Part II · Act II: Dinner-table Conflict 2.1 Shruti Finally Speaks

Last updated at July 14, 2026 by

NCERT Questions (from the Textbook)
Predicting the Father's Reaction

(From "Check Your Understanding") See full Check Your Understanding section

Predicting the Father's Reaction
III. What might be Shruti’s father’s reaction? Why?
How to answer: Base the prediction on Shruti’s description of Nabin in Act I.
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Shruti’s father might react angrily or refuse permission because he is strict about music and believes that classical Hindustani music is the only kind of music an artist of worth should play. Since the concert is Indo-Western fusion, Shruti expects him to disapprove.

Practice Board Pattern Questions Mapped to Exam Format

Extract from the Play

“Shruti, staring at the dosa is not going to make it disappear... Yes, actually I … er … was finding the right words to say something to you … to you papa. But please promise to not get too angry with me.”

Summary in Bullet Points

  • Act II shifts to Shruti’s home after dinner, where her hesitation becomes visible. stuck on the last bite = a stage detail showing anxiety without directly saying “she is afraid”.

    Scene change — ab ghar pe hain, dinner ho raha hai. Shruti hichkichaa rahi hai — bol nahi pa rahi. "Stuck on the last bite" ek tarah ka idiom hai ki kuch kehna ho lekin words nikalte nahi. Classic situation yaar.

  • Leela uses gentle humour to ease the tension before Shruti speaks. humour = softens the scene and contrasts with Nabin’s later strictness.

    Leela — Shruti ki maa — thodi comedy karti hai tension kam karne ke liye. Joke karti hai ki Shruti shayad yeh keh rahi hai ki wo papa se zyada accha khana banati hai! Yeh ek mom ka classic move hai — mood halka karo phir baat karo.

  • Shruti uses fillers and broken speech because she is searching for the right words. I... er... = non-lexical fillers that show nervousness and hesitation.

    "I... er..." — yeh filler words hote hain jab words nahi milte. Shruti soch rahi hai ki kaise bole. Hum sabne yeh kiya hai yaar — koi bhari baat kehni ho toh zabaan rukhti hai, words aate nahi easily.

Hinglish explanation: Act II ghar ke dinner table par shift hota hai. Shruti last bite par stuck hai, matlab woh physically table par hai par mentally tension mein hai. Leela humour use karke situation light karne ki koshish karti hai. Shruti ke broken words dikhate hain ki uske liye father se fusion concert ki baat karna bahut difficult hai.

Fill in the Blank. 1 mark
Shruti is seemingly lost in __________ at dinner. (thoughts / sleep)
How to answer: Use the stage direction at the start of Act II.
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thoughts.

Thoughts — dimag kahin aur tha. Sleep karna toh bilkul alag hai, yaar. "Lost in thoughts" clear expression hai jo play mein use hua hai.

Leela jokes that Shruti may be finding the right words to say she makes better __________ than Nabin. (dosa / tea)
How to answer: Use Leela’s humorous line.
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dosa.

Nabin — yahi Leela ka joke tha. Woh bol rahi thi ki Shruti shayad soch rahi hai ki maa se better khana banati hai. Funny aur loving ek saath — classic mom move.

MCQ. Dramatic Detail (1 mark)
What does Shruti’s unfinished speech “I … er …” mainly show?
How to answer: Connect the filler to Shruti’s emotional state.
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A. She has forgotten the concert.
B. She is nervous and searching for words.
C. She is mocking her parents.
D. She is sleepy after dinner.
It mainly shows Shruti’s nervousness and difficulty in speaking openly to her father.

"I... er..." = filler words, non-lexical fillers. Shruti words dhundh rahi thi — andar se nervous thi. Yeh show karta hai emotional state. Tension tha, words nahi aa rahe the.

Short Answer. Stagecraft (2 marks)
How does the dinner setting make the conflict more personal?
How to answer: Mention family space and contrast it with Iqbal’s rehearsal room.
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The dinner setting makes the conflict more personal because Shruti must face her father inside the family home, not among supportive friends. The ordinary meal turns into a serious confrontation about trust, tradition and artistic freedom.

Dinner table family ka sabse personal jagah hai — sab saath baithe hain. Yahan conflict aana zyada emotional ban jaata hai. Office ya school mein nahi — ghar mein, khane ke waqt. Personal space mein conflict = zyada impact.

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