind of situation anywhere. Nanukaka comes to her sister’s house in Delhi, as he has to meet the welfare ministerin Delhi. He goes to the minister’s office to meet him, but even after waiting for hours, the minister does not meet him and calls him after three days. While returning, Nanukaka meets the head of a political party, where he comes to know that the welfare minister’s daughter is going to be married to the son of the Maharaja of Ninor. He plays a trick. He tells his sister’s son to rent a grand car and pretend to be his driver and he himself arrives at the minister’s residence dressed like an astrologer. In the visitors’ book there, he describes himself as the astrologer of the Maharaja of Ninor and returns by writing his current address.

On seeing the name of the astrologer of the Maharaja of Ninor, Welfare Minister rushed to meet the astrologer and himself arrives at Nanukana’s residence.

Thus, Nanukana easily meets the minister.

WORD POWER  

1. Wire –  संदेश  देना  / तार 
2. Fawning –  चापलूसी
3. Puckering – पक रहा है 
4. Wreathed – माल्यार्पण किया 
5. Swearwords – गंदी  भाषा 
6. Tramping – तेज़ी  बढ़ना 
7. Expletives – बुरी भाषा  
8. Garnish –  सजाना / सुंदर 
9. Convention – समेल्लन
10. Trailed off – कमजोर हुआ 
11. Waddling – चलना 
12. Sparred – तर्क दिया / बहस किया 
13. Ingratiating – चापलूसी करना 
14. Evacuee property – ऐसे व्यक्ति की सम्पति खतरे के कारन घर चोर के जा चूका है 
15. Legitimate – वैध 
16. Flicking – झटका देना 
17. At daggers drawn –झारन 
18. Auspicious – शुभ 
19. Chirpy – खुश 
20. Liveried – वर्दीधारी 
21. Outlandish – काफी विचित्र 
22. Blandly – सापट लहजे में  
23. Brandishing – हिलाते हुए 
24. Stickler – हटी / झगड़ालू 
25. Reassuring – फिर से विश्वास दिलाते हुए 
26. Probation – परख / परीक्षयमान अवधि 
27. Enormous – विशाल 
28. Ducked – डूबा हुआ 
29. Mingled – मिश्रित 
30. Squeezed – निचोड़ा हुआ 
31. Escorted – बच गया 
32. Amicably – सौधर्यपूर्ण 
33. Perhaps – शायद 
34. Clucked – कुरकुराया 
35. Squeals – चिल्लाहट 
36. Mumbling – अस्पस्ट बोली 
37. Linguistic – बहुभाषी 
38. Flashed – चमका हुआ 
39. Blaring – धब्बा लगाना  
40. Uninterrupted – बिना बिच में बोले 
41. Leaned Back  – पीछे की ओर झुका  
42. Adjoining – निकट का / समीप का 
43. Swallowed – निगल लिया 
44. Smothered – गाला घोटकर मारना 
45. Bustling off  –  जल्दी से काम करना  
46. Snuff – खैनी / तम्बाकू 
47. Grin – मुस्कान 
48. Snorted – फुफकारना 
49. Disgraceful – अपमानजनक 
50. Porch – बरामदा 
51. Appealed – अनुरोध किया 
52. Acquaintance – परिचय 
53. Breezily – मन्द पवन बहते हुए 
54. Chauffeur – ड्राइवर 
55. Demonstration – प्रदर्शन 
56. Hereditary – वंशानुगत 
57. Drove away – गाड़ी  से चल देना 
58. Merely – केवल 
59. Admiration – प्रसंसा 
60. Flourish – फूला फुला  अंदाज़ 
61. Glanced – देखा 
62. Peering – झाक रहा 
63. Puddle – पोखरी / 
64. Accomplished –पूर्ण किया