In a small Mumbai apartment, where the evening diya flickered, Mushak the mouse sat by the window and listened.
Outside, a train rumbled past. Dhadak. Dhadak. Dhadak.
"Bappa," whispered Mushak. "I want to ride the Mumbai local."
Bappa looked up, his elephant eyes bright with an idea. "Then we will go. But we must be very quiet."
Bappa wrapped an old grey shawl around his shoulders, and they slipped out. Past the sleeping stove. Past the row of steel tins. Past the calendar curling at its corner on the wall.
Down the stairs. Past the watchman's chair. Into the cool night air.
The station was full of soft sounds. A tea seller called out. A mother hummed to her baby. A young man read a book under the yellow light.
The train arrived with a rattling hiss.
Mushak tucked himself into the fold of Bappa's shawl. "What if I get lost?"
"You will not," said Bappa. "I am right here."
They sat by the window. Mumbai rolled past — the lights, the hawkers, the sleeping dogs, the sea.
Mushak's whiskers twitched with wonder.
"Bappa," he whispered. "Everything is so big."
"Yes," said Bappa. "And you are part of it. Every little thing in this city matters."
Mushak closed his eyes. The train hummed its quiet song — dhadak, dhadak, dhadak.
And the Mumbai local carried them home.
Good night, little Mushak. Good night, Mumbai.
Section 1: True or False
Read each sentence. Write T for True or F for False.
a) Mushak wanted to ride the Mumbai local. ______
b) Bappa said they should be loud and sing on the way out. ______
c) The train arrived with a rattling hiss. ______
d) Mushak sat in Bappa's pocket on the train. ______
Section 2: Word Match
Draw a line from each word to its meaning.
Words:
Rumbled
Hawkers
Twitched
Dhadak
Meanings:
The sound of a train's wheels
Made a low, rolling sound
People who sell goods on the street
Moved in a small, quick way
Section 3: Fill in the Blank
Use the word bank to complete each sentence.
Word bank: rumbled · hawkers · twitched · shawl
a) The train _____________ past the apartment window.
b) The _____________ called out near the station.
c) Mushak's whiskers _____________ with wonder.
d) Bappa wrapped an old grey _____________ around his shoulders.
Section 4: Draw and Share
Draw Mushak looking out of the train window at the city lights.
What do you think he is thinking as Mumbai rolls past?
(Draw in the space below.)
My drawing shows: ______________________________
Section 5: Talk About It (For Parents)
Ask your child these questions after reading. There are no right answers.
Have you ever been on a train? What did you see?
Mushak felt small in the big city. Have you ever felt small?
What did Bappa say to make Mushak feel better?
What sound did the train make?
Section 6: Word Treasure
New words from today's story. Say them out loud.
Rumbled — say it like: RUM-buld Made a low, rolling, continuous sound.
Hawkers — say it like: HAW-kurz People who sell small goods on the street or at stations.
Twitched — say it like: TWITCHT Moved suddenly in a small, quick way.
Dhadak — say it like: DHUH-duk The sound of a train's wheels on the track.
Diya — say it like: DEE-yah A small clay lamp lit in Indian homes in the evening.
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