Question

mahendra was never critical about iswaran narratives. why then he react angrily to his tale of the ghost that appeared on full moon nights

Answer 1

It was because the way Iswaran's told the story regarding the shrivelled woman holding a foetus which appears on full moon nights made Mahendra believe that it's true.This was the reason he reacted angrily to him.

Answer 2

It was true that Mahendra was never critical about the narratives told by Iswaran, but this time, when Iswaran narrated the gothic and almost uncanny story of the witch-like woman holding a foetus that appears on full-moon nights.

 This is the terrifying experience and hence Mahendra felt extremely afraid and reacted to Iswaran’s replies. Against all his previous reservations, he now believed that every inch that Iswaran spoke was true.