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Read the story carefully, then answer the questions below.
At 4:10 every afternoon, the kitchen belonged to Mala.
A narrow square of sunlight came through the kitchen window above the sink. It lay on the tiles for twenty minutes, then slid away behind the neighbour's wall.
For eleven years, 4:10 had been the hour of the school bus. Mala would hear the brakes at the corner, then a bag hitting the floor.
"Ma, I'm hungry."
That was all Arnab ever said. It was the best sentence of her day.
Now he was nineteen, studying law in Pune, and the lane stayed empty at 4:10. But Mala still stood in the light, holding a cup of tea until it went cold.
On the sill, in old Horlicks tins, grew mint, two green chillies and one marigold that had not yet opened.
Arnab had come home on Tuesday for the Puja holidays. He slept till noon and lived on his phone. Mala did not mind. She fried luchis, and he ate them without looking up.
On Friday, at 4:10, he wandered in for water. He stopped at the door.
His mother stood at the window with her head tilted toward the lane, as if listening for brakes.
"Ma? What are you doing?"
"Nothing," said Mala, too quickly.
He looked at the cold tea. At the tins. At the lane, where no bus came any more.
He took the cup from her hands, poured it out, and made fresh tea in the old dented pan. Too much sugar.
When he came back, he set his phone face down on the counter, the way he used to drop his school bag.
"Ma," he said. "I'm hungry."
Mala did not turn at once. She looked at the lane first, at the corner where the bus used to stop.
Then she laughed, wiped her eyes with the end of her saree, and pointed at the sill. "The marigold opened this morning."
"Nobody told me."
"You were asleep."
They stood together and looked at it, small and a little crooked. Neither of them moved until the last of the light slid off the tiles.
Scripture/Source: Inspired by Maa Kushmanda, the fourth Navadurga form, whose name tradition links to a cosmic egg and the creation of the universe with a warm smile. She is described in the Devi Kavacha, part of the Markandeya Purana tradition. Durga Puja pandals in Kolkata are built in the days before Shashthi.
This is an original modern story inspired by that tradition, not a retelling of scripture.
Write T for True and F for False.
| No. | Statement | T/F |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | At 4:10 every afternoon, the kitchen belonged to Arnab. | |
| 2. | The narrow square of sunlight stayed on the tiles for twenty minutes. | |
| 3. | For eleven years, 4:10 was the hour of the school bus. | |
| 4. | Arnab is studying engineering in Pune. | |
| 5. | Mala held her tea until it went cold. | |
| 6. | On the windowsill grew mint, two green chillies, and a marigold. | |
| 7. | Arnab poured out the cold tea and made fresh tea. | |
| 8. | The marigold had not opened yet when they looked at it together. |
Complete the sentences with the correct word or phrase.
At ________ every afternoon, the kitchen belonged to Mala.
The sunlight lay on the tiles for ________ minutes, then slid away behind the neighbour's wall.
"Ma, I'm ________." That was all Arnab ever said.
Arnab is now ________ years old.
Arnab studies law in ________.
On the sill, in old ________ tins, grew mint, two green chillies and one marigold.
Arnab made fresh tea in the old ________ pan.
Mala wiped her eyes with the end of her ________.
Match Column A with Column B. Write the correct letter in the bracket.
| Column A | Column B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. 4:10 PM | ( ) | a. Where Arnab studies |
| 2. Eleven years | ( ) | b. Mala's private hour |
| 3. Pune | ( ) | c. What grew on the windowsill |
| 4. Marigold | ( ) | d. What Arnab set face down |
| 5. Phone | ( ) | e. The hour of the school bus |
| 6. Dented pan | ( ) | f. Used to make fresh tea |
Write who said these words β Mala or Arnab.
| No. | Dialogue | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ma, I'm hungry." | |
| 2. | "Nothing." | |
| 3. | "Ma? What are you doing?" | |
| 4. | "The marigold opened this morning." | |
| 5. | "Nobody told me." | |
| 6. | "You were asleep." |
Circle the right option.
How old is Mala?
a) 40
b) 44
c) 46
What was the best sentence of Mala's day?
a) "Ma, I'm hungry."
b) "Ma, how was your day?"
c) "Ma, I'm leaving."
What did Arnab do with Mala's cold tea?
a) Drank it
b) Poured it out
c) Left it on the counter
What did Arnab set face down on the counter?
a) His bag
b) His phone
c) His glass
What did Mala point at on the sill?
a) The mint
b) The chillies
c) The marigold
How did the marigold look?
a) Big and bright
b) Small and a little crooked
c) Wilted and dry
Answer in one or two sentences.
What happened at 4:10 every afternoon for eleven years?
Why is the lane empty at 4:10 now?
What did Arnab do when he saw his mother's cold tea?
Why did Mala look over her shoulder when Arnab asked about her day?
What did Mala and Arnab look at together at the end?
Number these events in the correct order (1 to 6).
| Event | Order |
|---|---|
| Arnab made fresh tea in the dented pan. | |
| Mala stood at the window holding cold tea. | |
| They looked at the marigold together. | |
| Arnab came home for the Puja holidays. | |
| Arnab said, "Ma, I'm hungry." | |
| Arnab asked, "Ma? What are you doing?" |
Answer in 3β4 sentences.
Why do you think Arnab set his phone face down on the counter?
What does the marigold symbolize in the story?
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