NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 4 – Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory
Comprehension Check (Page 62)
1. Why did the man stare at Bepin Babu in disbelief?
Answer:
The man looked at Bepin Babu with surprise because Bepin Babu was not able to recognize him. The man believed that they had met in Ranchi in 1958, so he was shocked that Bepin Babu had forgotten.
2. Where did Bepin Babu say he went in October '58?
Answer:
Bepin Babu said that in October 1958, he had gone to Kanpur to visit his friend Bagchi during the Puja holidays.
3. Mention any three (or more) things that Parimal Ghose knew about Bepin Babu.
Answer:
Parimal Ghose knew many personal things about Bepin Babu. Some of them were:
1. Bepin Babu had no children.
2. His wife had died ten years ago.
3. His only brother had died insane (mentally disturbed).
Comprehension Check (Page 65)
1. Why did Bepin Babu worry about what Parimal Ghose had said?
Answer:
Bepin Babu was worried because Parimal Ghose knew many personal things about him, like about his family and habits. But Bepin Babu had no memory of ever going to Ranchi, which made him doubt his own memory.
2. How did he try to decide who was right—his memory or Parimal Ghose?
Answer:
He tried to confirm his memory by checking with people he knew. First, he checked his office records to see where he was in October 1958. Then he decided to ask his friend, Mr. Mukerji, if he remembered the trip to Ranchi.
3. Why did Bepin Babu hesitate to visit Mr. Mukerji? Why did he finally decide to phone him?
Answer:
Bepin Babu hesitated to visit Mr. Mukerji because he felt it would be embarrassing if it turned out that he had really forgotten the trip. He didn’t want his friend to think he had lost his memory. So instead of visiting, he decided to call him on the phone to avoid embarrassment.
4. What did Mr. Mukerji say? Did it comfort Bepin Babu, or add to his worries?
Answer:
Mr. Mukerji said that he did remember Bepin Babu going to Ranchi in 1958. This did not comfort Bepin Babu; instead, it made him more worried because it confirmed that he had actually forgotten the trip completely.
Comprehension Check (Page 68)
1. Who was Chunilal? What did he want from Bepin Babu?
Answer:
Chunilal was Bepin Babu’s old school friend. He wanted help to get a job.
2. Why was Dr. Chanda puzzled? What was unusual about Bepin Babu's loss of memory?
Answer:
Dr. Chanda was puzzled because Bepin Babu forgot only one thing—his Ranchi trip. That was strange.
Comprehension Check (Page 74)
1. Had Bepin Babu really lost his memory and forgotten all about a trip to Ranchi?
Answer:
No, Bepin Babu had not lost his memory. Chunilal made up the story to teach him a lesson.
2. Why do you think Chunilal did what he did? Chunilal says he has no money; what is it that he does have?
Answer:
Chunilal wanted to teach Bepin Babu a lesson for not helping him. He says he has no money, but he has imagination and writing skills.
🧠 Working with the Text – NCERT Solutions
1. The author describes Bepin Babu as a serious and hardworking man. What evidence can you find in the story to support this?
Answer:
Yes, Bepin Babu was a serious and hardworking man.
The story gives us several clues:
He worked at a big firm for 25 years.
He had a good reputation for being sincere and responsible.
He was known as a conscientious worker.
He came to the office regularly and was dedicated to his job.
2. Why did Bepin Babu change his mind about meeting Chunilal? What was the result of this meeting?
Answer:
Bepin Babu changed his mind because he hoped Chunilal might confirm whether he had really gone to Ranchi or not.
But the result of this meeting made things worse. Chunilal said that Bepin Babu had definitely gone to Ranchi, which made Bepin Babu even more worried and anxious about his memory.
3. Bepin Babu lost consciousness at Hudroo Falls. What do you think was the reason for this?
Answer:
Bepin Babu was mentally disturbed and stressed because he could not remember his Ranchi trip. Hudroo Falls was the last place where he hoped to find proof. But still, nothing came to his mind, and this made him weak and confused.
He fell beside a rock, hurt his hip, and fainted due to stress and confusion.
4. How do you think Bepin Babu reacted when he found out that Chunilal had tricked him?
Answer:
Bepin Babu must have felt:
Sorry for not helping Chunilal earlier.
Relieved that he had no memory loss.
Angry at being fooled.
He likely realised that he should have shown kindness and sympathy to Chunilal when he needed help.
🗣️ Working with Language
👉 Use of 'had to' / 'have to' / 'has to'
We use had to / have to / has to to show that something is necessary or important, and the person has no choice.
✍️ Fill in the blanks:
(i) I have to cut my hair every month.
(ii) We had to go for swimming lessons last year.
(iii) She has to tell the principal the truth.
(iv) They have to take the baby to the doctor.
(v) We have to complain to the police about the noise.
(vi) Romit has to finish his homework before he could come out to play.
(vii) I had to repair my cycle yesterday.
Q2. Idioms — Dictionary Order & Meanings:
(i) Close quarters – from a short distance
(ii) Break into a smile – suddenly start smiling
(iii) Carry on – to continue doing something
(iv) Have a clean record – to have no bad or criminal past
(v) Beat about the bush – to avoid talking about the main point
Question 3:
Study the sentences in the columns below:
Compare the sentences in the two columns, especially the verb forms. Answer the following questions about each pair of sentences.
(i) Column A tells us Bepin Babu is still working.
(ii) Column A suggests Chunilal is still waiting for a reply.
(iii) Column B shows the movie memory is still fresh.
(iv) Column A suggests the Ranchi trip is fresh in the speaker’s mind.
Q4. Rearranged Sentences with Idioms:
(i) Stop beating about the bush and tell me what you want.
→ Idiom: Avoiding the main point.
(ii) If you don’t pay attention to the announcement, you might board the wrong train.
→ Idiom: Listen carefully.
(iii) The villagers tried to pin the crime on the young woman.
→ Idiom: Blame someone unfairly.
(iv) Bepin Babu loved telling people that he was under doctor’s orders to eat early.
→ Idiom: Acting on a doctor’s advice.
(v) The teacher raised his eyebrows when the students said they had revised all lessons.
→ Idiom: Express surprise or doubt.
