Vitamin-M — NCERT Solutions

A child's relationship with their mother can strongly shape their emotions and memories. A loving mother gives the child a sense of comfort, safety, and warmth, so even later in life small things like a song, a smell, or a place can remind the child of her. These memories may bring feelings of love, longing, peace, or nostalgia. If the relationship is caring and close, the mother's presence remains deeply fixed in the child's mind, just as the poem shows through the tune and the flowers.

From the given meanings:

• hover means linger or remain near a place → (v)
• hum means sing a tune with your lips closed → (i)
• cradle means a small bed for a baby → (vi)
• shiuli is a type of flower (coral jasmine) → (ii)
• morning service means rituals conducted in a temple → (iv)
• gaze means look steadily for a long time → (iii)

1. The emotion displayed by the Grandfather

The correct option is C. nostalgic. Grandpa speaks lovingly about his old house in town, the mango tree, and the quiet surroundings, which shows he is remembering the past fondly.

2. Complete the sentence

Grandpa hated the busy and noisy city life because it was crowded and noisy, unlike his quiet house in town.

3. Why did Grandpa come to the city despite his dislike for city life?

He came to the city because he was getting too old to live on his own and after he fell in the garden and remained outside all night, Ravi’s mother brought him to live with them for his safety.

4. Expression similar in meaning to “you can even hear a leaf fall”

The correct option is D. pin drop silence.

5. One advantage and one disadvantage of Grandpa living in the house in town

• Advantage: He was safer because people were there to look after him.
• Disadvantage: He had to live in a poky, crowded flat in the city, away from the peace of his own house and garden.

(i) Tone of Grandpa's response

The correct option is C. calm. Grandpa replies coolly and seriously.

(ii) Why was Ravi confused and embarrassed?

Ravi was confused because Grandpa spoke as if Ravi had disappeared, even though Ravi had been secretly following him. He was embarrassed because Grandpa was clearly aware that Ravi had not stayed at home as instructed.

(iii) Ravi's mother was impatient because

she thought Ravi had not stayed at home to look after Grandpa as she had told him to.

(iv) True or false

False. Grandpa had not forgotten; he had remembered that it was his birthday and gave gifts to everyone.

(v) Why did Grandpa say he didn't know what kind of morning Ravi might have had?

Grandpa said this because he knew Ravi had been missing from home and perhaps following him. He was indirectly referring to Ravi’s secret day out and teasing him with his calm remark.

The two synonymous words are:

• quandary for QU_ND__Y
• predicament for PR_D_C_M_NT

Both mean a state of difficulty or doubt.

The prepositions in the phrases are:

1. walk across to the corner shop
2. shadow fall over him
3. vendors sitting under the tree
4. position behind a big banyan

So the answers are through/over/under/behind according to the blanks in the exercise context; the highlighted prepositions from the text are across, over, under, behind.

In reported speech:

• Arvind asked Priya if she helped in taking care of her grandparents at home.
• Priya replied in the affirmative and said that they took turns making sure they were alright.

The reported speech becomes:

• Priya further asked Arvind if he had grandparents living with him.
• Arvind replied in the negative and said that his parents and he visited his grandpa every weekend.

The full reported speech is:

• He further enquired how she managed her grandparents' medical needs.
• Priya responded by saying that they had a schedule for giving medications and visits to the doctor.

The poet remembers his mother during his play. He remembers the tune but not the mother clearly.

Setting: indoor (playthings/cradle suggest an indoor childhood setting).

The blanks refer to the poem's idea that the poet remembers his mother during play, through a tune, and through the memory of her voice/song while rocking his cradle. So the completed ideas are:

1. play
2. tune / song
3. mother

The poet suggests that his mother's gaze is so gentle and enduring that it feels as though it has expanded beyond the room and spread across the whole sky. It shows the mother’s presence as protective, calm, and all-pervading. The sky becomes a symbol of her loving watchfulness.

