Indigo Question Answers (Important) | ISC Class 12 English Prism Book

by | Sep 1, 2025 | General | 0 comments

Indigo- ImpQns

 

ISC Class 12 English Chapter Indigo Important Question Answers from Prism book

 

ISC Class 12 English Indigo Question Answers – Looking for questions and answers for ISC Class 12 English Prism Book Chapter Indigo? Look no further! Our comprehensive compilation of important questions will help you brush up on your subject knowledge. Practising Class 12 English question answers can significantly improve your performance in the exam. Improve your chances of scoring high marks by exploring ISC Class 12 English Chapter Indigo now. The questions listed below are based on the latest ISC exam pattern. All the Questions Answers given at the back of the lesson have also been covered. 

 

 

Related: 

 

 

ISC Class 12 English Chapter Indigo Textbook Questions 

 

ASSIGNMENT

Question 1

Choose the correct options for the following questions:

1. Why did Aniruddha write stories in his spare time?
(a) To make a living
(b) To earn extra money
(c) Writing was his passion
(d) To describe indigo planters
Ans. (d) To describe indigo planters

2. Besides his maternal uncle’s advertising agency because influence, Aniruddha could get a job in the advertising agency because
(a) He was a good student
(b) He could speak English fluently
(c) He knew how to carry himself in an interview
(d) All of the above.
Ans. (d) All of the above.

3. Which habit was instilled in Aniruddha during his early years in Monghyr?
(a) To run away from hectic city life
(b) To drive his car himself
(c) To learn from his experiences
(d) All of the above.
Ans. (a) To run away from hectic city life

4. What was the ‘snag right at the start’ of his journey to Dumka?
(a) His tyres become flat
(b) Visit of his father’s friend to his house after ten years
(c) The engine of the car developed a fault
(d) All of the above
Ans. (b) Visit of his father’s friend to his house after ten years

5. What advice did Bhola Babu give Aniruddha?
(a) To arrange for a driver.
(b) To take someone with him on his trip
(c) To keep a stepney
(d) Not to go by car.
Ans. (a) To arrange for a driver.

6. How did Aniruddha feel during the first thirty miles of his trip through dingy towns?
(a) Mind blowing
(b) Exciting
(c) Boring
(d) Fearful
Ans. (c) Boring

7. Which figure of speech is used in the line given below? ‘…such a norwester could strike terror into the heart.’
(a) Metaphor
(b) Simile
(c) Personification
(d) Assonance
Ans. (c) Personification

8. Why was the truck standing behind his car blowing its horn?
(a) The truck’s tyre had got
(b) His car had stopped in the middle of the road.
(c) The truck’s driver got hurt
(d) To warn him of the storm
Ans. (b) His car had stopped in the middle of the road.

9. Which figure of speech is used in the line given below? ‘…the truth struck me like a hammer blow.’
(a) Personification
(b) Metaphor
(c) Alliteration
(d) Simile
Ans. (d) Simile

10. Where had Aniruddha seen ruins of indigo factories before coming to the Dak Bungalow?
(a) Calcutta (Kolkata)
(b) Monghyr
(c) Dumka
(d) Burdwan
Ans. (b) Monghyr

11. What type of narration is used in the story Indigo?
(a) First person
(b) Third person
(c) Second person
(d) None of the above
Ans. (a) First person

12. Which of the following cities Aniruddha did NOT pass on his journey to the Dak Bungalow?
(a) Suri
(b) Chandernagore
(c) Dumka
(d) Burdwan
Ans. (c) Dumka

Question 2
Complete the following sentences by providing a reason for each in brief:
1. Aniruddha did not take up writing as a profession because …………………
Ans. Aniruddha did not take up writing as a profession because he knew he could not make a living by writing alone, even though his stories were well-appreciated.

2. Aniruddha had not been writing for the last few months because …………………
Ans. Aniruddha had not been writing for the last few months because he had been intensely reading and researching about indigo plantations in Bengal and Bihar in the nineteenth century.

