Expert Detectives

Introduction
This story is about two children – Maya, who is a ten-year-old girl and Nishad, a boy of
seven, whose nickname is also Seven because his name has been derived from the seventh
note of the musical scale. They know a man whose name is Mr. Nath, who is a secretive
person. Maya thinks that he is a crook and is willing to do anything to get the truth. One day,
the children’s marble rolls into Mr. Nath’s room and Nishad gets a chance to see him and
get all his questions answered.

Summary
The story starts from the point when siblings Maya and Nishad return to the clinic. Before
that, Nishad had met Mr. Nath to get his marble back. Nishad told Maya that Mr. Nath didn’t
look like a crook. He also added that he looked thin and wondered if he didn’t have money
to buy food. Maya rejected this possibility because she thought that Mr. Nath stashed a lot
of money in his room. Nishad was still doubtful because he felt like Mr. Nath didn’t like a
crook. Maya was certain that Mr. Nath was a criminal and told Nishad that he was not
starving because he had Ramesh to bring the food to him from the restaurant. But then
Nishad said that Mr. Mehta had told them before that Mr. Nath didn’t work anywhere so it
was impossible for him to arrange food for himself. Maya exclaimed that that was the exact
point she was trying to prove. She said that the reason why Mr. Nath was able to buy food
was because he had hidden lots of money either in his room or in a trunk. However, Nishad
found this theory rubbish. But Maya stayed adamant. She then asked Nishad if he had seen
the scars on Mr. Nath’s face. It was too dark for her to see them. She added that Mr. Nath
must have got the scars during a shootout with the police. Nishad retorted that their mother
had clearly told them that those scars were burn marks. Maya suggested that the police
might have put Mr.Nath’s house on fire to force him into surrendering. Nishad however still
looked unconvinced. The next Monday, Seven went to the clinic with his mother while Maya
was spending time with her schoolmate. When they returned back home, Nishad told his
sister that he had met Mr. Nath again and his sister felt mad for not being there with him.
Seven had knocked at his door and had given Mr. Nath a chocolate bar. Apparently, he had
felt bad for Mr. Nath’s thin and weak appearance and was sure that he was suffering from
starvation. When he told his sister this, she asked if he had a chance to peek at the trunk in
his room. Nishad was disappointed. He told his sister that he hadn’t even got invited inside
his room so unfortunately, he couldn’t get a chance to peek at the trunk. But then Seven
smiled and told his sister that he got a chance to talk to Ramesh by going down into the
restaurant where he worked. His sister patted and praised him for his detective skills. She
then hoped that Nishad had questioned Ramesh properly. Seven, looking pleased told Maya
everything he had learned. Ramesh told him that he took two meals for Mr. Nath every
morning and evening, and two cups of tea, one in the morning and the other one in the
afternoon. Mr. Nath, according to Ramesh, was not picky. He would have two chapattis,
some dal and a vegetable and it was the same everyday. Mr. Nath also paid cash and tipped
generously. Seven then added that Ramesh had told him something very strange. Almost
every Sunday, Ramesh took two lunches to Mr. Nath’s room, one for Mr. Nath himself and
for the visitor, who was tall, fair, stout and spectacled in appearance. Ramesh also said that
the visitor was very talkative unlike Mr. Nath who was mostly silent. Maya congratulated
