NCERT Textbook - The Adventure

 Page 1


5.  The Adventure
Jayant Narlikar
Notice these expressions in the text.
Infer their meaning from the context.
?? blow-by-blow account ?? de facto
?? morale booster    ?? astute 
?? relegated to ?? doctored accounts
?? political acumen ?? gave vent to
The Jijamata Express sped along the Pune-Bombay* route considerably 
faster than the Deccan Queen. There were no industrial townships 
outside Pune. The first stop, Lonavala, came in 40 minutes. The ghat 
section that followed was no different from what he knew. The train 
stopped at Karjat only briefly and went on at even greater speed. It 
roared through Kalyan.
Meanwhile, the racing mind of Professor Gaitonde had arrived at a 
plan of action in Bombay. Indeed, as a historian he felt he should have 
thought of it sooner. He would go to a big library and browse through 
history books. That was the surest way of finding out how the present 
state of affairs was reached. He also planned eventually to return to 
Pune and have a long talk with Rajendra Deshpande, who would surely 
help him understand what had happened.
That is, assuming that in this world there existed someone called 
Rajendra Deshpande!
The train stopped beyond the long tunnel. It was a small station 
called Sarhad. An Anglo-Indian in uniform went through the train 
checking permits.
“This is where the British Raj begins. You are going for the first 
time, I presume?” Khan Sahib asked.
The present story is an adapted version. The original text of the story can be consulted 
on the NCERT website : www.ncert.nic.in
* Now known as Mumbai
Chap 5.indd   43 12/5/2024   10:09:24 AM
Reprint 2025-26
Page 2


5.  The Adventure
Jayant Narlikar
Notice these expressions in the text.
Infer their meaning from the context.
?? blow-by-blow account ?? de facto
?? morale booster    ?? astute 
?? relegated to ?? doctored accounts
?? political acumen ?? gave vent to
The Jijamata Express sped along the Pune-Bombay* route considerably 
faster than the Deccan Queen. There were no industrial townships 
outside Pune. The first stop, Lonavala, came in 40 minutes. The ghat 
section that followed was no different from what he knew. The train 
stopped at Karjat only briefly and went on at even greater speed. It 
roared through Kalyan.
Meanwhile, the racing mind of Professor Gaitonde had arrived at a 
plan of action in Bombay. Indeed, as a historian he felt he should have 
thought of it sooner. He would go to a big library and browse through 
history books. That was the surest way of finding out how the present 
state of affairs was reached. He also planned eventually to return to 
Pune and have a long talk with Rajendra Deshpande, who would surely 
help him understand what had happened.
That is, assuming that in this world there existed someone called 
Rajendra Deshpande!
The train stopped beyond the long tunnel. It was a small station 
called Sarhad. An Anglo-Indian in uniform went through the train 
checking permits.
“This is where the British Raj begins. You are going for the first 
time, I presume?” Khan Sahib asked.
The present story is an adapted version. The original text of the story can be consulted 
on the NCERT website : www.ncert.nic.in
* Now known as Mumbai
Chap 5.indd   43 12/5/2024   10:09:24 AM
Reprint 2025-26
44 h ornbill “Yes.” The reply was factually correct. Gangadharpant had not been 
to this Bombay before. He ventured a question: “And, Khan Sahib, how 
will you go to Peshawar?”
“This train goes to the Victoria Terminus*. I will take the Frontier 
Mail tonight out of Central.”
“How far does it go? By what route?”
“Bombay to Delhi, then to Lahore and then Peshawar. A long 
journey. I will reach Peshawar the day after tomorrow.”
Thereafter, Khan Sahib spoke a lot about his business and 
Gangadharpant was a willing listener. For, in that way, he was able to 
get some flavour of life in this India that was so different.
The train now passed through the suburban rail traffic. The blue 
carriages carried the letters, GBMR, on the side.
“Greater Bombay Metropolitan Railway,” explained Khan Sahib. 
“See the tiny Union Jack painted on each carriage? A gentle reminder 
that we are in British territory.”