3. Aniruddha said that he was not an unworthy candidate for getting the job in the advertising agency because ……………………
Ans. Aniruddha said that he was not an unworthy candidate for getting the job in the advertising agency because he had been a good student, spoke English fluently, and had the ability to carry himself well in an interview.

4. Aniruddha used to take solo trips to various places from Monghyr because ……………………………………………
Ans. Aniruddha used to take solo trips to various places from Monghyr because he had an overpowering desire to go far away from the hectic life of Calcutta from time to time.

5. Aniruddha would not be able to forget the date April twenty-seventh because ………
Ans. Aniruddha would not be able to forget the date April twenty-seventh because it was the date he set off for Dumka, marking the beginning of his terrible and unforgettable experience.

6. Aniruddha could not give Uncle Mohit a short shift because ………………
Ans. Aniruddha could not give Uncle Mohit a short shift because Uncle Mohit was his father’s old friend whom he was meeting after ten years, and he felt obligated to offer him tea and listen.

7. After waiting for a quarter of an hour after on the road when his second tyre became flat Aniruddha realised that he had taken a wrong turn because ……………………
Ans. After waiting for a quarter of an hour on the road when his second tyre became flat Aniruddha realised that he had taken a wrong turn because no other vehicle had passed by in all that time, raising his suspicion about being on the right road.

8. Aniruddha recalled Bhola Babu’s warning after he had taken a wrong turn because ……
Ans. Aniruddha recalled Bhola Babu’s warning after he had taken a wrong turn because he realized Bhola Babu must have gone through a similar trying experience to give such sound advice about arranging for a driver.

9. Aniruddha felt relieved when the chowkidar said that there were no ghosts in the Dak Bungalow because …………
Ans. Aniruddha felt relieved when the chowkidar said that there were no ghosts in the Dak Bungalow because old dak bungalows had a reputation for being spooky, and he was hoping for a peaceful night’s sleep.

10. Aniruddha congratulated himself after reaching the Dak Bungalow because ……………………
Ans. Aniruddha congratulated himself after reaching the Dak Bungalow because he had found a shelter for the night, and that too without much trouble, after being stranded with no spare tires.

11. When Aniruddha looked into the mirror, the person reflected in it was not he because …………………
Ans. When Aniruddha looked into the mirror, the person reflected in it was not he because by some devilish trick, he had turned into a nineteenth-century Englishman with different features and complexion.

12. The English indigo planter did not go back to his country because …………………………
Ans. The English indigo planter did not go back to his country because he had not led a blameless life at home and did not dare to face his countrymen, fearing they had not forgotten his past actions.

13. The English indigo planter felt that nobody would mourn his death in India because ……………………
Ans. The English indigo planter felt that nobody would mourn his death in India because he had treated the natives so badly that there was no one to shed a tear at his passing away, except possibly his faithful bearer Mirjan.

14. The English indigo planter was worried about his watchdog Rex because …………………………
Ans. The English indigo planter was worried about his watchdog Rex because he feared that after his own death, the local people would not spare Rex and would stone or club him to death.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
Answer the questions briefly in about 100-150 words.

1. Who was Aniruddha Bose? Although he enjoyed writing stories in his spare time, why did he stop writing stories?
Ans. Aniruddha Bose was a twenty-nine-year-old bachelor working in an advertising agency in Calcutta. He lived comfortably and enjoyed writing stories in his spare time, with three of his stories published and well-received by his acquaintances. However, he stopped writing for a few months because his interest had been completely consumed by the history of indigo plantations. He began reading extensively about how the British exploited peasants, the peasants’ revolts, and how synthetic indigo eventually led to the end of indigo cultivation in India. This intense immersion in the subject, sparked by a terrible experience, diverted his attention entirely from his own creative writing, indicating that his newfound historical fascination had taken precedence over his previous hobby.

