NCERT Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 4 'Bepin Choudhary’s Loss of Memory': Notes and Solutions (Free PDF)

NCERT Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 4 contains a story ‘Bepin Choudhary’s Loss of Memory’ by Satyajit Ray, an eminent writer and a cherished filmmaker. To understand the story, you need to know about important words and phrases in the prose. To help you, we have enlisted important word meanings in the blog. Also, we have answered all questions in the Comprehension Check, Writing with the Text, Working with Language, and Writing sections of the chapter. Keep reading to get the NCERT solutions PDF as well!!

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NCERT Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 4: Bepin Choudhary’s Loss of Memory

The story ‘Bepin Choudhary’s Loss of Memory’ in NCERT Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 4 is prose by Satyajit Ray. The story is about Bepin Choudhary’s life and mental health. Other key characters in the prose are Chunilal, Dr Chanda, Parimal Ghose, and Mr Mukerji.

Source: Magnet Brains

Important Words and Phrases and Their Meanings

Let us now explore relevant words and phrases and their meanings in the chapter Bepin Choudhary’s Loss of Memory:

Idle chat: General conversation and unnecessary discussion
Meek: Humble or docile
Utter disbelief: Unbelievable or complete surprise
(his) Head reeled: He was amazed and perplexed
Losing his mind: Becoming unstable
Intimate: Being close
Bracing: Stimulating
Getting into people’s hair: Meddling with other people’s heads and annoying them
Going nuts: Going crazy
Sleuthing: Carefully investigating an incident
Carry on: Continue
Conscientious: Do something carefully and correctly
Head was in a whirl: Puzzled and unable to think with clarity
Having a rough time: Dealing with numerous problems
Gather his wits together: Work constantly to attain peace and think clearly
Turning up like a bad penny: Visting a place or being in a situation where an individual is not welcome
Throw your mind back: Go down the memory lane and remember a past event
Off and on: Now and then
Didn’t beat about the bush: Come to the point directly
Must see about consulting: May need to consult
Procured: Obtained
Tranquilliser: A medicine for reducing anxiety and stress
Came round: Regained consciousness
In retribution of: Punishment for a crime

Also Read:

20+ Daily Used English Words: with Meaning

199+ Top Synonyms List to Strengthen Your Vocabulary

500+ Antonym words You Should Explore!

Explore NCERT Solutions for all chapters of Honeydew:

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Unit 5 Chapter	Unit 6 Chapter	Unit 7 Chapter	Unit 8 Chapter

Download NCERT Solutions Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 4: Bepin’s Choudhary Loss of Memory

NCERT Solutions Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 4: Bepin Choudhary’s Loss of Memory

Now, let us dwell on NCERT Solutions Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 4 to score well in unit tests and terminal examinations.

Comprehension Check I (Page 58)

Ques 1. Why did the man stare at Bepin Babu in disbelief?

Ans: Bepin Babu didn’t recognise the man and the man couldn’t believe it. The man was sure they had met in Ranchi, but Bepin Babu showed no sign of recognition.

Ques 2. Where did Bepin Babu say he went in October ’58?

Ans: As per Bepin Bapu he went to Kanpur in October’58 to enjoy Pujay holidays with one of his friends.

Ques 3. Mention any three (or more) things that Parimal Ghose knew about Bepin Babu.

Ans: Parimal Ghose knew the following things about Bepin Babu:

He was childless
His wife died a decade ago
He lost his brother due to mental illness, owing to which he refused to visit Racnchi’s mental hospital.

Comprehension Check II (Page 61)

Ques 1. Why did Bepin Babu worry about what Parimal Ghose had said?

Ans: Bepin Babu was anxious about Parimal Ghose’s words because he revealed intimate details about him. Parimal knew about Bepin’s book bag, his wife’s death, and his brother’s mental condition. With Parimal Ghose being so well-informed, Bepin could not confidently deny any mistakes about the Ranchi trip.

Ques 2. How did he try to decide who was right—his memory or Parimal Ghose?

