Moments - Class IX
Reprint 2025-26
This story introduces us to a character named Iswaran who has a remarkable talent for storytelling. He works as a cook for Mahendra, a bachelor who travels for his job as a supervisor at construction sites.
In this interactive lesson, we'll explore R.K. Laxman's short story that showcases how Iswaran's ability to create captivating stories affects his employer Mahendra, raising interesting questions about storytelling, belief, and the supernatural.
The story we're about to read is about a man who loves to tell stories. Some people have a special talent for making even ordinary events sound exciting and dramatic.
Think about storytelling and how different people tell stories in different ways - some are dramatic, others are humorous, and some can make even the simplest event sound thrilling.
Do you know someone who is a good storyteller? What makes them effective at telling stories? Think about how they use their voice, gestures, and choice of words to make their stories interesting.
Have you ever been scared by a ghost story? What elements of the story made it frightening? Do you believe in ghosts or supernatural occurrences?
Read this sentence taken from the story:
Iswaran also had an amazing capacity to produce vegetables and cooking ingredients, seemingly out of nowhere, in the middle of a desolate landscape with no shops visible for miles around.
The word desolate is an adjective that means empty and lonely, making you feel sad.
1. in thrall
2. depredations
3. guttural
4. feline
Look at this sentence from the story:
He would miraculously conjure up the most delicious dishes made with fresh vegetables within an hour of arriving at the zinc-sheet shelter at the new workplace.
The word miraculously is an adverb of manner. It tells us how Iswaran conjured up delicious dishes.
Adverbs of manner tell us how something happens or how someone does something.
1. Mahendra was jerked out of the pleasant reverie he had drifted into
2. "I am not easily frightened by these things, sir," said Iswaran
3. He looked at me red-eyed, ready to rush towards me
4. Iswaran would get up from the floor and jump about, stamping his feet
5. "Well, a veterinary doctor was summoned to revive the animal," Iswaran would shrug