The train began to slow down beyond Dadar and stopped only at 
its destination, Victoria Terminus. The station looked remarkably neat 
and clean. The staff was mostly made up of Anglo-Indians and Parsees 
along with a handful of British officers.
As he emerged from the station, Gangadharpant found himself 
facing an imposing building. The letters on it proclaimed its identity 
to those who did not know this Bombay landmark:
eas T india house headquar Ters of The eas T india company Prepared as he was for many shocks, Professor Gaitonde had not 
expected this. The East India Company had been wound up shortly after 
the events of 1857 — at least, that is what history books said. Yet, here 
it was, not only alive but flourishing. So, history had taken a different 
turn, perhaps before 1857. How and when had it happened? He had 
to find out.
As he walked along Hornby Road, as it was called, he found a 
different set of shops and office buildings. There was no Handloom 
House building. Instead, there were Boots and Woolworth departmental 
stores, imposing offices of Lloyds, Barclays and other British banks, 
as in a typical high street of a town in England.
He turned right along Home Street and entered Forbes building.
* Now known as Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus
Chap 5.indd   44 12/5/2024   10:09:24 AM
Reprint 2025-26
Page 3


5.  The Adventure
Jayant Narlikar
Notice these expressions in the text.
Infer their meaning from the context.
?? blow-by-blow account ?? de facto
?? morale booster    ?? astute 
?? relegated to ?? doctored accounts
?? political acumen ?? gave vent to
The Jijamata Express sped along the Pune-Bombay* route considerably 
faster than the Deccan Queen. There were no industrial townships 
outside Pune. The first stop, Lonavala, came in 40 minutes. The ghat 
section that followed was no different from what he knew. The train 
stopped at Karjat only briefly and went on at even greater speed. It 
roared through Kalyan.
Meanwhile, the racing mind of Professor Gaitonde had arrived at a 
plan of action in Bombay. Indeed, as a historian he felt he should have 
thought of it sooner. He would go to a big library and browse through 
history books. That was the surest way of finding out how the present 
state of affairs was reached. He also planned eventually to return to 
Pune and have a long talk with Rajendra Deshpande, who would surely 
help him understand what had happened.
That is, assuming that in this world there existed someone called 
Rajendra Deshpande!
The train stopped beyond the long tunnel. It was a small station 
called Sarhad. An Anglo-Indian in uniform went through the train 
checking permits.
“This is where the British Raj begins. You are going for the first 
time, I presume?” Khan Sahib asked.
The present story is an adapted version. The original text of the story can be consulted 
on the NCERT website : www.ncert.nic.in
* Now known as Mumbai
Chap 5.indd   43 12/5/2024   10:09:24 AM
Reprint 2025-26
44 h ornbill “Yes.” The reply was factually correct. Gangadharpant had not been 
to this Bombay before. He ventured a question: “And, Khan Sahib, how 
will you go to Peshawar?”
“This train goes to the Victoria Terminus*. I will take the Frontier 
Mail tonight out of Central.”
“How far does it go? By what route?”
“Bombay to Delhi, then to Lahore and then Peshawar. A long 
journey. I will reach Peshawar the day after tomorrow.”
Thereafter, Khan Sahib spoke a lot about his business and 
Gangadharpant was a willing listener. For, in that way, he was able to 
get some flavour of life in this India that was so different.
The train now passed through the suburban rail traffic. The blue 
carriages carried the letters, GBMR, on the side.
“Greater Bombay Metropolitan Railway,” explained Khan Sahib. 
“See the tiny Union Jack painted on each carriage? A gentle reminder 
that we are in British territory.”
The train began to slow down beyond Dadar and stopped only at 
its destination, Victoria Terminus. The station looked remarkably neat 
and clean. The staff was mostly made up of Anglo-Indians and Parsees 
along with a handful of British officers.
As he emerged from the station, Gangadharpant found himself 
facing an imposing building. The letters on it proclaimed its identity 
to those who did not know this Bombay landmark:
eas T india house headquar Ters of The eas T india company Prepared as he was for many shocks, Professor Gaitonde had not 
expected this. The East India Company had been wound up shortly after 
the events of 1857 — at least, that is what history books said. Yet, here 
it was, not only alive but flourishing. So, history had taken a different 
turn, perhaps before 1857. How and when had it happened? He had 
to find out.
