"When I came back to my village, I saw my grandmother in tears.
I was surprised, for I had never seen her cry even in the most difficult situations.
What had happened?
I was worried.
'Avva, is everything all right?
Are you okay?'
I used to call her Avva, which means mother in the Kannada spoken in north Karnataka.
She nodded but did not reply.
I did not understand and forgot about it.
In the night, after dinner, we were sleeping in the open terrace of our house.
It was a summer night and there was a full moon.
Avva came and sat next to me.
Her affectionate hands touched my forehead.
I realised she wanted to speak.
I asked her, 'What is the matter?'
'When I was a young girl, I lost my mother.
There was nobody to look after and guide me.
My father was a busy man and got married again.
In those days people never considered education essential for girls, so I never went to school.
I got married very young and had children.
I became very busy.
Later I had grandchildren and always felt so much happiness in cooking and feeding all of you.
At times I used to regret not going to school, so I made sure that my children and grandchildren studied well...'"
  • When the narrator returned, she found Avva in tears.
  • She was worried . worried = feeling anxious or troubled about something unknown or uncertain
  • She had never seen her strong grandmother cry before.
  • That night they slept on the open terrace under a full moon. terrace = a flat open roof or platform attached to a house, used for sleeping in summer in Indian villages
  • Avva touched her forehead affectionately and began to share her life story. affectionate = showing love and tender care through gentle touch or kind words
  • She lost her mother young; girls’ education was not considered essential , a lifelong regret . regret = a feeling of sadness or disappointment about something you did not do or cannot change essential = absolutely necessary; something that must be done or had
NCERT Questions (from the Textbook)
Cause and Effect Table. Point 4

(From "Check Your Understanding" - complete the cause-and-effect table) See full Cause-and-Effect Table (Part I)

Cause and Effect Table. Point 4
Complete the cause-and-effect table (Check Your Understanding, NCERT Kaveri page 6):
Cause Effect
The narrator went to a wedding for a week. ______________________
How to answer: Start with the key word from the question. Support your answer with specific details from the story. Write in complete sentences.
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Answer (completed table):
Cause Effect
The narrator went to a wedding for a week. The grandmother could not read the new episode of Kashi Yatre that came while the narrator was away.She felt helpless, dependent, and embarrassed.This eventually led her to decide that she wanted to learn to read.

Kashi Yatre wali budhiya ne apni savings ek garib ladki ki shaadi mein de di — apna lifelong Kashi jaane ka sapna chod diya. Yeh selflessness aur compassion dikhata hai. Short mein: desire sacrifice ki real purity se zyada important hai.

Board Pattern Questions Mapped to Exam Format
Fill in the Blank (Bracket Choice) 1 mark - 1 sentence only
Avva came and sat next to the narrator, her __________ (affectionate / cold) hands touching her forehead.
How to answer: Start with the key word from the question. Support your answer with specific details from the story. Write in complete sentences.
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affectionate Why: The extract uses "affectionate hands" to show Avva's loving, caring touch. A gesture of warmth before sharing something deeply personal.

Answer 'affectionate' hai — story mein exactly 'affectionate hands' likha hai. Cold opposite hota — yeh loving, warm gesture tha. Exam mein hamesha extract ke exact word use karo.

MCQ. Character's Feeling (1 mark)
Which of the following best describes how the narrator felt when she saw Avva in tears?
(A) angry and impatient
(B) surprised and worried
(C) happy and excited
(D) confused but unconcerned
How to answer: Start with the key word from the question. Support your answer with specific details from the story. Write in complete sentences.
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Answer: (B) - The narrator says "I was surprised" because she had never seen Avva cry before.
She was "worried" because she did not know the reason.
Both these feelings appear clearly in the extract.

Answer (B) hai. Story mein dono words hain — 'I was surprised' aur 'I was worried'. Dono accurately represent karte hain. (A), (C), (D) bilkul story se match nahi karte.

Short Answer. Setting and Atmosphere (1 mark)
Which lines from the extract establish a tender atmosphere? Why are they effective?
How to answer: Start with the key word from the question. Support your answer with specific details from the story. Write in complete sentences.
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The lines “Avva came and sat next to me.
Her affectionate hands touched my forehead” create a tender atmosphere. A gentle physical gesture of love communicates warmth and trust more powerfully than words.
Explanation: Name the exact lines (quote them), then explain WHY they create tenderness. Both steps needed.

Answer 'affectionate' hai — story mein exactly 'affectionate hands' likha hai. Cold opposite hota — yeh loving, warm gesture tha. Exam mein hamesha extract ke exact word use karo.

Short Answer. Analyse (2 marks)
Comment on the portrayal of Avva in the extract where she is first seen in tears.
How to answer: Start with the key word from the question. Support your answer with specific details from the story. Write in complete sentences.
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Avva is portrayed as a strong woman quietly breaking down for the first time.
The narrator’s remark that she “had never seen her cry even in the most difficult situations” makes the tears striking. She was vulnerable yet dignified.
Explanation: COM questions need: what is shown + how it is shown. The word "portrayed" means focus on how the writer presents her, not just what happened.

Comment = kaise likha + kya dikhaya. Avva hamesha strong thi — 'never seen her cry even in difficult situations' — toh yeh tears shocking thi. Woh vulnerable thi phir bhi dignified. COM question mein yahi format use karo.

Short Answer. Justify (1 mark)
Justify the following statement: "The grandmother was not someone who broke down easily."
How to answer: Start with the key word from the question. Support your answer with specific details from the story. Write in complete sentences.
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The narrator had “never seen her cry even in difficult situations”. Proving Avva was always resilient, so her tears were alarming.

Justify karne ke liye exact quote do: 'I had never seen her cry even in difficult situations.' Yeh prove karta hai ki Avva resilient thi — uske aansu unusual the.

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