Chapter 6
Expert Detectives I
1. Who are the main children in the story and why are they curious about Mr Nath?
Answer: The main children are Nishad, also called Seven because his name means the seventh note on the musical scale, and his ten-year-old sister Maya. They are very curious about Mr Nath because of his scarred face, his strange behaviour, and the fact that he has no friends. Their curiosity increases when their marble rolls into Mr Nath’s room, giving them a chance to observe him closely.
2. What does Nishad’s mother know about Mr Nath?
Answer: Nishad’s mother, who is a doctor, knows Mr Nath as a patient. She tells the children that he is very polite, which surprises them because of his strange and unfriendly reputation among the tenants of Shankar House.
3. What do Nishad and Maya speculate about Mr Nath’s wealth?
Answer: Maya imagines that Mr Nath might be a crook and have lots of money hidden in his room, possibly in a trunk full of silver, gold, and jewels. Nishad doubts this idea and wonders how he could pay for food if he doesn’t work anywhere.
4. What explanation does Nishad give about Mr Nath’s scars?
Answer: Nishad initially thinks the scars might be from a shoot-out with the police. However, his mother corrects him and tells him that they are burn scars.
5. How does Maya try to explain the scars to Seven?
Answer: Maya suggests that perhaps the police had to set his house on fire to force him out, which could explain the burn scars. Seven looks unsure about this idea.
6. What was Seven’s first impression of Mr Nath’s appearance?
Answer: Seven was upset by Mr Nath’s gaunt and thin appearance and believed that he was starving. He felt sympathy for the man’s apparent loneliness.
7. How did Seven interact with Mr Nath when he visited his room?
Answer: Seven knocked loudly on Mr Nath’s door and said, “Open the door quickly, Mr Nath.” When the man opened it, he recognised Seven and asked if he had lost another marble. Seven took Mr Nath’s hand and gave him a bar of chocolate as a friendly gesture.
8. What information did Seven get from Ramesh about Mr Nath’s meals?
Answer: Ramesh told Seven that he brings two meals to Mr Nath every morning and evening, along with two cups of tea. He also mentioned that Mr Nath doesn’t care what he eats; it is always simple food like chapattis, dal, and vegetables. Mr Nath pays cash and tips well.
9. What did Seven find “strange” about Mr Nath’s Sundays?
Answer: Seven found it strange that almost every Sunday, Mr Nath receives a visitor who is tall, fair, stout, and wears spectacles. This visitor talks a lot, unlike Mr Nath, who hardly speaks.
10. How does Maya interpret the Sunday visitor?
Answer: Maya believes the visitor must be Mr Nath’s accomplice in crime. She imagines that the visitor brings part of the loot to Mr Nath for expenses.
11. How does Nishad react to Maya’s idea about Mr Nath being a crook?
Answer: Nishad disagrees with Maya and becomes angry. He says Mr Nath cannot be a bad man because he gives generous tips to Ramesh, and he refuses to discuss the idea further.
12. What is Nishad’s attitude towards Mr Nath despite Maya’s theories?
Answer: Nishad feels sympathy for Mr Nath. He wants to know why Mr Nath is so thin and lonely, and why he doesn’t have any friends. He insists on trying to be Mr Nath’s friend despite Maya’s warnings.
13. How does Maya justify her suspicion of Mr Nath?
Answer: Maya justifies her suspicion by pointing out that Mr Nath has lived in Shankar House for a year without making any friends, doesn’t receive letters, doesn’t work, and has very few visitors. She believes such secrecy is typical of a crook.
14. What facts about Mr Nath do the children list to help in their investigation?
Answer: Maya lists facts such as: his name is Mr Nath; tenants say he is mad, strange, and unfriendly; he doesn’t talk to anyone except under compulsion; he doesn’t receive letters; he has lived in Room 10 for over a year; he doesn’t work; kids and adults are scared of him; he has only one visitor on Sundays; and Ramesh delivers his food and tea.
15. Why does Maya think Mr Nath only spoke politely to them?
Answer: Maya thinks Mr Nath only spoke politely because he was under her mother’s medical treatment, and he had to be polite. Otherwise, he doesn’t talk to anyone.
16. How does the story describe the Sunday visitor’s personality?
Answer: The Sunday visitor is described as tall, fair, stout, wears spectacles, and talks a lot. He contrasts with Mr Nath, who hardly speaks.
17. What does “tips well” mean in the context of the story?
Answer: “Tips well” means that Mr Nath gives Ramesh generous money in thanks for delivering his meals and tea. This shows he is considerate despite his mysterious appearance.
18. How do the children plan to organize their investigation?
Answer: Maya suggests that they sort out all the facts systematically, like expert detectives, so that they can trap the supposed crook. They intend to list, examine, and question carefully.
