NCERT Book Class 5 EVS Chapter 18 No Place for Us?

18. No Place for Us?

Jatryabhai
Jatryabhai was sitting at the door with his daughter Jhimli.
They were waiting for Sidya. It was almost night but Sidya had
not come home. Two years back Jatrya’s family came to Mumbai
from Sinduri village. Here, they only knew the family of a distant
relative. With their help, Jatryabhai
began to repair torn fishing
nets. But the money he got
was not enough. They had
to pay for the medicines,
food, school fees and rent for
the house. Here, they even
had to buy water.
Young Sidya also had to
work in the nearby fish
factory to earn some
money. From four o’clock till
seven o’clock in the morning, he cleaned and sorted the big
and small fish. Then he would come home, take a nap, and go
to school in the afternoon. In the evening he would wander
around the vegetable market. He would help some memsahib
(lady) to carry her bags, or go to the railway station to pick up
empty bottles and newspapers to sell to the kabadiwalla (junk
seller). Somehow they were managing their life in the city.
It was night, but Sidya had not come home. Jhimli was
watching a dance on TV, through the neighbour’s window.
But Jatrya did not like watching TV. Here, everything was so
No Place for Us? 165