Nishad and said that they would have to sort out all the facts like expert detectives in order
to capture the crook. Nishad sighed and said that he couldn’t believe that his sister was
calling such an ordinary-looking person a crook. Maya called him a smarty, saying that
crooks could look quite ordinary as well. However, Nishad was still doubtful. Next day, even
though it was supposed to be a school day, the rainy weather, thunder and flooded streets
made it an unexpected holiday. Maya had decided to make that day useful by collecting all
the facts and writing them on a piece of paper. After she was finished she asked Nishad to
listen to what she had written. Nishad agreed and she began with the first fact which was
that their suspect’s alias was Mr. Nath and they needed to find his real name. Seven felt like
Mr. Nath was the suspect’s real name but Maya explained that most crooks have a fake
name and so did their suspect. The second fact was that the tenants at the Shankar House
said that their suspect was mad, strange and unfriendly. The third one was that he didn’t
talk to anyone and was mannerless. Seven didn’t agree with this one, because he did talk to
Seven and their mother said that he was quite polite. However, Maya told him that he talked
to us only because he had to and also that, since he was under their mother’s treatment, he
had to be polite. The fourth fact was that he didn’t receive any letters. The fifth one was that
he had been living in Room 10 of Shankar House for more than a year. The sixth one was
that he didn’t work and sat in his room all day. Fact number seven was that the kids and the
grown-ups living in the Shankar House were afraid of him. The eighth one was that he had
no visitors except the tall, fair, stout, spectacled man who used to visit him almost every
Sunday. Number nine was that, he didn’t go down to the restaurant to eat the food, and also
he didn’t care about what he ate, paid the bill immediately and tipped well. Her list had
ended, but then she saw that her brother wasn’t paying attention to her at all and kept on
calling Mr. Nath a poor and lonely man. Maya got angry and almost shouted at him. She
asked how a crook could possibly have friends and not be lonely. Nishad again paid no
attention to her and said that it was fortunate that at least there was that tall, fair, stout,
spectacled man who was his visitor. After listening to this, a brilliant thought occurred in
Maya’s mind. She thought that the visitor was an accomplice of their suspect for sure. She
thought that maybe the accomplice kept all the loot and gave it to Mr. Nath when he would
visit him. Nishad grew angry and told Maya that if she would keep on insisting that Mr. Nath
was a criminal, then he would never discuss anything with her. He added that he couldn’t be
such a bad man if he gave Ramesh such generous tips. Maya then got another brilliant idea.
She told Nishad that it must be because Ramesh knew something about Mr. Nath, which
could reveal his truth and so, he was bribing him. Nishad glared at his sister with his arms
tightly crossed across his chest. Maya was beginning to get fed up with him. She asked how
they could keep up with their investigations if he continued with such an attitude. He
answered that he would cooperate only if she would give up the idea of Mr. Nath being a
crook. He added that she made him really mad. His sister retorted, saying that it was him
who made her mad. She asked him what the point of doing of all the inquiries was when he
never felt that he was an escaped crook. Her brother answered that he wanted to know why
he was thin and lonely.