19. How does Seven feel about being involved in the investigation?
Answer: Seven enjoys the detective work and is proud to make progress. He feels pleased when he gathers information from Ramesh and contributes to the investigation.
20. What is the significance of the monsoon in the story?
Answer: The monsoon brings dark clouds, lightning, thunder, and flooded streets. School is unexpectedly closed, giving Maya and Seven time to spend usefully investigating Mr Nath.
21. How does Maya record their investigation?
Answer: Maya writes in large block letters a record titled “CATCHING A CROOK – Expert Detectives: Nishad and Maya Pandit By Appointment to the Whole World” and lists all the facts they know about Mr Nath.
22. What is Maya’s first listed fact about Mr Nath?
Answer: The first fact is his name, Mr Nath. Maya notes that they must discover his first name because it could be an alias, as most crooks have alternate names.
23. How does Nishad question the idea of Mr Nath having an alias?
Answer: Nishad asks if “Nath” is Mr Nath’s real name, showing doubt about whether he could be a crook. Maya confirms that it is likely an alias, adding a big question mark after the name in her notes.
24. How do the tenants of Shankar House describe Mr Nath?
Answer: The tenants describe him as mad, strange, and unfriendly. They avoid him, which adds to the children’s curiosity.
25. Why do the children think Mr Nath is lonely?
Answer: They observe that he has no friends, rarely speaks, and lives alone in Room 10. Even though he receives food deliveries and a Sunday visitor, he seems isolated and disconnected from others.
26. How does Ramesh describe Mr Nath’s eating habits?
Answer: Ramesh says Mr Nath isn’t particular about food. He eats the same simple meals every day, consisting of two chapattis, some dal, and a vegetable. He receives two meals and two cups of tea daily, which Ramesh delivers.
27. How does Maya interpret Mr Nath’s Sunday visitor?
Answer: Maya suspects that the visitor is Mr Nath’s accomplice in crime. She imagines that he brings part of the loot to Mr Nath for his expenses.
28. How does Nishad react to Maya’s theory about the accomplice?
Answer: Nishad does not agree with Maya. He argues that Mr Nath cannot be a bad man because he gives generous tips to Ramesh and seems polite. He refuses to continue the discussion about him being a crook.
29. What argument does Maya use to explain why criminals can look ordinary?
Answer: Maya points out that criminals can look ordinary, giving the example of a Hyderabadi housebreaker in the newspaper who looked like any man on the street.
30. What does Nishad hope to find out about Mr Nath?
Answer: Nishad wants to find out why Mr Nath is so thin, why he is lonely, why he has no friends, and why he lives in isolation.
31. How does Maya explain Mr Nath’s politeness to the children?
Answer: Maya explains that Mr Nath is polite to them because he is under her mother’s medical care, and it was necessary for him to behave courteously.
32. Why does Nishad insist on trying to befriend Mr Nath?
Answer: Nishad feels sympathy for Mr Nath and believes someone should try to be his friend. He wants to help him feel less lonely, regardless of Maya’s suspicions about him being a crook.
33. How does Maya react to Nishad’s insistence on befriending Mr Nath?
Answer: Maya is worried that befriending a crook could get Nishad in trouble with the police. She calls him crazy and warns him that the cops could take him to jail with Mr Nath.
34. What does Maya conclude about the point of the investigation?
Answer: Maya believes the point of their enquiries is to uncover the truth about Mr Nath’s possible criminal activities. If he were not a crook, she sees no reason to bother investigating him.
35. How does Seven feel about Maya’s theories?
Answer: Seven is frustrated and angry with Maya’s insistence on calling Mr Nath a crook. He refuses to cooperate unless she gives up this idea.
36. What details make the children suspect Mr Nath is a crook?
Answer: Details include his solitary lifestyle, no letters, limited visitors, secrecy about money, the Sunday visitor, and the mysterious trunk in his room.
37. How do the children plan to act as “expert detectives”?
Answer: They plan to sort out all facts, list observations, question people like Ramesh, and carefully analyse everything about Mr Nath, just as professional detectives would do.
38. What is Nishad’s opinion about the Sunday visitor?
Answer: Nishad notices that the Sunday visitor is friendly and polite. While Maya thinks he might be an accomplice, Nishad is unsure and simply observes him as part of Mr Nath’s routine.
39. How do the children record their findings?
Answer: Maya writes all the facts in large block letters under the heading “CATCHING A CROOK – Expert Detectives: Nishad and Maya Pandit By Appointment to the Whole World”, listing every important detail about Mr Nath.
40. What lesson does the story teach about curiosity and observation?
Answer: The story teaches that careful observation, systematic collection of facts, and curiosity are key traits of a detective. It also shows the importance of empathy, as Nishad wants to understand and befriend Mr Nath despite Maya’s suspicions.
Answer by Mrinmoee
