Important Question and Answers
Q. Name the train which Velu boarded.
Ans. Kanyakumari Express.
Q. How was Velu’s journey in the train?
Ans. Velu entered an unreserved compartment and tried to sleep on the floor near the door. A group of men next to him had played cards and shouted all night, so, it was spent miserably.
Q. Describe the appearance of Jaya.
Ans. She wore a long banian that came down to her knees. Her hair was stiff brown and she had a huge sack on her one shoulder. She was picking up dirty plastic cups from the floor and stuffing them into her sack.
Q. What was the name of the big building?
Ans. “Sri Rajarajeshwari Prasanna Kalyana Mandapam”.
Q. Velu stood on the platform but he felt “as if he was still on a moving train.” Why?
Ans. Velu felt “as if he was still on a moving train” because he had wandered around for hours before getting on a train to Chennai, he was tired and hungry, his legs shook unsteadily. He had travelled so long that he felt the train was still moving.
Q. What made Velu feel miserable?
Ans. Velu felt miserable and exhausted as he had run away from his village two days ago. For two days he had eaten nothing but some peanuts and a piece of jaggery; even the noise at the platform seemed terrible and made him feel miserable.
Q. Why did Velu’s legs felt wobbly when he got off the train?
Ans. Velu’s legs felt wobbly when he got off the train because he had travelled a long journey and he felt as if he were still on a moving train.
Q. Which other time did Velu see so many people?
Ans. Velu saw so many people only once a year at the fair of his village.
Q. What sort of things did Jaya and children like her collect and what did they do with those things?
Ans. Jaya alongwith similar children collect paper, plastic, glass. They sell it to Jaggu in Jam Bazaar who further sells it to a factory.
Q. Is Velu happy or unhappy to find work? Give a reason for your answer.
Ans. Velu was not happy initially but he had no other option. This seemed to him all right until he was able to find a better job, he tried to be happy.
Q. Why could Velu not understand what was written on the sign boards?
Ans. Velu could not understand what was written on the sign board because it was written in English.
Q. Which big building did the girl show to Velu?
Ans. The girl showed the building of Central Jail to Velu.
Q. What work does the girl ask Velu to do?
Ans. The girl asked Velu to collect paper, plastic, glass etc. from the rubbish.
Q. What one throws away as waste may be valuable to others. Do you find this sentence meaningful in the context of this story? How?
Ans. Yes, the rubbish can be wholesome food for others. This is depicted in this story. Jaya lives on the left overs of the garbage bins, same thing follows for Velu. Children don’t have money to buy food for themselves so they eat what is available until they earn their own. It sounds quite pathetic but it is true as is shown in the story.