Maya tried to make him understand by telling him that if he had live at the Shankar House
for a year and hadn’t made a single friend, something was obviously wrong. Maybe he was
afraid that someone would recognise him and give him to the cops. Nishad added the
possibility that maybe no one tried to be friends with him. Maya asked why anyone would
bother. Mr. Nath was a nasty bear, even Nishad had seen that. However, he was stubborn.
He said that he didn’t care and would like to be his friend as he liked him. Maya laughed at
this idea. She said that he would be put in jail with Mr. Nath when he would get caught by
the cops. She then asked if he would like that. Nishad paid no heed to her. Clearly, Maya’s
theories had made no impression on her brother.

Explanation
I
As we walked back towards the clinic Seven said, “He doesn’t look anything like a monster,
Maya. But did you see how thin he is? Maybe he’s very poor and can’t afford to eat.”
afford: have enough money to do something
Seven: nickname for Nishad because Nishad is the seventh note on the musical scale)
As Maya and Nishad walked back towards the clinic, Seven (nickname of Nishad) said that Mr.
Nath didn’t look like a monster like Maya had said. He also asked his sister if she had seen how
thin he was. He added that maybe he was very poor and didn’t have enough money to buy
sufficient food to eat.

“He can’t be poor if he’s a crook on the run,” I told him. “He’s probably got millions of rupees
stashed away somewhere in that room.”
“Do you really think he’s a criminal, Maya? He doesn’t look like one,” Nishad looked doubtful.
crook: criminal (informal)
stashed away: hidden away
doubtful: suspicious, disbelieving
Maya said that Mr. Nath couldn’t be poor if he was a crook on the run because he would have
money with him. Then, she added that maybe he had a million rupees hidden away somewhere in
the room. However, Nishad was doubtful and asked if she really thought that Mr. Nath, who
looked too normal to be a crook, was a criminal.
“Of course he’s one, Seven,” I said, “and he certainly isn’t starving. Mr Mehta told us that
Ramesh brings his meals up from the restaurant downstairs.”
“But Maya, Mr Mehta told us he doesn’t work anywhere, so how can he possibly have money
to pay for food?” Nishad said.
Maya answered that he was a crook and he wasn’t starving because he had Ramesh to bring food
to him from the restaurant downstairs.
Nishad then said that it was impossible for Mr. Nath to have money because Mr. Mehta had told
them that Mr. Nath didn’t work anywhere.
“Exactly!” I exclaimed. “He must have lots of money hidden somewhere, maybe in that trunk
in his room. It’s probably full of silver and gold and jewels and…”
“What rubbish,” Nishad interrupted
“I know I’m right, stupid,” I told him. “By the way, Seven, did you see his scars? I couldn’t, it
was too dark, but I bet he got them during a shootout with the police or something.”
rubbish: nonsense
shootout: a fight in which guns are used to take down the enemy
Maya exclaimed that that was the point which proved that her theory was correct. She said that
he, Mr. Nath must have lots of money hidden somewhere and it was most probably in the trunk
placed in his room. She added that it was probably full of fancy things like silver, gold and jewels.
Nishad interrupted and said that her theory was rubbish.
Maya called him stupid and retorted that she knew that she was right. Then, she asked him if he
had seen his scars. She told him that she couldn’t see them as it was too dark. She added
confidently that he had got the scars during a shootout with the police.
“Mummy told us quite clearly they were burn scars,” Nishad said firmly.
“Perhaps the police had to set his house on fire to force him out,” I suggested. Seven looked
unsure.
firmly: strictly, confidently
unsure: doubtful
Nishad told Maya firmly that their mother told them quite clearly that they were burn scars.
Maya said that perhaps the police had to set Mr. Nath’s house on fire to force him out and that
was how he got the scars. However, Seven looked unsure.
On the Monday following Mamma’s birthday, Seven went alone with her to the clinic at
Girgaum as I was spending the evening with a schoolfriend. When they returned, Nishad
told me he’d been to see Mr Nath and I felt most annoyed that I hadn’t been there.
following: coming after
Next Monday was their mother’s birthday. She had to work at the clinic and so Nishad went with
her to Girgaum where the clinic was located. Maya, on the other hand, was spending the evening
with a friend from school. When they both returned home, Nishad told Maya that he had also
gone to see Mr. Nath and Maya, upon hearing that, felt most annoyed that she hadn’t been there
with him.
Seven had been quite upset about Mr Nath’s gaunt appearance and was sure that he was
starving. He told me that he had knocked loudly on Mr Nath’s door that evening and said,
“Open the door quickly, Mr Nath.”
gaunt: sickly
Seven had been thinking about Mr. Nath’s sickly appearance. His appearance was very upsetting
for Nishad. Seven wanted to do something for him. He told Maya that he had knocked at his door
that evening and told Mr. Nath to open the door quickly.
The man had opened it and asked him, “Lost another marble?”
He had obviously recognised my brother.
