SUMMARY: The Mystery of Missing Cap

THE MYSTERY OF MISSING CAP


The Mystery Of The Missing Cap by Manoj Das draws a vivid picture of political condition of India after Independence. Here The title suggests the real inner nature of Shri Moharana and Babu Virkishore who were used the incident of missing cap to explore their popularity towards the Indian rural people.


It is a story which was already happened in author's life. It was an incident which was witnessed by author himself and the same story opens with author's statement that --- '' I wish my friends and readers to share the sympathy .....I have secretly nurtured in my heart for these two gentleman over the yaers past.''


Manoj Das narrates about one person ,Shri Moharan who was well set person in village .He was an exemplary host with two ponds full of choice fish and a number of cows .Here, writer also narrates the rural India of those days after Independence where he states that during those days immediately preceding independence a new caste was emerging all over the country and --- that of ''patriots.'' It is also observed that Shri Moharana had even nurtured an ambition to be elected to the state Legislature. Shri Moharana wasalso fast growing into a patriot. The author was himself in the immediate neighbourhoodof Shri Moharana's.

It was a time of new emerging India and so the same patriotic feelings remained in most of the Indians.The people worshipped martyers and those, who sacrificed their lives for the sake of India's freedom. Even politicians also got such respect and reverence from Indians. And here Babu Virkishore invited by Shri Moharana where such incident takes place of missing cap.In those days ministers did not enjoy such glory. They were stayed at Shri Moharana's home. But our writer very eager to know how politicians lives and does he ever suffer from colds? And so due to his eagerness, he compelled to visit Shri Moharana's home where the minister and his entourage were stayed. The writer entered the exact room where the minister was resstd very comfortably. The writer, Manoj Dasvery extremely narrates that while he stood near the window of ministers's room, suffering the window of minister's room, suffering the first shock of disillusionment of his life regarding great persons where he haerd the snoring of minister in the style of an ordinary man and he also observed taht the minister's egg-bald haed rested on a pillow while his white cap laid on a table near his bed. The writer saw the mischievous Jhandoo bounce towards the window and pick up the cap. So this above incident shows us how this cap is just stolen or picked by Jhandoo, and not by an ordinary child or man.But Shri Moharan displayed before people though he knew that cap was picked by Jhandoo, a monkey. It was really a big shock for Das, a writer because he was the only person who knew the real truth about missimg cap. Here, the writer put emphasises on theme of appearance and reality that the real nature of Shri Moharana and Babu Virkishore were different from their real nature.