CSP
Raghu is an important character in the short story Games at Twilight by Anita Desai. He is one of the older children in the group. He plays the game of hide and seek with the younger ones. He is strong, fast, and full of energy. He likes to win. He wants to be the best in the game. He tries hard to catch the children who are hiding.
At the beginning of the story, all the children are inside the house. It is hot outside. The children are bored. They wait for the sun to go down. When the parents allow them to go out, they run quickly into the garden. They are happy to be free. Raghu also runs out. He wants to play with the others.
The children decide to play hide and seek. They choose Raghu to be the seeker. He has to count and then find the others. Raghu stands with his face to the wall and begins to count. “Eighteen, nineteen, twenty,” he says. He is serious about the game. He counts fast and then runs to find the children.
Raghu is good at running. He is stronger than the small children. When he chases them, they are afraid of him. The story says, “He charged after them with his head down.” This tells us that Raghu acts like a bull. He is fast and full of power. He enjoys the game, but he also likes to win.
Raghu is not gentle. He plays hard. When he sees someone, he does not stop to think. He tries to catch them quickly. The children know he is coming. Some of them scream. Some run to hide again. Raghu wants to tag everyone fast. He does not play in a soft or kind way. He wants to win every time.
In the story, Raghu looks for the others in the garden. He checks behind the hedge, the garage, and the bushes. He is clever and quick. But he cannot find Ravi, the younger boy. Ravi is hiding in a small shed. It is dark and dusty. Ravi feels scared but excited. He wants to win too. He wants to stay hidden until the end.
Raghu does not find Ravi. He forgets about him. He thinks he has caught everyone. He does not look in the small shed. He is too busy playing with the other children. This tells us that Raghu does not always notice the small things. He pays more attention to the big things around him.
Raghu is not mean, but he is not kind either. He does not care how the younger ones feel. He plays his own way. When Ravi comes out later and says he has won, Raghu does not listen. He laughs and ignores Ravi. He does not think Ravi has won because he forgot about him. The story says, “Raghu turned his back.” This means he does not accept Ravi’s win. He thinks the game is over.
Raghu’s actions hurt Ravi. Ravi feels alone and small. He waited a long time to win, but no one listens to him. Raghu and the others have moved on to a new game. They do not care about what Ravi says. Raghu is busy with his own fun. He does not think about Ravi’s feelings.
Raghu is a normal child. He is not evil, but he does not understand how others feel. He is still young. He plays hard and wants to win. He does not think much about others’ thoughts. He forgets Ravi. He does not mean to hurt him, but he does. This shows that Raghu has more to learn about others.
The writer shows Raghu as strong and wild. He runs fast and plays loud. He does not stop to think. The story says, “Raghu was the eldest, the biggest, the most powerful.” These words tell us that Raghu is the leader of the children. He has control. He is not afraid of anything. The others follow him. They know he is strong.
Raghu also does not care much about rules. He plays how he likes. He chooses to ignore Ravi in the end. He acts as if Ravi does not matter. He does not feel sorry for Ravi. He forgets him. This shows that Raghu still thinks only of himself. He enjoys the game more than the people in it.
Even though Raghu is a child, he acts like a boss. He likes to lead. He is loud and fast. He does not like to lose. He wants to be first. But he is not kind. He does not support the smaller children. He does not make the game fun for everyone. He makes it hard for others to win.
Raghu’s role in the story is important. He helps us see how some children behave. They think about winning and forget about others. Raghu teaches us that power and speed are not enough. Kindness is also important. Raghu has power, but he does not use it in a fair way. He forgets Ravi, and that makes Ravi feel hurt and left out.
By the end of the story, Raghu has not changed. He is still playing with the others. He does not care that Ravi is upset. This makes the story sad. Raghu wins the game, but he loses something else. He loses the chance to understand Ravi. He does not learn from his mistake. This makes his character strong but also weak.
In this story, Raghu teaches us many things. He teaches us about strength, speed, and fun. But he also teaches us about being selfish. He does not think about Ravi’s feelings. He forgets him. He keeps playing. This makes us think about how we treat others when we play. Games are not just about winning. They are also about caring and kindness.
Raghu’s character is simple but also deep. He acts like many children do. He wants to run, laugh, and win. But he forgets that others have feelings too. This makes the story real. It tells us about childhood, games, and the way children grow. Raghu is strong, fast, and full of life. But he still needs to learn how to be kind and fair.
So, Raghu is not a bad boy. He is just a young boy who loves to win. But he forgets to care. He needs to grow and understand more. Then he will be a better friend and a better player.