“No,” said Nishad. He had taken the man’s hand in his own, and thrust a bar of chocolate
into it.
“Did you get a chance to peek into the trunk, Seven?” I asked.
thrust: shoved, pushed violently and in a specific direction
peek: look quickly and secretively
Mr. Nath opened the door and asked Nishad if he had lost another marble.
Because of Mr. Nath’s response, Maya got to know that Mr. Nath had recognised her brother,
Nishad.
Nishad answered in negative and without any further ado, he took the man’s hand into his own
and shoved a chocolate bar into it.
Maya asked him if he had a chance to peek into the trunk.
Nishad looked disappointed. “He didn’t even ask me in,” he said. Then he smiled. “But I did
find out something, Maya. I went down to the restaurant where Ramesh works and talked to
him.”
“Good for you, Mr Detective,” I said, patting him on the back, “I hope you questioned him
properly.”
patting: touching quickly and gently
Nishad was disappointed that she was interested only in finding out whether he was a crook or
not. He felt like he should have been appreciated for his kind deed. Also, he felt like what he had
done, had not grabbed his sister’s attention. Moreover, he knew that the fact that Mr. Nath hadn’t
invited him inside his room would have made his sister annoyed. But then he smiled because he
was about to tell her something which would have made her proud of him. He told her that he
had found out something for her. He had gone down to the restaurant where Ramesh worked
and had talked to him.
Maya was certainly proud of him. She praised and patted him on the back. She even called him
‘Mr. Detective’. Then she said that she hoped that he had questioned Ramesh properly.”
Seven looked pleased. “Ramesh told me that he takes two meals for Mr Nath every morning
and evening, and two cups of tea, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Ramesh
says he’s not very particular about what he eats, it’s always the same food — two chapattis,
some dal and a vegetable. Mr Nath pays cash and tips well.
pleased: delighted
particular: specific, picky
tips well: gives a generous tip (money in thanks for services)
Seven was pleased that his hard work made his sister proud. Then, he began telling her everything
he had learnt from Ramesh. He said that Ramesh had told him that he took two meals for Mr.
Nath every morning and evening, and two cups of tea, one in the morning and one in the
afternoon. Ramesh told him that Mr. Nath wasn’t picky about what he ate. It was always the same
food – two chapattis, some dal and a vegetable. He also told them that Mr. Nath paid cash and
tipped well.
“Ramesh told me something very strange, Maya,” Seven added. “Almost every Sunday, he
carries two lunches to Mr Nath’s room and the same man is with him each time. He’s tall,
fair, stout and wears spectacles. Ramesh says his visitor talks a lot, unlike Mr Nath who
hardly speaks.”
stout: fat, plumpy, chubby
Nishad added more information. He said that Ramesh had told him something very strange.
Almost every Sunday, he carried two lunches to Mr. Nath’s room. One is for Mr. Nath himself and
the other one for the visitor. The visitor was tall, fair, stout and wore spectacles. Ramesh told him
that the visitor was very talkative which was completely opposite to Mr. Nath’s behaviour, who
hardly ever spoke.
“Well done, Nishad,” I told him. “Now that we’ve made some progress with our inquiries,
we’ll have to sort out all the facts like expert detectives so that we can trap the crook.”
“How you do go on, Maya,” Seven sighed. “How can you possibly imagine he’s a crook? He
looks so ordinary!”
sort out: arrange systematically
ordinary: normal
Maya praised her brother for his hard work. Then she told him that now they had made some
progress with their inquiries, they would have to arrange all the facts systematically like experts
so that they could catch the crook in a trap.
Seven sighed and asked wonderingly how she could possibly go on and still imagine that he was a
crook. He added that Mr. Nath looked too normal to be a crook.
“Criminals can look quite ordinary, smarty,” I retorted. “Did you see the picture of the
Hyderabadi housebreaker in the papers yesterday? He looked like any man on the street.”
Nishad looked doubtful.
Maya retorted that criminals could look quite ordinary. Then, she took the example of the picture
of the Hyderabadi housebreaker which was in the papers the previous day. She told him that even
though that man was ordinary-looking, he was a crook. However, Nishad was still doubtful.
The monsoons broke the next day. Dark clouds accompanied by blinding flashes of lightning
and roaring rolls of thunder burst with all their fury, flooding the streets with a heavy
downpour. School was to have reopened after the summer holidays, but no traffic could
move through the flooded roads and there was an unexpected holiday.
accompanied: came together
blinding: so bright that it was blocking the vision
fury: rage
Next day, there was a heavy downpour. Dark clouds came together with the blinding flashes of
lightning and roaring rolls of thunder which were bursting with all their fury. The streets were
getting flooded. It was supposed to be a school day. However, no traffic could move through the
flooded roads, which resulted in an unexpected holiday.