2. Explain in about a short paragraph of about 100-150 words, the hitches in Aniruddha’s plan of leaving for Dumka.
Ans. Aniruddha’s well-laid plan to reach Dumka by dusk encountered several unexpected problems right from the start. His initial delay was caused by the sudden, unannounced visit of his father’s old friend, Uncle Mohit. Aniruddha felt obligated to entertain the elderly man, leading to over an hour’s delay. This pushed his departure time from his planned ten o’clock to ten minutes past eleven. Later in the journey, outside Panagarh, he suffered a flat tire, forcing him to stop and change it himself. This laborious task, compounded by the muggy weather, cost him significant time, pushing him to half past two. Soon after, he was caught in a severe nor’wester storm, which not only struck terror into him but also caused another of his tires to burst. This second flat tire, with no spare left, completely derailed his journey and left him stranded on a deserted, rain-swept road, far from his destination.

3. Aniruddha gives the impression of being a nature lover but fears it when he faces the vagaries of nature. Describe how he contrasts the two states.
Ans. Aniruddha initially presents himself as someone who enjoys nature as a pleasant escape from city life. He frequently takes solo trips to places like Diamond Harbour, finding joy in the clear blue sky free from chimney smoke and breathing air so pure and so redolent of the smell of earth. He even recalls having enjoyed norwesters in the past, appreciating their mood and reciting Tagore poems while safe indoors. This shows a romanticized, comfortable appreciation of nature from a distance. However, his perspective drastically changes when he is directly confronted by nature’s wild, unpredictable side. Driving through the open country during a norwester, he describes it as striking terror into the heart. The thunderclaps, which he once perhaps found poetic, now seem to show a nasty side of nature, a vicious assault on helpless humanity. The lightning bolts appear aimed directly at his car, making him feel vulnerable and fearful. This stark contrast highlights that his love for nature was conditional, existing only when it was beautiful and benign, not when it revealed its raw, dangerous power.

4. What happened to Aniruddha when he suddenly woke up at night in the Dak Bungalow?
Ans. When Aniruddha suddenly woke up in the Dak Bungalow, he experienced a series of bizarre and terrifying events. First, he heard scratching at the door and a dog barking, but when he tried to check the time, his wristwatch was gone. Then, he discovered his torch and suitcase had also disappeared. What followed was even more shocking: he realized he was wearing different clothes, his skin looked pale, and his own physical features had changed. Looking into a mirror, he saw that he had transformed into a sallow-complexioned, blond-haired Englishman from the 19th century, with a harsh yet suffering expression. His voice, too, had changed, taking on an unmistakable English accent. He found his limbs moving on their own, seemingly controlled by another consciousness. He was a spectator to his own body’s actions, trapped in a horrifying new identity.

5. What did Aniruddha write in the letter as an English indigo planter?
Ans. As the English indigo planter, Aniruddha’s hand was compelled to write a desperate and revealing diary entry. The planter, identified as Eric, expressed his torment from fiendish mosquitoes and his impending death from malaria. He admitted that his fellow planters, Eric, Percy, and Tony, had already escaped, implying he was greedier for indigo, which kept him there despite repeated malaria attacks. He confessed to not having led a blameless life in England, which was why he dared not return home, accepting that he would die on alien soil beside the graves of his wife Mary and son Toby. He lamented his cruel treatment of the local natives, realizing no one would mourn his passing except perhaps his faithful bearer, Mirjan. His deepest concern, however, was for his loyal dog, Rex, fearing that the locals would stone or club him to death after his own demise.

6. What, according to you, could be the reason for Aniruddha’s act of not acting of his own accord and yet having his own consciousness?
Ans. The reason for Aniruddha’s body acting without his own accord, while his consciousness remained aware, points to a form of spiritual possession or a merging of consciousnesses. The story strongly suggests that the spirit of the deceased English indigo planter, Eric, either possessed Aniruddha’s body or his consciousness became dominant within Aniruddha. Aniruddha explicitly states that his limbs were acting of their own volition and that the voice and sigh were not mine. Yet, his mind, Aniruddha Bose, was perfectly aware of the change in identity. This indicates that Aniruddha’s own soul or consciousness remained intact, trapped as an observer in his own body, while another entity directed its actions. This phenomenon could be attributed to the intensity of the planter’s final moments, his deep emotional turmoil, and the specific location, the bungalow that was once his home, facilitating this following manifestation on the hundredth anniversary of his death.

