These are the difficult words from the chapter, with their meanings and how they are used in the story.
outgrow
to lose interest in something as one grows older
"she would soon outgrow her childish passion" - the potters expected her interest to fade
Bade hokar interest khatam hona.
indifference
lack of interest in something
"Sentila’s indifference to weaving" - she had no interest in weaving
Kisi cheez mein interest na hona.
pittance
a very small amount of money received as income
"only a pittance for my troubles" - pot making earned very little
Bahut thode se paise.
pounding
repeated beating
"Pounding the stubborn clay" - to soften the hard clay
Baar-baar kootna.
tedious
tiring and boring
"is also tedious" - the work of softening clay was exhausting
Thaka dene waala kaam.
deftly
skilfully, with neat quick movements
"how deftly they rotated the lump" - the experts’ skilled hands
Safaai aur skill se.
spatula
a tool used by a potter to shape a pot
"a spatula held in the right hand" - used to tap and shape the clay
Pot shape karne ka tool.
tend
to take care of
"One had to tend the fire carefully" - the kiln fire needed attention
Dhyaan rakhna.
followed suit
did the same thing as somebody else has just done
"if all pot makers followed suit" - if others copied Arenla
Doosron ki dekha-dekhi wahi karna.
dao
an instrument used to dig
"how to dig the clay with a dao" - a digging tool
Khodne ka aujaar.
malleable
able to be shaped without breaking or cracking
"turned the clay into malleable dough" - soft, easy to shape
Aasaani se shape ho jaane waala.
dormitories
large rooms containing many beds, as in a hostel
"one of the girls’ dormitories" - where Sentila stayed
Hostel ke bade kamre.
resolved
(here) determined
"resolved to help the girl" - Onula decided firmly to help
Pakka irada karna.
wearily
tiredly
"wearily let the misshapen lump fall" - tired from failing
Thak kar.
slackened
relaxed or made slower
"slackened the rhythm" - slowed down for the mouth
Dheema kar diya.
momentum
driving force
"like a sprinter who had suddenly found momentum" - sudden flow of skill
Aage badhne ki taqat.
dexterity
skill in using the hands
"the same speed and dexterity" - skilled, swift hands
Haathon ki skill.
tally
a count or total number (of pots)
"one short of her mother’s tally" - one less than her mother’s count
Ginti ya count.
threshold
the entrance of a room
"When she reached the threshold" - the doorway
Kamre ka darwaaza.
intuitively
based on feelings
"She intuitively sensed" - Onula felt it without being told
Bina kahe, feel se.
momentous
of great significance
"something momentous had happened" - a very important event
Bahut important.
phenomenon
an unusual incident
"trying to absorb a new phenomenon" - an amazing new event
Anokhi ghatna.
profound
powerful, deep
"a profound revelation" - a deep realisation
Gehra, powerful.
revelation
a moment of realisation
"a profound revelation" - the truth Onula suddenly understood
Achaanak samajh aana.
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