Class 12 Chapter 2(Flamingo)

Chapter 2 

Lost Spring 

Author: Aness Jung

✍Introduction About the Author:

Anees Jung is an Indian author, journalist, and columnist known for writing about the lives of poor and marginalized people, especially women and children. Her work often focuses on social injustice, child labor, and inequality. “Lost Spring” is one of her moving accounts of childhood lost in poverty.

📖 Summary of Lost Spring:

🔹 Part I: Sometimes I Find a Rupee in the Garbage

This part introduces Saheb, a ragpicker boy living in Seemapuri, a slum on the outskirts of Delhi. Originally from Dhaka, Bangladesh, Saheb’s family came to India in search of a better life. But all they found was a life of poverty.

Saheb scours garbage dumps daily in search of something useful or valuable—sometimes a coin, sometimes hope. He dreams of going to school but can't afford it. The narrator notes the irony that even though his name means “Lord of the Universe,” he has no shoes or shelter.

Eventually, Saheb starts working at a tea stall for 800 rupees a month. Although he earns money, he loses his freedom and carefree smile. His dreams are “lost” in the harsh reality of survival.

🔹 Themes in Part I:

• Child labor

• Poverty and survival

• Lost innocence and dreams

• Irony of names vs reality

🔹 Part II: I Want to Drive a Car

This part follows the life of Mukesh, a young boy in Firozabad, a town famous for its glass-blowing industry. Like many children in his community, Mukesh is expected to follow the family tradition of making bangles.

Working in dark, hazardous conditions, children often lose their eyesight at an early age. The families are trapped in poverty due to a combination of tradition, lack of education, and exploitation by middlemen and bureaucrats.

However, Mukesh stands out. He dares to dream differently. He wants to become a motor mechanic and learn to drive a car—showing hope, courage, and the desire to break free.

🔹 Themes in Part II:

• Child labor in traditional industries

• Poverty and exploitation

• Importance of dreams and hope

• Social injustice and lack of change 

Combined Summary:

In “Lost Spring,” Anees Jung presents two real-life stories of children—Saheb and Mukesh—whose childhoods are lost in poverty and child labor. Saheb, a ragpicker, and Mukesh, a bangle-maker, are both denied education, play, and freedom. While Saheb’s dream of schooling fades as he starts working, Mukesh dares to hope for a better future as a mechanic.

The chapter sheds light on the grim reality of millions of children in India who are forced to grow up too soon. Yet, it also highlights the resilience of human spirit and the power of dreams, even in the harshest conditions.

📚Key Themes

a) Child Labour and Lost Childhood

Children like Saheb and Mukesh are forced into labour due to poverty. They lose their innocence and playtime early.

b) Poverty and Exploitation

Both stories reveal how poverty traps families in generations of the same work. They have little chance to escape due to lack of education and opportunities.

c) Dreams and Hope

Despite their hard lives, both boys have dreams. Saheb wants education; Mukesh wants to be a mechanic. Their dreams show resilience.

🙇Character Sketches

Saheb:

• A ragpicker boy who migrated from Dhaka.

• Lives in Seemapuri, dreams of going to school.

• Starts working at a tea stall, loses his independence.

• Symbol of lost childhood but still holds dreams.

Mukesh:

• Born in a family of bangle-makers in Firozabad.

• Aware of his family’s suffering.

• Brave enough to dream of breaking the cycle—wants to become a mechanic.

• Symbol of hope and change.
  

Important Quotations

a) “Garbage to them is gold.”

Context: Refers to the children of Seemapuri who survive by ragpicking.
Meaning: Garbage gives them their daily bread.

b) “I want to drive a car.”

Context: Mukesh tells the author about his dream.
Meaning: Shows his determination to do something different and escape poverty.

c) “Seemapuri is on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it.”

Context: Describes the physical and social distance between Seemapuri and urban Delhi.
Meaning: Despite being close in distance, Seemapuri is disconnected in terms of development and opportunity.