I thought I’d spend the time usefully. I sat at my desk in our bedroom with a sheet of paper
before me.
Since it was a holiday, she had decided to spend the day doing detective work. She sat at the desk
in their bedroom. A sheet of paper was in front of her, on the table.
II
I wrote in large block letters:
CATCHING A CROOK
Expert Detectives: Nishad and Maya Pandit
By Appointment to the Whole World
by appointment to: officially chosen (by someone important)
On the sheet of paper, she wrote ‘Catching a crook’ in large block letters. Then, she mentioned her
and her brother’s name as Expert Detectives and wrote that they were chosen by the whole world.
Then I began writing. About half an hour later, I turned towards Seven who was lying on his
tummy, chin cupped in his palms, reading comics. “Want to hear what I’ve written?” I asked.
He looked up questioningly. “I’ve listed all the facts we know about Mr Nath which might
help us to trap him,” I said. “Want to hear?”
After writing the heading and the sub-headings, she began writing the main content. It took her
half an hour to complete her work.When she was done, she turned towards Seven who had been
lying on his tummy, chin cupped in his palms, reading comics. She asked him if he wanted to hear
what she had written.
He looked up at her and the facial expression he had made it clear that he didn’t understand
what she was talking about and that he wanted her to repeat her question. She told him that she
had listed all the facts they knew about Mr. Nath which might help them to trap Mr. Nath. Then
she asked if he wanted to hear them.
Seven nodded.
“Fact Number1,” I read, “his name is Mr Nath. We must discover his first name.”
“Do you think that’s his real name, Maya?” Nishad asked.
discover: find
Seven nodded, meaning that he did want to hear the facts. She read the first fact from her page.
She read that their suspect’s name was Mr. Nath. Then, she said that they must find his real
name.
Nishad asked if in her opinion, that was his real name.
“Probably not,” I said. “Most crooks have an alias.” I added a big question mark after Nath.
“Fact Number 2,” I read on, “the tenants at Shankar House say he’s mad, strange and
unfriendly.
“Number 3, he doesn’t talk to anyone and is mannerless.”
alias: an alternate name
tenant: a person who occupies land or property rented from a landlord.
She answered that Mr. Nath was most likely not his real name. Then she added that most crooks
have an alternate name. She put a big question mark after the alias on the paper.
She read on. The second fact was that the tenants at Shankar House said that Mr. Nath was mad,
strange and unfriendly. Nishad didn’t comment.
The third fact was that he didn’t talk to anyone and was mannerless.
“But he did talk to us, Maya, and Mamma says he’s very polite,” Nishad interrupted.
“He only talked to us because he had to,” I said, “and since he was under Mamma’s medical
treatment, he had to be polite.
Nishad commented on the third fact. He said that he did talk to people and the proof is that he
had talked to them. He also said that he was very polite to them.
Maya explained that Mr. Nath talked to them only because he had to. Moreover, he was under
their mother’s medical treatment and so, he had to be polite to them.
“Fact number 4, he doesn’t receive any letters.”
Seven nodded.
“Number 5, he’s been living in Room 10 of Shankar House for more than a year,” I
continued.
The fourth fact was that Mr. Nath didn’t receive any letters.
Seven nodded as he had nothing to complain.
Maya continued and told him that the fifth fact was that Mr. Nath had been living in Room 10 of
the Shankar House for more than a year.
“Number 6, he doesn’t work and sits in his room all day.
“Number 7, the kids in Shankar House and even some of the grown-ups are scared of him.
“Number 8, he has no visitors except for a spectacled, fair, fat man who visits him on
Sundays for lunch.
“Number 9, food and tea are taken to his room by Ramesh from the restaurant downstairs.
He doesn’t care what he eats, pays his bill immediately and tips well. That ends my list. Have
I forgotten anything, Seven?”
The sixth fact was that Mr. Nath didn’t work and sat in his room all day.
The seventh fact was that the kids in the Shankar House and even some of the grown-ups were
scared of him.
The eighth fact was that Mr. Nath had no visitors except for the tall, fair, stout and spectacled
man who visited every Sunday for lunch.
Number nine was the last fact she had written. It stated that food and tea were taken to his room
by Ramesh from the restaurant downstairs. Mr. Nath didn’t care what he ate, paid his bill
immediately and tipped well. Then she told her brother that her list had ended. She asked him if
she had forgotten anything.
Nishad had obviously not been paying too much attention to my list of facts. All he could say
was, “Poor man, Maya, he must be so lonely if he doesn’t have any friends.”
“How can a crook have friends, idiot?” I almost shouted.
“At least he has one friend, the one who meets him on Sundays,” said Nishad.
When she asked Nishad her question, she saw that he was not paying too much attention to her
list of facts. She felt that his response was quite obvious. Nishad could say only one thing – that
Mr. Nath must be lonely if he didn’t have any friends.
Maya grew so angry that she almost shouted at him. She demanded how a crook could have
friends. She even called him an idiot. She was irritated because her brother was not at all getting
the point of her investigations.
Nishad then said that it was fortunate that at least Mr. Nath had one friend and that was the
person who visited him on Sundays.
A brilliant thought occurred to me just then. “That man must be Mr Nath’s accomplice in
crime,” I said. “Maybe he keeps all the loot and he comes now and then to give part of it to
his partner, Mr Nath, for expenses. That’s it! I’m sure I’m right.”

