NIOS Class 12 for English After Twenty Years
Table of Contents
🌟 Introduction in English
“After Twenty Years” is a captivating short story written by the American author O. Henry. Known for its twist endings and deep insights into human relationships, the story explores the themes of friendship, loyalty, duty, time, and identity. It takes place in New York City and revolves around two childhood friends — Jimmy Wells and Bob — who made a promise to meet each other exactly twenty years after parting ways. One becomes a respected policeman, and the other turns into a successful criminal. The story builds suspense around their long-awaited reunion and ends with a surprising revelation, highlighting the conflict between personal emotions and professional responsibilities. O. Henry masterfully combines irony, emotion, and moral conflict in this unforgettable tale of promises and choices.
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“After Twenty Years” अमेरिकी लेखक O. Henry द्वारा लिखी गई एक भावनात्मक और रोचक कहानी है, जो दो बचपन के दोस्तों – जिमी वेल्स और बॉब के बीच बीस साल पुराने वादे पर आधारित है। यह कहानी दोस्ती, वफादारी, समय, नैतिकता और कर्तव्य जैसे विषयों को छूती है। कहानी का मुख्य आकर्षण इसका अप्रत्याशित अंत (twist ending) है, जो पाठक को चौंका देता है। एक दोस्त कानून का प्रतिनिधि (पुलिस अफसर) बनता है, जबकि दूसरा एक अपराधी। कहानी यह दर्शाती है कि जीवन की राहें लोगों को अलग-अलग दिशाओं में ले जाती हैं, और कभी-कभी कर्तव्य, भावनाओं से ऊपर हो जाता है।
NIOS Class 12 for English After Twenty Years
📖 Summary in English
The setting of the story is a quiet, dark street in New York at around 10 p.m., near the closed hardware store “Big Joe Brady’s restaurant”. A policeman is walking his ‘beat’, which in the story means his regular patrol route as part of his duty.
The policeman is patrolling slowly and mindfully, observing his surroundings and ensuring everything is safe. The streets are largely depopulated because it is late at night, cold, and windy, which keeps people indoors. The word ‘club’ in the story refers to a restaurant or place where people gather socially, such as Big Joe Brady’s.
He notices a man standing in a dark doorway — the man in the doorway, later identified as ‘Silky Bob’. Based on his appearance — a scarf pin with a large diamond, a fine watch, and confident talk — it can be inferred that he is wealthy, flashy, possibly boastful, and self-assured. Bob begins a conversation with the policeman and tells him about a promise made twenty years ago, when he and his best friend Jimmy Wells had dinner at that very spot before parting ways. They had grown up together in New York, almost like brothers, but Bob left for the West to seek fortune, while Jimmy stayed back.
Bob explains that Jimmy was the kind of person who never rushed things and was always true and reliable. He says that he made his fortune in the West through business, and he has done well, as seen from his diamond scarf pin and expensive watch. He confidently says, “Jimmy will never forget. He was always the truest and staunchest old chap in the world,” showing his faith in his friend’s loyalty.
Bob plans to wait for 30 minutes, believing Jimmy will show up. The police officer asks about the waiting time perhaps to judge Bob’s intent and honesty.
Bob also shares his views, saying life in the West is fast, energetic, and full of opportunities, whereas New York is more stable and less aggressive. As time passes, the weather grows colder, and the wind sharper, adding to the suspense.
Eventually, a tall man in a long coat appears, and Bob assumes it is Jimmy. They walk together to a brightly lit spot, but Bob suddenly notices a difference in the man’s nose and voice, realizing this is not Jimmy (Answer 19). That’s when the truth is revealed — the tall man hands Bob a note. The note is from the real Jimmy Wells, who was actually the patrolman Bob first spoke to earlier. Jimmy had recognized Bob as a wanted criminal and couldn’t bring himself to arrest his old friend. So, he sent another officer to do the job. As Bob reads the note, his hands begin to tremble, overwhelmed by the betrayal and realization.
The story ends on a deeply ironic and emotional note — Jimmy chose duty over friendship, and Bob was arrested despite their twenty-year-old promise.
If I were in Jimmy Wells’ place, I would have been torn — but perhaps, like Jimmy, I would have also chosen the law over personal bonds, especially if it involved justice.