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS
Answer the questions briefly in about 200-250 words.

1. Describe Aniruddha Bose’s journey from Kolkata towards Dumka.
Ans. Aniruddha Bose embarked on his journey from Kolkata to Dumka, planning a five to six-hour drive for the 200-mile trip. He intended to leave by ten in the morning and arrive before dusk. However, his departure was immediately delayed by the unexpected visit of his father’s old friend, Uncle Mohit, causing him to leave an hour later than planned, at ten minutes past eleven. He avoided Howrah, taking the Bally Bridge road, but the initial thirty miles through dingy towns were dreary and unenjoyable. The journey became more pleasant as he entered the open country, enjoying the clear sky and pure air. Around half-past twelve, near Burdwan, he stopped for a light meal due to hunger. The real troubles began twenty miles from Burdwan in Panagarh when he suffered a flat tire. Changing it himself in muggy weather took considerable time, pushing his schedule to half past two. Before he could cross Ilambazar, he was caught in a terrifying nor’wester storm. The thunder and lightning instilled fear, and amidst this, another tire burst. Stranded with no spare, and realizing he had taken a wrong turn somewhere after Suri, he was left helpless on a deserted, rain-swept road, far from his intended destination and any repair shops.

2. Do you think ‘Indigo’ is an appropriate title for the short story by Satyajit Ray? If you have to give another title to the story, what would it be? Give a reason to support your answer.
Ans. Yes, Indigo is a highly appropriate title for Satyajit Ray’s short story. The title directly refers to the historical context of the story, the oppressive indigo plantations in 19th-century Bengal and Bihar, which are central to Aniruddha’s deep historical interest and the tragic past that he becomes entangled with. The Indigo represents not just a plant but a period of exploitation, cruelty, and the suffering of both the colonized and the morally corrupt colonizers. The story reveals that the very bungalow Aniruddha stays in was once owned by an indigo planter, and the supernatural experience forces him to live out the planter’s final, desperate moments, directly linking him to this dark history. Thus, the title acts as a powerful symbol of the past’s inescapable grip and the enduring legacy of colonial-era injustices. If I had to give another title to the story, I would choose ‘The Planter’s Echo’.This title captures the essence of the supernatural element more directly. Echo implies a sound or event that reverberates and returns, much like the indigo planter’s past actions and final moments are replayed or echoed through Aniruddha. It suggests that the planter’s life and death left such a profound imprint on the place that it could manifest and influence a person a century later. This title emphasizes the haunting aspect of the story and the idea that history, particularly a dark and unresolved one, can repeat or reveal itself.

3. Discuss Indigo’ as a story about supernatural.
Ans. Indigo functions strongly as a supernatural story, with its core plot revolving around an inexplicable, otherworldly event. The supernatural elements are primarily manifested through Aniruddha Bose’s temporary transformation into the English indigo planter. This isn’t just a dream or hallucination; it’s a profound shift in identity where Aniruddha’s consciousness observes his body performing actions not of his own will, speaking with a foreign accent, and displaying physical features that are not his own. The disappearance and reappearance of his personal belongings like wristwatch, torch, suitcase further emphasize the disruption of normal reality. The peak of the supernatural experience is the forced writing of the planter’s diary entry and the re-enactment of the planter’s final, tragic acts like the shooting of his loyal dog and his own suicide. This suggests a form of spiritual possession or a temporal bleed, where a hundred-year-old event is re-lived through a present-day individual. The bungalow itself seems to be a nexus for this spectral activity, being the very place where the planter lived and died. The story uses these supernatural occurrences to transport Aniruddha, and by extension the reader, directly into a forgotten, grim past, making history tangibly real and demonstrating that some events leave an indelible mark that defies the boundaries of time and death.

