Part II · After the Wedding 2.1 The Narrator Comforts Avva

Last updated at July 13, 2026 by

Extract from the Story

"I could not understand why my sixty-two-year-old grandmother was telling me, a twelve-year-old, the story of her life in the middle of the night.
But I knew I loved her immensely and there had to be some reason why she was talking to me.
I looked at her face.
It was unhappy and her eyes were filled with tears.
She was a good-looking lady who was usually always smiling.
Even today, I cannot forget the worried expression on her face.
I leaned forward and held her hand.
'Avva, don't cry. What is the matter? Can I help you in any way?'"

Summary in Bullet Points

  • The narrator could not understand why her sixty-two-year-old Avva was telling her life story in the middle of the night.
  • But she loved Avva immensely and knew there had to be some reason.
  • Avva's face was unhappy and her eyes were filled with tears .
  • Avva was a good-looking lady who was usually always smiling ; the narrator never forgot that worried expression.
  • The narrator leaned forward, held her hand and said: "Avva, don't cry. Can I help you in any way?"
NCERT Questions (from the Textbook)
Cause and Effect Table. Points 5 & 6

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

Cause and Effect Table. Points 5 & 6
Complete the cause-and-effect table (Check Your Understanding, NCERT Kaveri page 6):
Cause Effect
______________________ The grandmother never went to school.
The grandmother regretted not going to school. ______________________
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
In those days, people did not consider education essential for girls.Avva also lost her mother at a young age, her father was busy, and she was married off very early.All of these reasons together left no room for her to attend school. The grandmother never went to school.
The grandmother regretted not going to school. She made sure that her children and grandchildren studied well.Though she herself could not study, she did not want her family to suffer the same regret.She strongly encouraged the education of the next generations.

Village mein shaadi multi-day celebration hoti thi — poora community saath rehta tha. Bacche freely ghoomte the. Yeh community-centred life dikhata hai, aaj ki city life se bilkul alag. Effect teen points mein: (1) Kashi Yatre ki nayi episode aayi par Avva padh nahi saki; (2) helpless aur embarrassed feel kiya; (3) isne usse padhna seekhne ka decision lene pe majboor kiya.

Board Pattern Questions Mapped to Exam Format
Fill in the Blank (Bracket Choice) 1 mark - 1 sentence only
Avva regretted not going to school, so she made sure her children and grandchildren studied __________ (well / abroad).
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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well studied well = worked hard at their education and achieved good results Why: The extract says "I made sure that my children and grandchildren studied well". She channelled her own regret into ensuring the next generation got the education she missed.

Effect: usne apne bacchon aur pote-potiyon ko achhe se padhai karwai. Apna regret next generation tak nahi pahunchne diya — yahi uski strength hai.

MCQ. Inference (1 mark)
The statement "In those days people never considered education essential for girls" tells us that:
(A) All girls chose not to go to school themselves
(B) Society as a whole did not value education for girls
(C) Only poor families denied education to girls
(D) Girls were allowed to study only at home
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 word "considered" shows it was a social attitude. A collective belief. Not individual choice.
Girls' education was dismissed as unnecessary, which is why Avva never went to school despite being intelligent.

Village mein shaadi multi-day celebration hoti thi — poora community saath rehta tha. Bacche freely ghoomte the. Yeh community-centred life dikhata hai, aaj ki city life se bilkul alag.

Short Answer. Elaborate (2 marks)
According to Avva, life denied her education. Yet how did she show that she valued it deeply? Elaborate.
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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Though never schooled herself, Avva channelled her regret into action. She made sure every child and grandchild studied well, turning personal loss into a gift for others and proving how deeply she valued education.

Avva khud ko novel ki protagonist se relate karti thi — dono elderly women thi aur dono kabhi Kashi nahi gayi thi. Yeh personal connection tha, entertainment nahi.

Short Answer (3 marks) - 40–50 words
What does Avva's life story tell us about the position of women in her time? Bring out both the hardship and the quiet strength she shows.
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’s story shows women of her generation faced layered disadvantage. She lost her mother young and society denied girls education. Yet she was not broken: she converted regret into purpose, ensuring every family member studied well. This shows quiet strength alongside hardship.
Explanation: Q8 needs BOTH the hardship AND the strength. Name at least 2 specific hardships, then show 1 clear act of strength.

Is question ka jawab story se directly connect hota hai. Short aur clear likho — 2-3 sentences kaafi hain. Exact text ke words use karo.

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