The refrain “I cannot remember my mother” creates a feeling of longing and sadness. It shows that the poet cannot recall her clearly, but he still feels her presence through small sensory memories. The repeated line also gives the poem a soft, reflective, and emotional mood.

The poet connects his mother with:

1. Shiuli flowers — Their early morning fragrance reminds him of his mother, so the flowers become a symbol of her presence and memory.
2. Humming tune — The tune she used to hum while rocking his cradle represents her love, care, and soothing presence in his childhood.

Nature helps the poet remember his mother through smell, sound, and sight. The scent of shiuli flowers, the tune he seems to hear, and the vast sky all become symbols of his mother. Nature acts like a bridge between the present and his childhood memories, making her presence feel alive and near.

The poet seems to view the mother-child relationship as one of deep love, comfort, and lasting influence. Even though he cannot clearly remember his mother, her presence remains alive in his senses and emotions. This suggests that a mother's care stays with a child forever, beyond direct memory.

Grandpa disliked city life because it was noisy, crowded, and full of bustle. He loved the peace of his small brick house in town with the mango tree and quiet surroundings.

Vidya did not want her father to go out alone because he was old, had poor hearing and eyesight, and had already taken a wrong dose of medicine and got lost once. She feared he might come to harm if he went out by himself.

No, Ravi was not in favour of his mother treating Grandpa like a child. We know this because he winced when his mother spoke to Grandpa in an over-loud tone, and he also felt sorry and guilty. Later, he tried to reassure Grandpa and did not openly oppose him.

Ravi would not be able to keep up his promise fully, because he secretly followed Grandpa when he went out. He promised to stay with Grandpa, but his curiosity and worry made him go after him instead.

Grandpa's day out, in order, is:

1. He first stops at the children's park.
2. He buys peanuts and watches the children play.
3. Grandpa next goes to the tea stall.
4. Ravi gets scolded by the old lady and vendors.
5. Grandpa drinks sugary tea and eats bananas and ice cream.
6. He then enters a barber shop.
7. Next he walks quickly to a bus stop and boards the bus.

No, Grandpa was not actually lost. Ravi feared he had been lost, but Grandpa was safe and back home, snoring in his bedroom.

After seeing Grandpa safe at home, Ravi would feel relieved because his fear was over, and affectionate because he knelt near the bed, touched Grandpa's face, and hugged him with warmth.

Yes, Ravi's mother will get to know what happened, because Grandpa directly speaks to her about Ravi disappearing and also hints that Ravi had not stayed at home as instructed.

Ravi's reaction shows that he loved and cared deeply for his grandfather. He was first relieved and delighted to find Grandpa safe at home, and then he hugged him affectionately. This shows that, despite the trouble caused by following him, Ravi was worried about Grandpa's safety and felt strong fondness for him.

Grandpa's habit of giving gifts on his birthday shows that he was generous, loving, and thoughtful. It also shows that he valued the happiness of others more than receiving gifts himself. By giving presents to everyone, he expressed his affection for the family and made his birthday a time of sharing rather than taking.

Grandpa gave Ravi a detective story book because Ravi had been behaving like a detective by secretly following him. The gift suggests that Grandpa was aware of Ravi's actions earlier in the day, even if he did not directly admit it. The note about learning how to avoid being fooled while trailing a suspect makes the gift feel like a gentle hint that Grandpa had understood Ravi's spying.

Grandpa speaks lovingly about his old house in town, its big mango tree, and the quiet surroundings. This shows he is nostalgic—he remembers the past fondly and misses it.

Grandpa hated the busy and noisy city life because he disliked its noise and bustle. The city was crowded and hectic, unlike his peaceful house in town.

Grandpa came to the city because after his wife died, he had been living alone, and later he became too old to live on his own. After he slipped and fell in the garden and stayed outside all night, his daughter brought him to live with the family for safety.

The expression 'you can even hear a leaf fall' means a place is extremely quiet. The closest option is pin drop silence.

One advantage of Grandpa living in the town house was that he could enjoy the quiet place, the big mango tree, and his familiar surroundings. One disadvantage was that he slipped and fell in the garden one evening and lay outside all night because no one was there to help him. That showed it was not safe for him to live alone.