4. Suppose yourself as Aniruddha Bose and you had to spend the night at the same Dak Bungalow. With reference to the happenings in the story, write whether you would have faced the similar situations or quite different from what Aniruddha had to face.
Ans. If I were Aniruddha Bose and had to spend the night at that same Dak Bungalow, I would anticipate facing remarkably similar supernatural situations, perhaps even identical ones. The story strongly suggests that the haunting or possession isn’t unique to Aniruddha but is tied to the bungalow itself and the specific date, which happens to be the hundredth anniversary of the planter’s death. The narrative implies a powerful residual energy or a cyclical re-enactment of the planter’s final moments. Therefore, I would expect the initial signs: the inexplicable loss of my belongings like wristwatch, torch, suitcase, followed by the horrifying physical transformation like my complexion, features, hair, and even my voice changing. I would likely experience the same disembodied consciousness, observing my own body compelled to sit and write in the old notebook, penning the planter’s desperate confession. The most terrifying aspect would be re-living the planter’s final, tragic actions: the compulsion to shoot his loyal dog, Rex, and then to take his own life. The external environment, such as the appearance of the greyhound and the shouts from the factory direction, would also likely remain consistent, as they are part of the original event being replayed. My experience would mirror Aniruddha’s almost exactly, as if I were merely another vessel for the century-old tragedy.

 

ISC Class 12 English Chapter There Will Come Soft Rains Extra Question and Answers

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

Q1. Aniruddha Bose worked in an _______________ agency in Calcutta.
A. banking
B. advertising
C. engineering
D. publishing
Ans. B. advertising

Q2. Aniruddha was born and did his schooling in _______________, a town in Bihar.
A. Calcutta
B. Dumka
C. Monghyr
D. Santiniketan
Ans. C. Monghyr

Q3. Aniruddha’s brother, who studied medicine, was now attached to a hospital in a suburb of London called _______________.
A. Golders Green
B. Diamond Harbour
C. Port Canning
D. Hassanabad
Ans. A. Golders Green

Q4. Aniruddha received a letter from his old classmate _______________, who was working in the Forest Department in Dumka.
A. Bhola Babu
B. Uncle Mohit
C. Promode
D. Sukhanram
Ans. C. Promode

Q5. The “snag right at the start” of Aniruddha’s journey was the unexpected visit from his father’s old friend, _______________.
A. Promode
B. Bhola Babu
C. Uncle Mohit
D. Sukhanram
Ans. C. Uncle Mohit

Q6. After Burdwan, Aniruddha had to leave the Grand Trunk Road and take the road to _______________.
A. Panagarh
B. Suri
C. Ilambazar
D. Massanjore
Ans. C. Ilambazar

Q7. Aniruddha’s car got a flat tyre near the military camp at _______________.
A. Burdwan
B. Panagarh
C. Ilambazar
D. Suri
Ans. B. Panagarh

Q8. After his second tyre became flat, Aniruddha was given directions by a _______________ driver and his helper.
A. Bengali
B. Bihari
C. Sikh
D. English
Ans. C. Sikh

Q9. Aniruddha spent the night in a _______________ bungalow, which was once owned by an indigo planter.
A. guest
B. police
C. dak
D. forest
Ans. C. dak

Q10. In the morning, Aniruddha’s caretaker, _______________, told him about a car repair shop.
A. Promode
B. Bhola Babu
C. Uncle Mohit
D. Sukhanram
Ans. D. Sukhanram

Extract-Based Questions

Answer the following extract-based questions.
A.
My name is Aniruddha Bose. I am twenty-nine years old and a bachelor. For the last eight years I’ve been working in an advertising agency in Calcutta. With the salary I get, I live in reasonable comfort in a flat in Sardar Shankar Road. The flat has two south-facing rooms and is on the ground floor. Two years ago I bought an Ambassador car which I drive myself. I do a bit of writing in my spare time. Three of my stories have been published in magazines and have been well-appreciated by my acquaintances, but I know I cannot make a living by writing alone.
For the last few months I haven’t been writing at all. Instead, I have read a lot about indigo plantations in Bengal and Bihar in the nineteenth century. I am something of an authority on the subject now; how the British exploited the poor peasants; how the peasants rose in revolt; and how, finally, with the invention of synthetic indigo in Germany, the cultivation of indigo was wiped out from our country-all this I know by heart. It is to describe the terrible experience which instilled in me this interest in indigo, that I have taken up my pen today.