As he walked along Hornby Road, as it was called, he found a 
different set of shops and office buildings. There was no Handloom 
House building. Instead, there were Boots and Woolworth departmental 
stores, imposing offices of Lloyds, Barclays and other British banks, 
as in a typical high street of a town in England.
He turned right along Home Street and entered Forbes building.
* Now known as Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus
Chap 5.indd   44 12/5/2024   10:09:24 AM
Reprint 2025-26
The a dven Ture 45
“I wish to meet Mr Vinay Gaitonde, please,” he said to the English 
receptionist.
She searched through the telephone list, the staff list and then 
through the directory of employees of all the branches of the firm. 
She shook her head and said, “I am afraid I can’t find anyone of 
that name either here or in any of our branches. Are you sure he 
works here?”
This was a blow, not totally unexpected. If he himself were dead in 
this world, what guarantee had he that his son would be alive? Indeed, 
he may not even have been born!
He thanked the girl politely and came out. It was characteristic of 
him not to worry about where he would stay. His main concern was 
to make his way to the library of the Asiatic Society to solve the riddle 
of history. Grabbing a quick lunch at a restaurant, he made his way 
to the Town Hall.
_____________
Yes, to his relief, the Town Hall was there, and it did house the library. 
He entered the reading room and asked for a list of history books 
including his own.
His five volumes duly arrived on his table. He started from the 
beginning. Volume one took the history up to the period of Ashoka, 
volume two up to Samudragupta, volume three up to Mohammad 
Ghori and volume four up to the death of Aurangzeb. Up to this period 
history was as he knew it. The change evidently had occurred in the 
last volume.
Reading volume five from both ends inwards, Gangadharpant 
finally converged on the precise moment where history had taken a 
different turn.
That page in the book described the Battle of Panipat, and it 
mentioned that the Marathas won it handsomely. Abdali was routed 
and he was chased back to Kabul by the triumphant Maratha army 
led by Sadashivrao Bhau and his nephew, the young Vishwasrao.
The book did not go into a blow-by-blow account of the battle itself. 
Rather, it elaborated in detail its consequences for the power struggle 
in India. Gangadharpant read through the account avidly. The style 
of writing was unmistakably his, yet he was reading the account for 
the first time!
Their victory in the battle was not only a great morale booster 
to the Marathas but it also established their supremacy in northern 
India. The East India Company, which had been watching these 
Chap 5.indd   45 12/5/2024   10:09:24 AM
Reprint 2025-26
Page 4


5.  The Adventure
Jayant Narlikar
Notice these expressions in the text.
Infer their meaning from the context.
?? blow-by-blow account ?? de facto
?? morale booster    ?? astute 
?? relegated to ?? doctored accounts
?? political acumen ?? gave vent to
The Jijamata Express sped along the Pune-Bombay* route considerably 
faster than the Deccan Queen. There were no industrial townships 
outside Pune. The first stop, Lonavala, came in 40 minutes. The ghat 
section that followed was no different from what he knew. The train 
stopped at Karjat only briefly and went on at even greater speed. It 
roared through Kalyan.
Meanwhile, the racing mind of Professor Gaitonde had arrived at a 
plan of action in Bombay. Indeed, as a historian he felt he should have 
thought of it sooner. He would go to a big library and browse through 
history books. That was the surest way of finding out how the present 
state of affairs was reached. He also planned eventually to return to 
Pune and have a long talk with Rajendra Deshpande, who would surely 
help him understand what had happened.
That is, assuming that in this world there existed someone called 
Rajendra Deshpande!
The train stopped beyond the long tunnel. It was a small station 
called Sarhad. An Anglo-Indian in uniform went through the train 
checking permits.
“This is where the British Raj begins. You are going for the first 
time, I presume?” Khan Sahib asked.
