Provide one instance from the passage to show that Toto was generally
treated well by the narrator’s family.
FROM The Adventures of Toto
Answers
Answer:
Every Monday, on his way back from work, Bipin Chowdhury would drop in at New Market to buy books. He had to buy at least five at a time to last him through the week. He lived alone, was not a good mixer, had few friends and didn’t like spending time in idle chat. Those who called in the evening got through their business quickly and left. Those who didn’t show signs of leaving would be told around eight o’clock by Bipin Babu that he was under doctor’s orders to have dinner at eight-thirty. After dinner he would rest for half an hour and then turn in with a book. This was a routine which had persisted unbroken for years.
Today, Bipin Babu had the feeling that someone was observing him from close quarters. He turned round and found himself looking at a round-faced, meek-looking man who now broke into a smile. ‘I don’t suppose you recognise me.’
Bipin Babu felt ill at ease. It didn’t seem that he had ever encountered this man before. The face seemed quite unfamiliar. ‘Have we met before?’ asked Bipin Babu.
The man looked greatly surprised. ‘We met every day for a whole week. I arranged for an ear to take you to the Hundroo Falls. My name is ‘Parimal Ghosh’. ‘Ranchi?’ Now Bipin Babu realised this man was making a mistake. Bipin Babu had never been to Ranchi. He smiled and said, ‘Do you know who I am?’
The man raised his eyebrows and said, ‘Who doesn’t know Bipin Chowdhury?’
Bipin Babu turned towards the bookshelves and said, ‘You’r making a mistake. I’ve never been to Ranchi.’ The man now laughed aloud.
‘What are you saying, Mr Chowdhury? You had a fall in Hudroo and cut your right knee. I brought you iodine. I had fixed up a car for you to go to Netarhat the next day, but you couldn’t because of the pain in the knee. Can’t you recall anything? Someone else you know was also in Ranchi at that time, Mr Dinesh Mukherjee. You stayed in a bungalow. You said, you didn’t like hotel food. I’ll tell you more: you always carried a bag with your books in it on your sightseeing trips. Am I right or not?’
Bipin Babu spoke quiedy, his eyes still on the books. ‘Which month in Nineteen fifty-eight aTe you talking about?’ The man said, ‘October’.
‘No, sir,’ said Bipin Babu. ‘I spent October Nineteen fifty-eight with a friend in Kanpur. ‘ You’re making a mistake. Good day’.
But the man didn’t go, nor did he stop talking. ‘One evening I had tea with you on the veranda of your bungalow. You spoke about your family. You said, you had no children and that you had lost your wife a decade ago.’
When Bipin Babu had paid for the books and was leaving the shop, the man was still looking at his in utter disbelief.
Bipin Babu’s car was safely parked in Bertram Street. He told the driver as he got into the car, ‘Just drive by the Ganga, will you, Sitaram.’ Driving up the Strand Road, Bipin Babu regretted having paid so much attention to the intruder. He had never been to Ranchi. He had an excellent memory. Unless he was losing his mind!
Questions and Answers of Comprehension
Question 1.
Give the meaning of the following words as used in the passage. One word answers or short phrases will be accepted.
(a) persisted
(b) decade
(c) intruder
Answer:
(a) continued, carried on
(b) a period of ten years
(c) trespasser or encroacher
Question 2.
Answer the following questions briefly using your own words.
(a) How did Bipin Chowdhury find time to read five
(b) How did he get rid of visitors who stayed late?
(c) Which sentence tells you that Bipin was uncomfortable?
(d) What strong argument did Bipin Babu give to prove that he was not in Ranchi at that time?
Answer:
(a) Bipin Chowdhury found time to read five book a week as he lived all alone in his house. He was not a good mixer and possessed less friends. He did’t like spending time in idle chat.
(b) He used to get rid of the visitors who stayed late by telling them that he was under doctor’s order to have dinner at eight-thirty and he could no longer spend time with them.
(c) Sentence ‘Bipin Babu fell ill at ease’ tells us that he felt uncomfortable.
(d) The strong argument given by Bipin Chowdhury was that in October 1958, he was with a friend in Kanpur. He said that he never been to Ranchi.
(e) Bipin Babu regrets having paid so much attention to the stranger who was giving false claims of having met him.
Question 3.
What memories of the trip does Parimal Ghosh evoke to prove that Bipin Babu was indeed in Ranchi? Describe in your own words and answer in not more than 50 words.
Answer:
Parimal Ghosh tried to remind Bipin Babu that it was he who had arranged a car for Bipin Babu when he was in Ranchi in October 1958. He also reminded Bipin Chowdhury that Parimal had brought iodine for him when he had a fall in Hudroo and had cut his right knee. Someone else known as Dinesh Mukherjee was also in Ranchi. Parimal reminded Bipin of his dislike for hotel food and that he always carried a bag containing books on sightseeing trips.