Parents
Dad! I'm going to meet my facebook friend."
"When?" I asked.
"Now."
"I'm coming with you."
"No, I'm going alone."
"Look, Anuja..."
"You are obsessed dad. Nothing is going to happen to me."
Anuja, my daughter is only 13. She spends most of her time on computer chatting with her friends and sending messages. She has many e-friends. A couple of days ago she told me about her new e-friend. She is 12 and Anuja is very fond of her. And now she is going to meet her. I warned her about bad people who fake themselves as teenager, chat with girls like her and seek opportunities to take advantage of innocent girls. But she doesn't listen to me. She thinks I am an old man who is overprotective of his daughter, a man who sees ghosts in every dark corner.
"Look, honey. I'm not saying you can't meet your friend. All I'm saying is let me come with you. I will not get out of the car first and if I see a girl of 12 waiting, I'll do some window shopping and you can go and meet her. But if there is no girl, we will wait for 10 minutes and then come back. OK?" "This is ridiculous." She stamped her feet.
"Why? Is it because I'm 60 years old? Or is it because I've a big belly? Or because there is no hair on my head that you're ashamed of going out with me?" I tried to joke,
"Oh Dad, you're impossible."
"You look like a boy in your new outfit." On the way, I commented on her dress.
"Dad! I think I must tell you something."
"I'm listening."
"I'm not a girl... I mean I'm not a girl for the girl... I mean the friend I am going to meet.'
"You lost me."
"Sorry. What I want to tell you is that I chatted with her as a boy." "You mean you pretended to be a boy to this girl?" I stared at her and the car swerved a little which I controlled. "Yes, she knows me as a boy."
"God!" I tried to digest this new information. When we reached the place, I got out of the car and walked around. There was no girl in sight. Some hundred meters away, a car with dark windows was parked on the other side of the road. On the nearby playground, some boys were playing cricket and a couple of cows were munching dried hay. I looked at my watch and started pacing up and down the road. I looked at the car and started walking again. The car started and sped away. I again consulted my watch. Ten minutes up: no sign of any girl. I walked to my car, got into it and said, "You see, I was right. There is no one here. The girl you chatted on the internet must have been fake."
Next day, at lunch time I retold the whole event to my colleague, Dhurva. "So you think that some bad guy was trying to approach your daughter?" He smiled.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Let me tell you why the girl friend of your daughter didn't appear at the meeting place. It was because her mother came with her in a car before you reached there. The mother was watching if there was really a boy of 13. But all she could see was an old man with a big stomach and a bald head lurking around the meeting place. So she didn't let her daughter get out of the car. She just drove the car back home."
"You mean... You mean she saw me and..." I stammered. "Yes, she saw you. Do you know what she said about you?" He laughed. "She said that she saw a lecherous old man with an evil leer on his face..."
(Adapted from: Vishnu Singh Rai's Martyr and other Stories)
A. Choose the words/phrases given below and write against the correct definitions.
-munching -ridiculous -window shopping -Stammer -obsessed -lurking -outfit -Leer -Swerve -stamp
Answer
a. remaining hidden so as to wait for somebody secretly lurking |
b preoccupied with something continually to a troubling extend obsessed |
c. the act of looking at goods displayed in shop windows without intending to buy them window shopping |
d. bringing down one's feet heavily down on the ground stamp |
e. deserving or inviting disapproval; absurd ridiculous |
f. a set of clothes worn for a particular occasion or activity outfit |
g. to turn aside abruptly from a straight line or course swerve |
h. eating something hard, steadily and noisily munching |
i. look or gaze in an unpleasant and offensive way leer |
j. speaking with difficulty, repeating sounds or words and often stopping stammer |
B. Rewrite the following sentences in a chronological order.
a. Her father accompanied her to meet the friend.
b. They saw a car on the other side of the road.
c. Anuja told father that she wanted to see her new friend.
d. She revealed of her secret e-identity with her father.
e. She told her father about her new e-friend.
f. Anuja's father shared the incident with his friend.
g. He observed that Anuja was looking like a boy in her new dress.
h. They waited for Anuja's friend for ten minutes.