accomplice: a helper in crime

loot: stolen money
expenses: the cost incurred in or required for something.
Maya got a brilliant thought after listening to her brother. She told him that that visitor must have
been Mr. Nath’s partner in crime. She said that maybe he, the visitor, kept all the stolen money
and when he visited Mr.Nath, he would give a part of it to him for expenses. She exclaimed that
she was surely right.
“If you insist on calling him a criminal, I don’t think I want to discuss anything with you,
Maya,” said Nishad angrily. “He can’t be such a bad man if he gives Ramesh such generous
tips.”
Nishad told her angrily that if she kept on calling Mr. Nath a criminal, he would not want to
discuss anything with her, meaning that he would never talk to her ever again. He also said that
the fact that Mr. Nath tipped Ramesh well meant that he wasn’t a bad man.
“Ramesh probably knows something about his past, so Mr Nath must be bribing him to keep
quiet,” I said.
Nishad glared at me with his arms tightly crossed across his chest. I was beginning to get fed
up with him.
bribing: giving someone money in exchange of the person doing a favour
When Nishad threatened her, she said that the reason why Mr. Nath tipped Ramesh well could be
because Ramesh knew something about him which could reveal his truth and so, he was bribing
Ramesh so that he could keep quiet and not tell the truth to anyone.
Nishad was extremely angry at the accusation and glared at Maya with his arms tightly crossed
across his chest. As a result of this gesture, Maya began getting fed up.
“How can we make any progress with our investigations if you take that attitude, Seven?” I
asked.
“I’ll cooperate only if you give up this idea about him being an escaped crook,” said Seven.
“You really make me angry.”
Maya asked Nishad how they could make any progress with their investigations if he would have
that attitude.
Nishad answered that he would cooperate only if she would up the idea about Mr. Nath being an
escaped crook. He added that she really made him angry by calling Mr. Nath a crook.
I almost hit him. “I make you angry, you stupid oaf,” I shouted. “You make me mad! What is
the point of all these enquiries if he’s not a crook? If you think he’s a nobody, what’s the idea
of bothering about him, please tell me?”
oaf: someone who is clumsy or unintelligent, fool
Maya almost hit him after she heard his last comment. She shouted at him, saying that he made
her angry. She even called him a stupid oaf. She asked him the point of all those enquiries he had
done if he thought he was not a crook. She asked him why he was bothering about him by
questioning Ramesh and meeting Mr. Nath if he thought that he was a nobody.
Nishad looked thoughtful. “I’d like to find out why he’s so thin and why he’s so lonely. I want
to know why he doesn’t have any friends and lives alone.”
“Try to understand, Seven,” I told him, “if he’s lived in Shankar House for a year and hasn’t
made a single friend, there’s something wrong. He’s obviously scared that someone will
recognise him and give him up to the cops.”
Nishad looked thoughtful as he was thinking about the answer to his sister’s question. He told her
that he wanted to know why he was so thin and why he was so lonely. He also wanted to know
why he didn’t have any friends and lived all alone.
Maya tried her best to make him understand. She told him that if he had been living in the
Shankar House for a year and hadn’t made any friends, there was something fishy about him. She
said that he was obviously scared of making any friends because if someone would recognise
him, he would be given up to the cops.
“Maybe no one’s tried to make friends with him,” Nishad protested.
“Why should anyone bother? You’ve seen what a nasty bear he is,” I said.
“I don’t care,” said Nishad stubbornly, “I like him and I’m going to try and be his friend.”
protested: retorted
nasty: harsh, unfriendly
Nishad retorted that maybe the reason why Mr. Nath had no friends was because no one had
ever tried to be his friend.
Maya asked him why anyone would even bother being friends with him. Then, she added that Mr.
Nath was a nasty bear and Nishad himself had seen so.
However, Nishad was stubborn and said that he didn’t care if he actually was as bad as Maya
said. He liked him regardless of all the things Maya said about him and he added that he was
going to try and be Mr. Nath’s friend.