📖 Summary in Hindi
कहानी की प्रस्तुत पृष्ठभूमि (setting) न्यूयॉर्क शहर की एक अंधेरी, ठंडी और सुनसान सड़क पर रात 10 बजे की है। एक पुलिस अफसर अपना ‘beat’ चल रहा होता है, जिसका अर्थ है – अपनी नियमित निगरानी वाली गली में गश्त करना। वह धीरे-धीरे चल रहा है और सावधानीपूर्वक सब कुछ देख रहा है।
सड़कों पर सन्नाटा है क्योंकि रात हो चुकी है, मौसम ठंडा है और लोग घरों में हैं । ‘Club’ शब्द का उपयोग कहानी में एक रेस्तरां या सामाजिक स्थल के लिए हुआ है, जैसे “Big Joe Brady’s Restaurant”।
अफसर एक व्यक्ति को एक बंद दुकान के दरवाज़े के पास खड़े हुए देखता है — यह व्यक्ति बॉब है, जिसे बाद में ‘Silky Bob’ के नाम से जाना जाता है। उसके हीरे जड़े पिन, महंगी घड़ी और आत्मविश्वास से यह अनुमान लगाया जा सकता है कि वह दिखावे वाला, आत्म-विश्वासी और शायद घमंडी भी है । बॉब पुलिस अफसर से बातचीत में बताता है कि बीस साल पहले वह और उसका बचपन का दोस्त जिमी वेल्स यहीं साथ खा-पीकर यह वादा करके अलग हुए थे कि वे बीस साल बाद उसी जगह मिलेंगे । वे दोनों न्यूयॉर्क में एक साथ पले-बढ़े थे, लेकिन बॉब आगे बढ़ने के लिए पश्चिम चला गया, जबकि जिमी वहीं रुक गया ।
बॉब बताता है कि जिमी भरोसेमंद, शांत और सच्चा दोस्त था, जो किसी वादे को नहीं तोड़ता । उसने यह भी कहा कि उसने पश्चिम में व्यापार कर के अपनी किस्मत बनाई है और यह उसके पहनावे से भी पता चलता है – जैसे हीरा और महंगी घड़ी । उसे पूरा विश्वास है कि जिमी वादा जरूर निभाएगा, क्योंकि वो सच्चा दोस्त था ।
बॉब आधे घंटे तक इंतजार करने की योजना बनाता है, और पुलिस अफसर इसलिए पूछता है ताकि उसकी सच्चाई का आकलन कर सके । बातचीत में बॉब बताता है कि पश्चिम का जीवन तेज़ और उग्र है, जबकि न्यूयॉर्क स्थिर और संयमित है । जैसे-जैसे कहानी आगे बढ़ती है, मौसम और ठंड अधिक होती जाती है, जिससे तनाव और गहराता है ।
आख़िरकार, एक लंबा आदमी ओवरकोट में आता है, और बॉब समझता है कि वो जिमी है। दोनों कुछ दूर साथ चलते हैं, लेकिन जब तेज़ रोशनी में आते हैं, तो बॉब को उसकी नाक और आवाज़ में बदलाव महसूस होता है, और उसे समझ आता है कि यह जिमी नहीं है । फिर वह आदमी बॉब को एक चिट्ठी देता है, जिसमें लिखा होता है कि वास्तविक जिमी वेल्स वही पुलिस अफसर था जिससे बॉब पहले मिला था। जिमी ने बॉब को पहचान लिया था, लेकिन कानून के अनुसार उसे गिरफ़्तार कराना पड़ा, इसलिए उसने दूसरे अफसर को भेजा। चिट्ठी पढ़ते समय बॉब के हाथ कांपने लगते हैं, क्योंकि उसे धोखे और गिरफ्तारी का एहसास होता है ।
इस प्रकार, कहानी एक गहरे संदेश के साथ समाप्त होती है — कर्तव्य और भावना के बीच जिमी ने कर्तव्य को चुना।
अगर मैं जिमी वेल्स की जगह होता, तो मैं भी शायद कानून और न्याय के पक्ष में निर्णय लेता, भले ही दिल भारी होता।
Questions-Answers
- What is the setting of the story?
- What does ‘beat’ mean in the story?
- What is the policeman doing?
- Why were the streets depopulated?
- What does club mean in the story?
- What can be inferred about the personality of the man in the doorway based on the descriptin of his appearance and actions?
- How dis the man describe his friend, Jimmy Wells?
- Why did the man travel to the west to make his fortune?
- Where did Jimmy Wells and the man in the doorway grow up?
- Who made a promise twenty years ago? What was the promise?
- Why did the friends part?
- How did the man to make his fortune?
- Why is the man confident that Jimmy will keep his promise?
- What does the man think of his friend Jimmy Wells?
- What does the man show to indicate he has done well out west?
- How long did the man plan to wait for his friend? Why do you think the police officer asked him the question?
- What does the man imply about life the New York compared to life the West?
- How does the weather change as the story progresses?
- What was the change that Bob noticed in ‘his friend, Jimmy’?
- How did Bob recognise that the tall man he was talking to was not Jimmy?
- What was the real identity of the tall man in the overcoat? Why had he gone there?
- Why did Bob’s hands begin to tremble as he almost finished reading the note?
- What would you have done in Jimmy Wells’ place?
NIOS Class 12 for English After Twenty Years