Q1. What is the narrator’s name and age?
Ans. The narrator’s name is Aniruddha Bose, and he is twenty-nine years old.

Q2. Where does Aniruddha Bose work, and for how long has he been working there?
Ans. He works in an advertising agency in Calcutta and has been working there for the last eight years.

Q3. What does Aniruddha do in his spare time, and what is his opinion on it as a profession?
Ans. He does a bit of writing in his spare time and believes he cannot make a living by writing alone.

Q4. What subject has Aniruddha become an authority on recently?
Ans. He became an authority on indigo plantations in Bengal and Bihar in the nineteenth century.

Q5. Why has Aniruddha taken up his pen today?
Ans. He has taken up his pen to describe a terrible experience that instilled in him an interest in indigo.

B.
At this point I must tell you something about my past. My father was a well-known physician in Monghyr, a town in Bihar. That is where I was born and that is where I did my schooling in a missionary school. I have a brother five years older than me. He studied medicine in England and is now attached to a hospital in a suburb of London called Golders Green. He has no plans to return to India.
My father died when I was sixteen. Soon after his death, my mother and I left Monghyr and came to Calcutta where we stayed with my maternal uncle. I went to St. Xavier’s College and took my bachelor’s degree. Soon after that I got my job with the advertising agency. My uncle’s influence helped, but I wasn’t an unworthy candidate myself. I had been a good student, I spoke English fluently, and most of all, I had the ability to carry myself well in an interview.

Q1. Where was Aniruddha Bose born and where did he do his schooling?
Ans. Aniruddha Bose was born and did his schooling in Monghyr, a town in Bihar, at a missionary school.

Q2. What was Aniruddha’s father’s profession?
Ans. Aniruddha’s father was a well-known physician.

Q3. What is Aniruddha’s older brother’s profession and where does he work?
Ans. Aniruddha’s older brother studied medicine and is now attached to a hospital in Golders Green, a suburb of London.

Q4. What happened after Aniruddha’s father died?
Ans. After his father died when Aniruddha was sixteen, he and his mother left Monghyr and moved to Calcutta to stay with his maternal uncle.

Q5. What qualities made Aniruddha a suitable candidate for his job at the advertising agency?
Ans. Aniruddha was a good student, spoke English fluently, and had the ability to carry himself well in an interview.

 

Extra Questions

SHORT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q1. Who is the narrator of the story, and what is his main reason for writing it?
Ans. The narrator of the story is Aniruddha Bose, a twenty-nine-year-old bachelor who works in an advertising agency in Calcutta. He enjoys writing in his spare time, and his main reason for taking up his pen is to describe a terrible experience that sparked his interest in indigo plantations. This experience involves a supernatural event where he temporarily takes on the identity of an English indigo planter from the 19th century, revealing a dark and tragic part of history.

Q2. Describe the unexpected trouble Aniruddha faced during his car journey to Dumka.
Ans. Aniruddha’s journey to Dumka, meant to be a relaxing trip to visit a friend, turned into an unexpected ordeal. First, he was delayed by a long visit from an old family friend, causing him to leave later than planned. Then, while driving through open country, he encountered a severe nor’wester storm, which frightened him. The biggest trouble came when his car suffered two flat tires in quick succession, leaving him stranded on a deserted road without any spare tires. This unfortunate situation forced him to seek unexpected shelter for the night.