Grandpa's response is calm because he answers coolly and seriously, without anger or excitement.

Ravi had secretly followed Grandpa instead of staying at home. When Grandpa told Vidya that Ravi had disappeared instead of looking after him, Ravi felt confused because he could not understand how Grandpa knew, and embarrassed because he was caught and had to keep quiet.

Ravi's mother was impatient because she believed Ravi had not obeyed her and had disappeared instead of staying at home to look after Grandpa.

The sentence is false. Grandpa did not forget Ravi's birthday; in fact, he remembered it and gave him a gift, saying he always gives gifts to every child in the house on his birthday.

Grandpa said that because he had noticed Ravi had not stayed home to look after him. He was speaking coolly and jokingly, implying that Ravi might have had a busy morning while following him around.

Two evidences that Grandpa did not have a failing memory throughout are:

1. He remembered many chess games and famous players, such as Karpov, Bobby Fischer, and Spassky.
2. He remembered Ravi's birthday and gave him a gift, and even remembered that he always gives gifts to children on his birthday.

These show that his memory was not as weak as Ravi's mother thought.

(i) Grandfather:

• wise / intelligent — he knew chess well and remembered many famous games.
• generous / affectionate — he gave gifts and cared for his family.

(ii) Ravi:

• obedient / loyal — he promised to look after Grandpa.
• curious / observant — he secretly followed Grandpa like a detective.

(iii) Ravi's mother:

• careful / protective — she was worried about Grandpa's safety.
• strict / anxious — she instructed Ravi not to let Grandpa go out alone.

Ravi knew that Grandpa was forbidden sugar at home and that bananas and ice cream were also banned items. So when Grandpa stopped at the tea stall, Ravi worried about what Grandpa might eat there and feared he would break the rules.

No, it was not easy for Ravi to follow his grandfather. Grandpa kept moving from place to place—the park, tea stall, barber shop, and then the bus stop—while Ravi had to hide behind bushes, trees, benches, and cars. He was also embarrassed many times when people noticed him, so following Grandpa was both difficult and humiliating.

In favour: Ravi is a good detective because he was careful and persistent. He kept following Grandpa from a distance and noticed the cap, the tea stall, the barber shop, and even boarded the bus to trace him.

Against: Ravi was not fully successful because he was fooled by the stranger wearing Grandpa's cap and could not immediately find Grandpa. So he was observant, but still inexperienced.

Yes, Grandpa seemed aware. He later told Ravi's mother that Ravi had disappeared instead of staying at home, which shows he had noticed Ravi was not where he was supposed to be. His gift and teasing also suggest he understood Ravi had been trailing him.

In my opinion, Ravi's mother needs Vitamin-M most, because her memory was weak. Grandpa reminds her that she forgot his birthday and had written it in the calendar earlier. More generally, anyone who forgets important things or becomes careless with age may need Vitamin-M for the memory.

One example of age bias is when older people are not listened to in family decisions because others think they are out of touch. For instance, an elderly person may suggest a simple, practical solution, but younger family members may ignore it just because of age. Similarly, sometimes children or teenagers are not taken seriously even when they are sensible and well informed. This shows that opinions can be disregarded unfairly because of age.

The words can be classified as follows:

Movement words: pottering, twirling, crouch, crawl, creeping, ducked, zigzagging, briskly, sprinting, jumping, darted, trailing

Sound words: boomed, bustle, thudded, shrieks, whirr, evicted, grunted, snoring

These words are grouped according to whether they describe motion or sound.

Using suitable words from the list:

1. trailing the mysterious suspect
2. away from the bustle of the city
3. quickened his pace briskly
4. footsteps boomed across the street
5. Shankar ducked his magnifying glass
6. had to crawl behind the market stalls
7. creeping through the lanes
8. Shankar winced when he hit himself
9. the suspect darted into the night
10. leaving only the distant whirr of the sleeping city

These fit the meanings and context best.