The present story is an adapted version. The original text of the story can be consulted 
on the NCERT website : www.ncert.nic.in
* Now known as Mumbai
Chap 5.indd   43 12/5/2024   10:09:24 AM
Reprint 2025-26
44 h ornbill “Yes.” The reply was factually correct. Gangadharpant had not been 
to this Bombay before. He ventured a question: “And, Khan Sahib, how 
will you go to Peshawar?”
“This train goes to the Victoria Terminus*. I will take the Frontier 
Mail tonight out of Central.”
“How far does it go? By what route?”
“Bombay to Delhi, then to Lahore and then Peshawar. A long 
journey. I will reach Peshawar the day after tomorrow.”
Thereafter, Khan Sahib spoke a lot about his business and 
Gangadharpant was a willing listener. For, in that way, he was able to 
get some flavour of life in this India that was so different.
The train now passed through the suburban rail traffic. The blue 
carriages carried the letters, GBMR, on the side.
“Greater Bombay Metropolitan Railway,” explained Khan Sahib. 
“See the tiny Union Jack painted on each carriage? A gentle reminder 
that we are in British territory.”
The train began to slow down beyond Dadar and stopped only at 
its destination, Victoria Terminus. The station looked remarkably neat 
and clean. The staff was mostly made up of Anglo-Indians and Parsees 
along with a handful of British officers.
As he emerged from the station, Gangadharpant found himself 
facing an imposing building. The letters on it proclaimed its identity 
to those who did not know this Bombay landmark:
eas T india house headquar Ters of The eas T india company Prepared as he was for many shocks, Professor Gaitonde had not 
expected this. The East India Company had been wound up shortly after 
the events of 1857 — at least, that is what history books said. Yet, here 
it was, not only alive but flourishing. So, history had taken a different 
turn, perhaps before 1857. How and when had it happened? He had 
to find out.
As he walked along Hornby Road, as it was called, he found a 
different set of shops and office buildings. There was no Handloom 
House building. Instead, there were Boots and Woolworth departmental 
stores, imposing offices of Lloyds, Barclays and other British banks, 
as in a typical high street of a town in England.
He turned right along Home Street and entered Forbes building.
* Now known as Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus
Chap 5.indd   44 12/5/2024   10:09:24 AM
Reprint 2025-26
The a dven Ture 45
“I wish to meet Mr Vinay Gaitonde, please,” he said to the English 
receptionist.
She searched through the telephone list, the staff list and then 
through the directory of employees of all the branches of the firm. 
She shook her head and said, “I am afraid I can’t find anyone of 
that name either here or in any of our branches. Are you sure he 
works here?”
This was a blow, not totally unexpected. If he himself were dead in 
this world, what guarantee had he that his son would be alive? Indeed, 
he may not even have been born!
He thanked the girl politely and came out. It was characteristic of 
him not to worry about where he would stay. His main concern was 
to make his way to the library of the Asiatic Society to solve the riddle 
of history. Grabbing a quick lunch at a restaurant, he made his way 
to the Town Hall.
_____________
Yes, to his relief, the Town Hall was there, and it did house the library. 
He entered the reading room and asked for a list of history books 
including his own.
His five volumes duly arrived on his table. He started from the 
beginning. Volume one took the history up to the period of Ashoka, 
volume two up to Samudragupta, volume three up to Mohammad 
Ghori and volume four up to the death of Aurangzeb. Up to this period 
history was as he knew it. The change evidently had occurred in the 
last volume.
Reading volume five from both ends inwards, Gangadharpant 
finally converged on the precise moment where history had taken a 
different turn.
That page in the book described the Battle of Panipat, and it 
mentioned that the Marathas won it handsomely. Abdali was routed 
and he was chased back to Kabul by the triumphant Maratha army 
led by Sadashivrao Bhau and his nephew, the young Vishwasrao.
The book did not go into a blow-by-blow account of the battle itself. 
Rather, it elaborated in detail its consequences for the power struggle 
in India. Gangadharpant read through the account avidly. The style 
of writing was unmistakably his, yet he was reading the account for 
the first time!