Q3. Where did Aniruddha find shelter for the night, and what did he learn about the place?
Ans. After being stranded due to car trouble and a storm, Aniruddha found shelter in an old dak bungalow, which was essentially a small, rundown guesthouse. He located it after spotting a light from a nearby cottage and meeting its caretaker, Sukhanram. From Sukhanram, Aniruddha learned that the bungalow had a history. It was built during the time of the British Raj and had once belonged to an English indigo planter. He also discovered that there used to be an indigo factory close by, though only its chimney remained, hinting at the area’s colonial past.

Q4. What strange transformation did Aniruddha experience during the night in the bungalow?
Ans. During the night in the dak bungalow, Aniruddha experienced a bewildering and supernatural transformation. He woke up to find that his personal belongings like his wristwatch, torch, and suitcase had disappeared. More disturbingly, he realized his clothes had changed, and his own physical appearance was different. When he looked into a mirror, he saw not himself, but a completely different person: a pale, blond-haired Englishman with distinct features. Even his voice acquired an English accent. This transformation suggested that he had somehow taken on the identity of the former English indigo planter who once lived in that very bungalow.

Q5. What was the English indigo planter’s diary entry about, and what did he do at the end?
Ans. The English indigo planter’s diary entry, which Aniruddha found himself compelled to write, revealed the planter’s desperate and tragic state. He wrote about suffering from repeated malaria attacks and being tormented by mosquitoes. He confessed that he couldn’t return to England because of his past misdeeds and his greedy involvement in the indigo trade. He knew he would die on Indian soil, joining his deceased wife Mary and son Toby. He felt no one would mourn him due to his harsh treatment of the natives, except perhaps his faithful servant Mirjan and his dog, Rex. In the end, overwhelmed by his fate and worry for Rex, the planter shot his own dog, Rex, and then used the pistol on himself, committing suicide.

LONG QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q1. Describe Aniruddha Bose’s personality and his usual routine before his extraordinary experience. How did his habits prepare him for such a peculiar encounter?
Ans. Aniruddha Bose is portrayed as an independent, organized, and somewhat solitary individual. At twenty-nine, he lives comfortably in Calcutta, working in advertising. He is a careful planner, as seen by his meticulous approach to his car and his trips. His practical nature is evident in his self-assessment as a job candidate, highlighting his good student record, fluent English, and interview skills. Despite his city life, Aniruddha has a strong habit, formed in his childhood in Monghyr, of seeking escape from the hectic life of Calcutta. He frequently takes solo car trips on weekends to places like Diamond Harbour, preferring his own company due to a lack of close friends in the city. This particular habit of venturing alone into quieter areas unknowingly prepares him for the peculiar encounter at the dak bungalow. His self-reliance and experience with solitary travel mean he is not easily deterred by being stranded. While he experiences fear and confusion during the supernatural events, his underlying practical and observational nature allows him to process the impossible situation, noting details of his transformation and the planter’s actions. This blend of rationality and a yearning for solitude sets the stage for his unique interaction with the past.

Q2. Elaborate on the challenges Aniruddha faced during his journey to Dumka. How did these events build up to his eventual need for shelter in the dak bungalow?
Ans. Aniruddha’s journey to Dumka was plagued by a series of escalating challenges that directly led to his desperate search for shelter. His trip began with an unexpected delay caused by an old family friend, pushing his departure later than planned. He then encountered dreary and boring driving conditions through the initial thirty miles of dingy towns. The real troubles began with a flat tire near Panagarh, forcing him to change it himself, which left him sweating and behind schedule. This mechanical failure was compounded by a sudden and fierce nor’wester storm, a type of weather he had only previously enjoyed from the safety of his home. The storm brought intense thunder and lightning, filling him with a deep sense of fear as he drove through open country. Just when he thought the worst was over, a second tire burst, rendering his car completely immobile as he had no more spares. Stranded in pouring rain, visibility almost zero, and realizing he had taken a wrong turn, Aniruddha faced the grim reality that he could not reach Dumka that night. These successive setbacks like delays, mechanical failures, severe weather, and getting lost created an unavoidable need for immediate shelter, pushing him towards the remote dak bungalow where his extraordinary experience awaited.

