“People of different religions would be sitting outside, waiting for him.”— Who is referred to as ‘him’

“People of different religions would be sitting outside, waiting for him.”—Who is referred to as ‘him’? Where did the people wait ? Why did they wait there ? What would happen thereafter Class 12 | English (Strong Roots) 6 Marks

Ans:

The narrator’s father, Jainulabdeen is referred to as ‘him’.

People belonging to various religions sat outside a very old mosque in Abdul Kalam’s locality and waited for his father.

They waited there to offer bowls of water to Jainulabdeen. They believed that Kalam’s father had special spiritual powers to cure the invalids.

When Jainulabdeen came out of the mosque after the evening prayers, he dipped his fingertips in the bowls of water offered to him and uttered a prayer. The sanctified water was then carried home with the belief and hope that it would recover patients.