Their victory in the battle was not only a great morale booster 
to the Marathas but it also established their supremacy in northern 
India. The East India Company, which had been watching these 
Chap 5.indd   45 12/5/2024   10:09:24 AM
Reprint 2025-26
46 h ornbill developments from the sidelines, got the message and temporarily 
shelved its expansionist programme.
For the Peshwas the immediate result was an increase in the 
influence of Bhausaheb and Vishwasrao who eventfully  succeeded his 
father in 1780 A.D. The trouble-maker, Dadasaheb, was relegated to 
the background and he eventually retired from state politics.
To its dismay, the East India Company met its match in the 
new Maratha ruler, Vishwasrao. He and his brother, Madhavrao, 
combined political acumen with valour and systematically expanded 
their influence all over India. The Company was reduced to pockets of 
influence near Bombay, Calcutta* and Madras
?? , just like its European 
rivals, the Portuguese and the French.
For political reasons, the Peshwas kept the puppet Mughal regime 
alive in Delhi. In the nineteenth century these de facto rulers from Pune 
were astute enough to recognise the importance of the technological 
age dawning in Europe. They set up their own centres for science and 
technology. Here, the East India Company saw another opportunity 
to extend its influence. It offered aid and experts. They were accepted 
only to make the local centres self-sufficient.
The twentieth century brought about further changes inspired by 
the West. India moved towards a democracy. By then, the Peshwas had 
lost their enterprise and they were gradually replaced by democratically 
elected bodies. The Sultanate at Delhi survived even this transition, 
largely because it wielded no real influence. The Shahenshah of Delhi 
was no more than a figurehead to rubber-stamp the ‘recommendations’ 
made by the central parliament.
As he read on, Gangadharpant began to appreciate the India he had 
seen. It was a country that had not been subjected to slavery for the 
white man; it had learnt to stand on its feet and knew what self-respect 
was. From a position of strength and for purely commercial reasons, 
it had allowed the British to retain Bombay as the sole outpost on the 
subcontinent. That lease was to expire in the year 2001, according to 
a treaty of 1908.
Gangadharpant could not help comparing the country he knew 
with what he was witnessing around him.
But, at the same time, he felt that his investigations were incomplete. 
How did the Marathas win the battle? To find the answer he must look 
for accounts of the battle itself.
* Now known as Kolkata
?? Now known as Chennai
Chap 5.indd   46 12/5/2024   10:09:24 AM
Reprint 2025-26
Page 5


5.  The Adventure
Jayant Narlikar
Notice these expressions in the text.
Infer their meaning from the context.
?? blow-by-blow account ?? de facto
?? morale booster    ?? astute 
?? relegated to ?? doctored accounts
?? political acumen ?? gave vent to
The Jijamata Express sped along the Pune-Bombay* route considerably 
faster than the Deccan Queen. There were no industrial townships 
outside Pune. The first stop, Lonavala, came in 40 minutes. The ghat 
section that followed was no different from what he knew. The train 
stopped at Karjat only briefly and went on at even greater speed. It 
roared through Kalyan.
Meanwhile, the racing mind of Professor Gaitonde had arrived at a 
plan of action in Bombay. Indeed, as a historian he felt he should have 
thought of it sooner. He would go to a big library and browse through 
history books. That was the surest way of finding out how the present 
state of affairs was reached. He also planned eventually to return to 
Pune and have a long talk with Rajendra Deshpande, who would surely 
help him understand what had happened.
That is, assuming that in this world there existed someone called 
Rajendra Deshpande!
The train stopped beyond the long tunnel. It was a small station 
called Sarhad. An Anglo-Indian in uniform went through the train 
checking permits.
“This is where the British Raj begins. You are going for the first 
time, I presume?” Khan Sahib asked.
The present story is an adapted version. The original text of the story can be consulted 
on the NCERT website : www.ncert.nic.in
* Now known as Mumbai
Chap 5.indd   43 12/5/2024   10:09:24 AM
Reprint 2025-26
44 h ornbill “Yes.” The reply was factually correct. Gangadharpant had not been 
to this Bombay before. He ventured a question: “And, Khan Sahib, how 
will you go to Peshawar?”
