You are here
Extract from the Story
Rakesh had grown taller too. He was eight now, a sturdy boy with curly black hair and deep black eyes. Blackberry eyes, Grandfather called them.
That monsoon Rakesh went home to his village, to help his father and mother with the planting and ploughing and sowing. He was thinner but stronger when he came back to Grandfather’s house at the end of the rains to find that the cherry tree had grown another foot. It was now up to his chest.
Even when there was rain, Rakesh would sometimes water the tree. He wanted it to know that he was there.
That monsoon Rakesh went home to his village, to help his father and mother with the planting and ploughing and sowing. He was thinner but stronger when he came back to Grandfather’s house at the end of the rains to find that the cherry tree had grown another foot. It was now up to his chest.
Even when there was rain, Rakesh would sometimes water the tree. He wanted it to know that he was there.
Summary in Bullet Points
- The story deliberately measures the boy and tree together. Rakesh is eight; the tree reaches his chest.
- Both grow through work and seasons. Rakesh helps his parents with farming while the tree continues developing in Mussoorie.
- Rakesh’s care becomes emotional. He sometimes waters the tree even in rain because “he wanted it to know that he was there.”
NCERT Questions (from the Textbook)
Let us Think and Reflect
Let us Think and Reflect
Complete by choosing the correct option: The comparison of Rakesh’s age to the cherry tree’s age symbolises ________.
How to answer:
Look at the repeated way the story compares the boy and tree.
View Answer
The comparison symbolises the tree’s growth paralleling Rakesh’s own development .
Board Pattern
Questions Mapped to Exam Format
Short Answer
2 marks
Why does Rakesh water the tree even when there is rain?
2 Marks
How to answer:
Give the key point and one relevant detail from this section.
View Answer
Answer: He wants the act of watering to show his presence and care. The action is emotional rather than merely necessary for the plant.
Longer Short Answer
3 marks
Explain the parallel growth of Rakesh and the cherry tree.
3 Marks
How to answer:
Explain the idea and connect it with the story’s development.
View Answer
Answer: As the tree grows from a seedling into a taller plant, Rakesh also becomes older and stronger. Their growth is repeatedly compared, making the tree part of Rakesh’s own journey through childhood.