“Friends with a crook! Ha! You’re crazy, Seven,”I said. “The cops will take you to jail with him.
Do you want that to happen, you idiot?”
Nishad merely glared at me and quietly walked out of the room. My theories seemed to
have made no impression on him at all.
merely: just, only
impression: impact
She laughed at Seven’s wish to be friends with Mr. Nath who was a crook. She told him that he
was crazy. She also told him that if the cops would get to know that he was friends with a crook,
they would take him to jail with him. Then, she asked him if he wanted to go to jail. Due to anger
and frustration about not being able to make Nishad understand, she called him an idiot as well.
Nishad merely glared at her. He didn’t give a reply, and probably because he wanted to remain
firm on his word and not listen to his sister, he quietly walked out of the room. According to
Maya, her theories had zero impact on him.

Questions and Answers

Comprehension Check
Q1. What did Nishad give Mr Nath? Why?
Ans. Nishad had gone to his mother’s clinic at Girgaum, where the Shankar House was
located. There lived Mr. Nath, to whom he gave a bar of chocolate because when the kid
first saw him, he noticed how thin and weak he looked. Since then, he had been thinking
about how poor and starved the man was. Having a pure heart, he wanted to help him out
and so, he gave him chocolate so that he could get energy from it and look a bit healthier
than before.

Q2. What is “strange” about Mr Nath’s Sundays?

Ans. When Nishad interrogated Ramesh about Mr. Nath, he got to know about something
strange about Mr. Nath’s Sundays. Almost every Sunday, Ramesh would take two lunches
up to Mr. Nath’s room. That day, a tall, fair, stout and spectacled man would visit Mr. Nath.
So, one lunch was for Mr. Nath himself and the other for the visitor. Moreover, Ramesh
informed him that the visitor was quite talkative, unlike Mr. Nath, who hardly spoke at all.

Q3. Why did Nishad and Maya get a holiday?

Ans. The day when their school was to reopen, thundering weather rolled in and gave
blinding flashes of lightning. Soon, there was a heavy downpour which flooded the roads.
Due to this, the traffic could not move at all, meaning that Nishad and Maya would not be
able to reach the school. It was the same situation for the rest of the students as well.
Hence, that day turned into an unexpected holiday.

Working with the Text

Q1. What does Nishad find out about Mr Nath from Ramesh? Arrange the information
as suggested below.
• What he eats
• When he eats
• What he drinks, and when
• How he pays
Ans. Nishad found a lot of information related to Mr. Nath from Ramesh. He got to know
that Mr. Nath wasn’t very particular about what he wanted to eat. The food would be the
same as always – two chapattis, a vegetable and some dal. He would eat the food twice a
day – one in the morning and the other in the evening. Also, Mr. Nath would take two cups
of tea each day – one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Mr. Nath would pay his
bill immediately. He also tipped Ramesh well.