“This train goes to the Victoria Terminus*. I will take the Frontier 
Mail tonight out of Central.”
“How far does it go? By what route?”
“Bombay to Delhi, then to Lahore and then Peshawar. A long 
journey. I will reach Peshawar the day after tomorrow.”
Thereafter, Khan Sahib spoke a lot about his business and 
Gangadharpant was a willing listener. For, in that way, he was able to 
get some flavour of life in this India that was so different.
The train now passed through the suburban rail traffic. The blue 
carriages carried the letters, GBMR, on the side.
“Greater Bombay Metropolitan Railway,” explained Khan Sahib. 
“See the tiny Union Jack painted on each carriage? A gentle reminder 
that we are in British territory.”
The train began to slow down beyond Dadar and stopped only at 
its destination, Victoria Terminus. The station looked remarkably neat 
and clean. The staff was mostly made up of Anglo-Indians and Parsees 
along with a handful of British officers.
As he emerged from the station, Gangadharpant found himself 
facing an imposing building. The letters on it proclaimed its identity 
to those who did not know this Bombay landmark:
eas T india house headquar Ters of The eas T india company Prepared as he was for many shocks, Professor Gaitonde had not 
expected this. The East India Company had been wound up shortly after 
the events of 1857 — at least, that is what history books said. Yet, here 
it was, not only alive but flourishing. So, history had taken a different 
turn, perhaps before 1857. How and when had it happened? He had 
to find out.
As he walked along Hornby Road, as it was called, he found a 
different set of shops and office buildings. There was no Handloom 
House building. Instead, there were Boots and Woolworth departmental 
stores, imposing offices of Lloyds, Barclays and other British banks, 
as in a typical high street of a town in England.
He turned right along Home Street and entered Forbes building.
* Now known as Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus
Chap 5.indd   44 12/5/2024   10:09:24 AM
Reprint 2025-26
The a dven Ture 45
“I wish to meet Mr Vinay Gaitonde, please,” he said to the English 
receptionist.
She searched through the telephone list, the staff list and then 
through the directory of employees of all the branches of the firm. 
She shook her head and said, “I am afraid I can’t find anyone of 
that name either here or in any of our branches. Are you sure he 
works here?”
This was a blow, not totally unexpected. If he himself were dead in 
this world, what guarantee had he that his son would be alive? Indeed, 
he may not even have been born!
He thanked the girl politely and came out. It was characteristic of 
him not to worry about where he would stay. His main concern was 
to make his way to the library of the Asiatic Society to solve the riddle 
of history. Grabbing a quick lunch at a restaurant, he made his way 
to the Town Hall.
_____________
Yes, to his relief, the Town Hall was there, and it did house the library. 
He entered the reading room and asked for a list of history books 
including his own.
His five volumes duly arrived on his table. He started from the 
beginning. Volume one took the history up to the period of Ashoka, 
volume two up to Samudragupta, volume three up to Mohammad 
Ghori and volume four up to the death of Aurangzeb. Up to this period 
history was as he knew it. The change evidently had occurred in the 
last volume.
Reading volume five from both ends inwards, Gangadharpant 
finally converged on the precise moment where history had taken a 
different turn.
That page in the book described the Battle of Panipat, and it 
mentioned that the Marathas won it handsomely. Abdali was routed 
and he was chased back to Kabul by the triumphant Maratha army 
led by Sadashivrao Bhau and his nephew, the young Vishwasrao.
The book did not go into a blow-by-blow account of the battle itself. 
Rather, it elaborated in detail its consequences for the power struggle 
in India. Gangadharpant read through the account avidly. The style 
of writing was unmistakably his, yet he was reading the account for 
the first time!
Their victory in the battle was not only a great morale booster 
to the Marathas but it also established their supremacy in northern 
India. The East India Company, which had been watching these 
Chap 5.indd   45 12/5/2024   10:09:24 AM
Reprint 2025-26
46 h ornbill developments from the sidelines, got the message and temporarily 
shelved its expansionist programme.
For the Peshwas the immediate result was an increase in the 
influence of Bhausaheb and Vishwasrao who eventfully  succeeded his 
father in 1780 A.D. The trouble-maker, Dadasaheb, was relegated to 
the background and he eventually retired from state politics.
To its dismay, the East India Company met its match in the 
new Maratha ruler, Vishwasrao. He and his brother, Madhavrao, 
combined political acumen with valour and systematically expanded 
their influence all over India. The Company was reduced to pockets of 
influence near Bombay, Calcutta* and Madras
?? , just like its European 
rivals, the Portuguese and the French.
For political reasons, the Peshwas kept the puppet Mughal regime 
alive in Delhi. In the nineteenth century these de facto rulers from Pune 
were astute enough to recognise the importance of the technological 
age dawning in Europe. They set up their own centres for science and 
technology. Here, the East India Company saw another opportunity 
to extend its influence. It offered aid and experts. They were accepted 
only to make the local centres self-sufficient.
The twentieth century brought about further changes inspired by 
the West. India moved towards a democracy. By then, the Peshwas had 
lost their enterprise and they were gradually replaced by democratically 
elected bodies. The Sultanate at Delhi survived even this transition, 
largely because it wielded no real influence. The Shahenshah of Delhi 
was no more than a figurehead to rubber-stamp the ‘recommendations’ 
made by the central parliament.
As he read on, Gangadharpant began to appreciate the India he had 
seen. It was a country that had not been subjected to slavery for the 
white man; it had learnt to stand on its feet and knew what self-respect 
was. From a position of strength and for purely commercial reasons, 
it had allowed the British to retain Bombay as the sole outpost on the 
subcontinent. That lease was to expire in the year 2001, according to 
a treaty of 1908.
Gangadharpant could not help comparing the country he knew 
with what he was witnessing around him.
But, at the same time, he felt that his investigations were incomplete. 
How did the Marathas win the battle? To find the answer he must look 
for accounts of the battle itself.
* Now known as Kolkata
?? Now known as Chennai
Chap 5.indd   46 12/5/2024   10:09:24 AM
Reprint 2025-26
The a dven Ture 47
He went through the books and journals before him. At last, among 
the books he found one that gave him the clue. It was Bhausahebanchi 
Bakhar.
Although he seldom relied on the Bakhars for historical evidence, 
he found them entertaining to read. Sometimes, buried in the graphic 
but doctored accounts, he could spot the germ of truth. He found 
one now in a three-line account of how close Vishwasrao had come to 
being killed: 
...And then Vishwasrao guided his horse to the melee where the elite 
troops were fighting and he attacked them. And God was merciful. A 
shot brushed past his ear. Even the difference of a til (sesame) would 
have led to his death.
At eight o’clock the librarian politely reminded the professor that 
the library was closing for the day. Gangadharpant emerged from his 
thoughts. Looking around he noticed that he was the only reader left 
in that magnificent hall.
“I beg your pardon, sir! May I request you to keep these books here 
for my use tomorrow morning? By the way, when do you open?”
“At eight o’clock, sir.” The librarian smiled. Here was a user and 
researcher right after his heart.
As the professor left the table he shoved some notes into his right 
pocket. Absent-mindedly, he also shoved the Bakhar into his left pocket.
__________
He found a guest house to stay in and had a frugal meal. He then set 
out for a stroll towards the Azad Maidan.
In the maidan he found a throng moving towards a pandal. So, 
a lecture was to take place. Force of habit took Professor Gaitonde 
towards the pandal. The lecture was in progress, although people 
kept coming and going. But Professor Gaitonde was not looking at the 
audience. He was staring at the platform as if mesmerised. There was 
a table and a chair but the latter was unoccupied.
The presidential chair unoccupied! The sight stirred him to the 
depths. Like a piece of iron attracted to a magnet, he swiftly moved 
towards the chair. 
The speaker stopped in mid-sentence, too shocked to continue. 
But the audience soon found voice. 
“Vacate the chair!”
“This lecture series has no chairperson...”
Chap 5.indd   47 12/5/2024   10:09:24 AM
Reprint 2025-26