Answer
1.c. Anuja told father that she wanted to see her new friend. |
2.e. She told her father about her new e-friend. |
3.g. He observed that Anuja was looking like a boy in her new dress. |
4.a. Her father accompanied her to meet the friend. |
5.d. She revealed of her secret e-identity with her father. |
6.b. They saw a car on the other side of the road. |
7. h. They waited for Anuja's friend for ten minutes. |
8.f. Anuja's father shared the incident with his friend. |
Read the story again and answer these questions
a. Why do you think Anuja was unwilling to take her father along with her to meet her new friend? |
Answer: Anuja was unwilling to take her father along with her to meet her new friend because she believed he was overly protective and saw danger where there was none. |
b. How does she criticize her father? |
Answer: She criticizes her father by calling him obsessed, thinking he is an old man who sees ghosts in every dark corner. |
c. Describe Anuja's e-friend. |
Answer: Anuja's e-friend is a twelve-year-old girl whom she met on Facebook and became fond of. |
d. What did Anja's father propose to go with her? |
Answer: Anuja's father proposed to go with her by suggesting he would wait in the car while she met her friend, ensuring her safety. |
e. What was the shocking news for her father? |
Answer: The shocking news for her father was when Anuja revealed that she had been chatting with her e-friend pretending to be a boy. |
f. Why did they return without meeting Anuja's friend? |
Answer: They returned without meeting Anuja's friend because the girl's mother saw Anuja's father and thought he was a lecherous old man with an evil leer, so she drove her daughter back home without talking to them. |
g. Why do you think Dhurva laughed at the story of Anuja's father? |
Answer: Dhurva laughed at the story of Anuja's father because he found humor in the misunderstanding and the perception of Anuja's father as a lecherous old man. |
h. How did the girl's mother see Anuja's father? Why didn't they talk to each other? |
Answer: The girl's mother saw Anuja's father as a lecherous old man with an evil leer, which is why they didn't talk to each other. |
Word Meaning
Word and Phonetic |
advantage /ədˈvæntɪdʒ/ |
benefit, gain |
A favorable or beneficial circumstance |
overprotective /ˌoʊvərprəˈtɛktɪv/ |
excessively cautious |
Being excessively cautious or protective |
sees-ghosts-in-every-dark-corner |
overly fearful or suspicious |
Being overly fearful or suspicious in every situation |
ridiculous /rɪˈdɪkjələs/ |
absurd, ludicrous |
Something that is silly or illogical |
stamped /stæmpt/ |
stomped, pounded |
Struck the ground forcefully with one's foot |
belly /ˈbɛli/ |
stomach, abdomen |
The front part of the body below the chest |
ashamed /əˈʃeɪmd/ |
embarrassed, humiliated |
Feeling embarrassed or humiliated |
outfit /ˈaʊtfɪt/ |
attire, clothing |
A set of clothes worn together |
pretended /prɪˈtɛndɪd/ |
acted, feigned |
Acted or behaved in a false or deceptive manner |
stared-at /stɛrd ət/ |
gazed, fixed one's eyes on |
Looked intently or fixedly at something |
swerved /swɜrvd/ |
veered, deviated |
Made a sudden change in direction |
sight /saɪt/ |
view, vision |
Something that is seen or observed |
munching /ˈmʌntʃɪŋ/ |
chewing, eating |
Eating with a continuous and rhythmic motion |
hay /heɪ/ |
dried grass |
Dried grass used as animal feed or bedding |
pacing-up /ˈpeɪsɪŋ-ʌp/ |
walking back and forth |
Walking back and forth repeatedly |
sped /spɛd/ |
raced, hurried |
Moved or traveled quickly |
consulted /kənˈsʌltɪd/ |
referred to, checked |
Looked up or sought information |
colleague /ˈkɑːlˌiːɡ/ |
coworker, associate |
A person with whom one works or collaborates |
lurking /ˈlɜːrkɪŋ/ |
skulking, hiding |
Remaining hidden or concealed |
stammered /ˈstæmərd/ |
stuttered, faltered |
Spoke with involuntary pauses or repetitions |
lecherous /ˈlɛtʃərəs/ |
lustful, lascivious |
Having or showing excessive sexual desire |
leer /lɪr/ |
suggestive glance, smirk |
A suggestive or unpleasant look or smile |
Extra Questions to Practice
Expandable FAQ Section
What worries did Anuja's father have about her meeting her online friend?
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Answer: Anuja's father was concerned about bad people pretending to be teenagers and taking advantage of innocent girls like her.
Why did Anuja think her father was obsessed?
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Answer: Anuja thought her father was obsessed because he was overly protective and saw danger everywhere.
How did Anuja's father propose to go with her to meet her friend?
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Answer: Anuja's father suggested waiting in the car while Anuja met her friend, ensuring her safety.
What shocking news did Anuja reveal to her father?
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Answer: Anuja revealed that she had been chatting with her friend as a boy.
Why did Anuja stamp her feet when her father proposed going with her?
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Answer: Anuja stamped her feet because she found her father's suggestion of going with her ridiculous.
Why did Anuja's father comment on her new outfit?
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Answer: Anuja's father commented on her new outfit because he wanted to lighten the mood and engage in friendly conversation.
What did Anuja's father notice when they reached the meeting place?
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Answer: Anuja's father noticed that there was no girl matching the description, but there was a car with dark windows parked nearby.
Why did Anuja's father start pacing up and down the road?
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Answer: Anuja's father started pacing up and down the road because he was anxious and waiting for the girl to arrive.
Why did Anuja and her father return without meeting her friend?
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Answer: They returned without meeting her friend because the girl's mother saw Anuja's father and decided not to let her daughter meet him, thinking he was a lecherous old man.
Why did Dhurva laugh at Anuja's father's story?
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Answer: Dhurva laughed because he found humor in the misunderstanding and the perception of Anuja's father as a lecherous old man.
How did Anuja's father try to reassure her about going to meet her friend?
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Answer: Anuja's father proposed a plan to observe from the car and only proceed if he saw a twelve-year-old girl waiting.
Why did Anuja think her father was ashamed of going out with her?
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Answer: Anuja thought her father was ashamed because he jokingly mentioned his age, belly, and lack of hair during their conversation.
How did Anuja's father feel when he realized the girl he had been chatting with was fake?
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Answer: Anuja's father felt a mix of relief and concern when he realized that the girl Anuja had been chatting with on the internet was likely fake.
Why did Anuja's father consult his watch while waiting at the meeting place?
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Answer: Anuja's father consulted his watch to keep track of the time and ensure they followed the plan they had agreed upon.
What did Anuja's father see on the nearby playground while waiting for her friend?
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Answer: Anuja's father saw some boys playing cricket on the nearby playground while waiting for her friend.
How did Anuja's father's colleague, Dhurva, explain the reason why her friend didn't show up?
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Answer: Dhurva explained that the girl's mother saw Anuja's father lurking around the meeting place and decided not to let her daughter get out of the car.
Why did Anuja pretend to be a boy when chatting with her friend?
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Answer: Anuja pretended to be a boy when chatting with her friend as a way to hide her true identity.
How did the girl's mother perceive Anuja's father when she saw him?
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Answer: The girl's mother perceived Anuja's father as a lecherous old man with an evil leer on his face.
Why didn't Anuja's father and the girl's mother talk to each other at the meeting place?
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Answer: They didn't talk to each other because the girl's mother immediately drove her daughter away upon seeing Anuja's father, making assumptions about his intentions.
How did Anuja's father feel when he learned what the girl's mother thought of him?
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Answer: Anuja's father felt shocked and embarrassed when he learned that the girl's mother saw him in a negative light, perceiving him as a lecherous old man.