Q2. Why does Maya think Mr Nath is a crook? Who does she say the Sunday visitor is?
Ans. Maya thought that one of her mother’s patients, whose name was Mr. Nath, was a run-
away crook. She had suspected him because of his harsh and secretive behaviour, and also
because of the scars on his face, which she thought that he had got during a shoot-out with
the police. The more she got to know about the man, the more sure she kept on becoming
of her suspicion.
According to her, the Sunday visitor was none other than Mr. Nath’s accomplice in crime.

Q3. Does Nishad agree with Maya about Mr Nath? How does he feel about him?
Ans. No, Nishad does not agree with Maya about Mr. Nath. He feels that Mr. Nath is a poor
and starving man because of his gaunt appearance. Moreover, he feels that he is lonely not
because he is mannerless or rude but because no one has ever tried to become his friend.

Working with the Language

Q1. The word ‘tip’ has only three letters but many meanings. Match the word with its
meanings below.
(i) finger tips – be about to say something
(ii) the tip of your nose – make the boat overturn
(iii) tip the water out of the bucket – the ends of one’s fingers
(iv) have something on the tip of your tongue – give a rupee to him, to thank him
(v) tip the boat over – empty a bucket by tilting it
(vi) tip him a rupee – the pointed end of your nose
(vii) the tip of the bat – if you take this advice
(viii) the police were tipped off – the bat lightly touched tipped off the ball
(ix) if you take my tip – the end of the bat
(x) the bat tipped the ball – the police were told, or warned
Ans.
(i) finger tips – the ends of one’s fingers
(ii) the tip of your nose – the pointed end of your nose
(iii) tip the water out of the bucket – empty a bucket by tilting it
(iv) have something on the tip of your tongue – be about to say something
(v) tip the boat over – make the boat overturn
(vi) tip him a rupee – give a rupee to him, to thank him
(vii) the tip of the bat –the end of the bat
(viii) the police were tipped off – the police were told, or warned
(ix) if you take my tip – if you take this advice
(x) the bat tipped the ball – the bat lightly touched tipped off the ball

Q2. The words helper, companion, partner and accomplice have very similar
meanings, but each word is typically used in certain phrases. Can you fill in the blanks
below with the most commonly used words? A dictionary may help you.
(i) business __________
(ii) my _____________ on the journey
(iii) I’m mother’s little ____________ .
(iv) a faithful ___________ such as a dog
(v) the thief’s ______________
(vi) find a good ____________
(vii) tennis/ golf / bridge ___________
(viii) his __________ in his criminal activities
Ans. (i) business partner
(ii) my companion on the journey
(iii) I’m mother’s little helper
(iv) a faithful companion such as a dog
(v) the thief’s accomplice
(vi) find a good friend
(vii) tennis/ golf / bridge partner
(viii) his accomplice in his criminal activities

Q3. Now let us look at the uses of the word break. Match the word with its meanings
below. Try to find at least three other ways in which to use the word.
(i) The storm broke – could not speak; was too sad to speak
(ii) daybreak – this kind of weather ended
(iii) His voice is beginning to break – it began or burst into activity
(iv) Her voice broke and she cried – the beginning of daylight
(v) The heat wave broke – changing as he grows up
(vi) broke the bad news – end it by making the workers submit
(vii) break a strike – gently told someone the bad news
(viii) (Find your own expression. Give its meaning here.)
Ans.
(i) The storm broke – this kind of weather ended
(ii) daybreak – the beginning of daylight
(iii) His voice is beginning to break – changing as he grows up
(iv) Her voice broke and she cried – could not speak; was too sad to speak
(v) The heat wave broke – it began or burst into activity
(vi) broke the bad news – gently told someone the bad news
(vii) break a strike – end it by making the workers submit
(viii) the cup fell down and broke into pieces – something got destroyed
(ix) during lunch break – a time period for relaxation
(x) she is broke – someone doesn’t have money