Q3. Discuss the significance of the old dak bungalow in the story. How does its historical background contribute to the mysterious events that unfold within its walls?
Ans. The old dak bungalow serves as much more than just a temporary shelter; it is a crucial setting that functions as a gateway between past and present, directly enabling the story’s mysterious events. Its historical background as a former sahib’s bungalow and its proximity to the ruins of an indigo factory immediately establish a connection to the colonial era and the specific, often brutal, history of indigo plantations. This historical context is vital because the bungalow literally houses the lingering essence of a past occupant, the English indigo planter, Eric. The fact that it was built during the time of the British Raj and belonged to a planter already steeped in the controversial indigo trade lends it an atmosphere heavy with untold stories and unresolved pasts. Its isolated, dilapidated state further emphasizes its detachment from the contemporary world, making it a fitting place for a breach in reality. The bungalow acts as a vessel, and perhaps a trigger, for Aniruddha’s temporal displacement. The historical details provided about the bungalow and its former owner give a believable grounding to the seemingly impossible supernatural possession, suggesting that the bungalow itself holds the echoes of intense human experiences, which manifest on the specific anniversary of the planter’s death.

Q4. Explain the character of the English indigo planter, Eric, as revealed through his diary entry and actions. What were his major conflicts and motivations?
Ans. The English indigo planter, Eric, is revealed as a deeply conflicted and morally compromised individual, whose character is primarily understood through his chilling diary entry and his final actions. He is suffering from repeated malaria attacks, implying a weakened physical state, but his true torment stems from profound internal conflicts. Eric confesses to being greedier than his peers, which kept him tied to the lucrative, yet brutal, indigo business despite the health risks. This reveals a motivation driven by financial gain, likely at the expense of others. More significantly, he carries a heavy burden of guilt and shame from his past in England, stating he didn’t lead a blameless life at home either and dared not return. This suggests a history of wrongdoing prior to his colonial exploits. His major conflict is between his desire to survive and his deep self-loathing, coupled with the realization that he is trapped and isolated. He acknowledges his cruel treatment of the natives, which ensures no one in India will mourn him, except perhaps his faithful servant Mirjan. His ultimate motivation is despair and a twisted sense of mercy, particularly towards his loyal dog, Rex. Knowing that Rex would be cruelly killed by the locals after his own death, Eric makes the tragic decision to kill his beloved companion himself, a final act of control and desperation before ending his own tormented life.

Q5. What role does irony play in the story Indigo? Discuss at least two instances of irony and how they contribute to the narrative’s themes.
Ans. Irony plays a significant role in Indigo, enhancing its mysterious atmosphere and contributing to its themes. One prominent instance of situational irony is Aniruddha’s reason for making his trips. He frequently escapes Calcutta’s hectic life seeking solitude and a break from the mundane. Ironically, his pursuit of quiet solitude leads him directly into the most extraordinary and unsettling experience of his life, a supernatural possession that completely shatters his rational, predictable world. He desired a simple getaway but encountered a profound intrusion of the past, challenging his very identity. This irony underscores the theme that sometimes, in seeking escape, one encounters something far more intense and inescapable. Another layer of irony lies in Aniruddha’s initial relief and self-congratulation upon finding the dak bungalow. After a grueling journey fraught with mechanical failures and severe weather, he feels fortunate to have found shelter, even congratulating himself on learning a hard lesson about preparation. The dramatic irony here is palpable because the reader, aware of the supernatural context suggested by the story’s genre, knows that his shelter is far from safe. This supposed haven turns out to be the very place where his reality dissolves, and he becomes entangled in a violent, century-old tragedy. This irony highlights the story’s theme of fate and the unexpected ways in which the past can intrude upon the present, regardless of a person’s immediate circumstances or preparations.

 

Also See:

Prism Book Lesson Explanation

Prism Book Question Answers

Prism Book Character Sketch

Rhapsody Book Poem Explanation

Rhapsody Book Question Answers

Also See:

on

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *