Chapter 1 – The Night Train at Deoli Solutions

Content Structure

1. About the author – Ruskin Bond
2. Summary of The Night Train at Deoli
3. Word meanings
4. Exercises solutions
5. Additional Questions & Answers
- 5A. Multiple choice questions & answers (MCQs)

1. About the author – Ruskin Bond

Ruskin Bond was born in 1934 and is a well-known Indian writer. He writes stories about nature, village life, childhood, and the peaceful hills. His writing is easy to understand and loved by both children and adults. His stories usually show the beauty of small towns and the kindness of the people who live in them. Over the years, he has received many awards for his wonderful and inspiring work. Some of his most loved books are The Blue Umbrella, Rusty, and The Boy from the Hills.

2. Summary of The Night Train at Deoli

“The Night Train at Deoli” by Ruskin Bond is a moving and introspective short story that explores themes of love, longing, memory, and the passage of time. The narrative is told from the first-person perspective of a young college student who regularly visits his grandmother in Dehra during the summer. He travels by night train, which makes a brief, mysterious ten-minute stop at the quiet, isolated station of Deoli located on the edge of the Indian Terai forests. The station is simple and unremarkable with only a tea stall, a fruit vendor, and a few stray dogs. One morning during his usual journey, the narrator encounters a barefoot girl selling cane baskets on the platform. Although dressed simply she possesses grace and quiet dignity. Her dark eyes and gentle demeanor leave a lasting impression on him. She approaches and asks if he would like to buy a basket. Although he initially declines he eventually agrees hoping to prolong the moment. The train whistle blows as they start talking and he has to leave. On his return journey two months later he eagerly looks for the girl and is thrilled to see her again. She recognizes him immediately and walks directly to him, ignoring other passengers. The narrator begins to look forward to his next summer visit with growing anticipation. However he is heartbroken when she does not appear at the station. He inquires about her with the stationmaster and the tea stall owner but neither knows nor cares about her. Every time he passes through Deoli afterward he is haunted by her memory and clings to the hope of seeing her again. Yet he never finds the courage to get off the train and search for her. She might be married gone or no longer the same girl he remembers. In the end he chooses to hold on to the dream rather than risk losing it. He continues to pass through Deoli always looking out the window in silent hope holding on to the memory of the girl he once met.

3. Word meanings

Word	Meaning
Boasted	Talked proudly about something
Eloquent	Expressing feelings
Clanging	Loud metal sound
Blurred	Unclear
Footboard	The small step or platform at the door of a train carriage
Impulse	A sudden desire
Wrench	Pull forcefully
Eagerness	Excitement
Shrivelled	Wrinkled

4. Exercises solutions

Choose the correct answer from the alternatives given :

1. Where does the narrator meet the young girl in the story?
a) On a crowded bus stop
b) In a bustling marketplace
c) On the railway platform at Deoli
d) In a quiet park

Ans: c) On the railway platform at Deoli

2. What is the narrator captivated by in the young girl?
a) Her bright and cheerful personality
b) Her loud and assertive voice
c) Her quiet dignity and dark, troubled eyes
d) Her expensive and colorful clothes

Ans: c) Her quiet dignity and dark, troubled eyes

3. What does the narrator’s repeated visits to Deoli station suggest?
a) He needs to catch a train there frequently.
b) He enjoys the scenery of the place.
c) He hopes to meet the young girl again.
d) He has business dealings in the town.

Ans: c) He hopes to meet the young girl again.

5. Additional Questions & Answers

5A. Multiple choice questions & answers (MCQs)

1. When did the boy leave the plains?
(a) Late May
(b) Late July
(c) Early May
(d) Early July

Ans: (c) Early May

2. Deoli was a –
(a) small station
(b) busy port
(c) big city
(d) large junction

Ans: (a) small station

3. When did the train reach Deoli?
(a) 5 pm
(b) 4 am
(c) 5 am
(d) 6 pm

Ans: (c) 5 am

4. How many fruit sellers were at Deoli station?
(a) One
(b) Three
(c) Two
(d) None

Ans: (a) One

5. What was the girl doing there?
(a) Selling baskets
(b) Waiting for a train
(c) Selling tea
(d) Waiting for someone

Ans: (a) Selling baskets

6. What was the girl wearing on her shoulders?
(a) Scarf
(b) Sweater
(c) Shawl
(d) Cardigan

Ans: (c) Shawl

7. Where did the girl stop?
(a) At the tea stall
(b) Near the fruit seller
(c) Near the office
(d) At the narrator’s window

Ans: (d) At the narrator’s window

8. The boy walked towards the –
(a) Girl
(b) Tea stall
(c) Ticket counter
(d) Station master

Ans: (b) Tea stall

9. What does “one” mean here?
(a) Fruit
(b) Cup of tea
(c) Basket
(d) Newspaper

Ans: (c) Basket

10. How many baskets did he buy?
(a) All
(b) One
(c) Two
(d) None

Ans: (b) One

11. When the train left, the girl was –
(a) Shouting
(b) Smiling
(c) Crying
(d) Waving

Ans: (b) Smiling

12. What does “smouldering” mean here?
(a) Full of strong feelings
(b) Covered in dark
(c) Hiding a smile
(d) Showing anger

Ans: (a) Full of strong feelings

13. When did the boy go back again?
(a) Three months later
(b) Two months later
(c) Four months later
(d) A year later

Ans: (b) Two months later

14. How many times did they meet?
(a) Once
(b) Twice
(c) Thrice
(d) Many times

Ans: (b) Twice

15. What is the mood of the story?
(a) Happy
(b) Sad and thoughtful
(c) Scary
(d) Romantic and funny

Ans: (b) Sad and thoughtful

16. How long does the train stop at Deoli?
(a) A few seconds
(b) A few minutes
(c) Half an hour
(d) Never

Ans: (b) A few minutes

17. How is Deoli station described?
(a) Full of people
(b) Quiet and lonely
(c) Crowded
(d) Beautifully built

Ans: (b) Quiet and lonely

18. What feeling fills the boy’s heart most?
(a) Excitement
(b) Regret and longing
(c) Anger
(d) Joy

Ans: (b) Regret and longing

19. The boy stayed with his grandmother –
(a) May to June
(b) May to July
(c) May to late June
(d) May to late July

Ans: (d) May to late July

20. Deoli was about how far from Dehra?
(a) 13 miles
(b) 30 miles
(c) 33 miles
(d) 40 miles

Ans: (b) 30 miles

21. What was strange about Deoli?
(a) Always crowded
(b) Trains never stopped
(c) Always empty and quiet
(d) No station master

Ans: (c) Always empty and quiet

22. What began near Deoli station?
(a) The hills
(b) The deep jungles of the Terai
(c) The pine forest
(d) None

Ans: (b) The deep jungles of the Terai

23. How was the girl’s hair?
(a) Graceful
(b) Dark and troubled
(c) Shiny and black
(d) Pale and curly

Ans: (c) Shiny and black

24. How much did the boy pay for the basket?
(a) 50 paise
(b) Few annas
(c) 1 rupee
(d) 5 rupees

Ans: (c) 1 rupee

25. When did he think about her again?
(a) At Dehra
(b) At Delhi
(c) On his way back
(d) Never

Ans: (c) On his way back

26. From which city was the boy traveling?
(a) Delhi
(b) Mumbai
(c) Lucknow
(d) Kolkata

Ans: (a) Delhi

27. What did the boy see from the train window?
(a) Railway houses
(b) A mango tree and dusty road
(c) Girl’s hut
(d) A bazaar

Ans: (b) A mango tree and dusty road

28. What was the station surrounded by?
(a) A house
(b) A market
(c) The Terai jungle
(d) A farmland

Ans: (c) The Terai jungle

29. When did the narrator visit Dehra?
(a) Early March to May
(b) Early July to late November
(c) Early May to late July
(d) January to April

Ans: (c) Early May to late July

30. What emotion best describes the ending of the story?
(a) Confusion
(b) Regret
(c) Joy
(d) Anger

Ans: (b) Regret