Ans: Bepin Babu was struggling to decide whether his memory of Parimal Ghose was correct or not. He examined his right knee, where Parimal mentioned a cut, and indeed found an old mark. However, he could not determine if it was from his fall in Ranchi or a childhood incident. To clear his confusion, he decided to inquire with Dinesh Mukherjee, the person Parimal claimed was with him in Ranchi, hoping this would provide clarity.

Ques 3. Why did Bepin Babu hesitate to visit Mr Mukerji? Why did he finally decide to phone him?

Ans: Bepin Babu was reluctant to see Mr Dinesh Mukerji because he feared facing harsh sarcasm. Also, he was worried that Mr Mukerji might think he was insane if the Ranchi story was untrue.

Further, Bepin was troubled by the bookshop incident and had no other way to verify Parimal Ghose’s claims. Eventually, he opted to contact Mr. Mukerji by phone, hoping to avoid visible embarrassment.

Ques 4. What did Mr Mukerji say? Did it comfort Bepin Babu, or add to his worries?

Ans: Mr Mukerji said that he and Bepin Babu did visit Ranchi in 1958. This increased Bepin Babu’s anxiety, as he could not understand how he could have possibly forgotten about such a trip.

Comprehension Check III (Page 64)

Ques 1. Who was Chunilal? What did he want from Bepin Babu?

Ans: Chunilal was former schoolmate of Bepin Babu. He had started visiting Bepin Babu in search of a job as he was dealing with a lot of problems in recent times.

Ques 2. Why was Dr Chanda puzzled? What was unusual about Bepin Babu’s loss of memory?

Ans: Dr. Chanda was perplexed as Bepin Babu’s case was unlike any he had encountered before. Bepin’s case fell outside Dr Chanda’s usual expertise. The unique aspect was that Bepin remembered everything in his past except for one incident. Dr Chanda suggested that Bepin Babu must have been to Ranchi, but for some unknown reason, the entire episode had slipped from his memory.

Comprehension Check IV (Page 66)

Ques 1. Had Bepin Babu really lost his memory and forgotten all about a trip to Ranchi?

Ans: No, Bepin Babu had not lost his memory and forgotten all about a trip to Ranchi. It was a false perspective made by Chunilal.

Ques 2. Why do you think Chunilal did what he did? Chunilal says he has no money; what is it that he does have?

Ans: Chunilal carried out the trick because Bepin Babu had not assisted him when he needed a job and was financially struggling. Feeling overlooked, Chunilal claimed to lack money but emphasised his resourcefulness through imagination.

Working with the Text

Ques 1. The author describes Bepin Babu as a serious and hardworking man. What evidence can you find in the story to support this?

Ans: Bepin Babu was portrayed as a diligent and dedicated individual. He was engaged in a daily routine at a large firm. In the firm, he handled a significant and responsible role. His commitment to the job spanned twenty-five years. During his work period, he managed to earn a reputation for being a hardworking and conscientious employee.

Ques 2. Why did Bepin Babu change his mind about meeting Chunilal? What was the result of this meeting?

Ans: Chunilal frequently visited Bepin Babu seeking job assistance, but Bepin Babu consistently avoided meeting him. However, on a particular day, he had a change of heart and decided to talk to Chunilal. Bepin Babu wanted to ask Chunilal if he remembered anything about the Ranchi visit. To his surprise, Chunilal confirmed Bepin Babu’s trip to Ranchi. Confused and concerned, Bepin Babu decided to seek help from a specialist doctor for his apparent memory loss.

Ques 3. Bepin Babu lost consciousness at Hudroo Falls. What do you think was the reason for this?

Ans: Bepin Babu fainted at Hudroo Falls, realising it was the crucial location to trigger memories of his past visit to Ranchi in 1958. Unfortunately, despite his efforts, he could not recall any incidents. In the process, he collapsed next to a boulder near Hudroo and accidentally broke his hip.

Ques 4. How do you think Bepin Babu reacted when he found out that Chunilal had tricked him?

Ans: Discovering Chunilal’s deception filled Bepin Babu with remorse for not assisting him when he needed help. He regretted turning down Chunilal’s requests and recognised that amid his affluence, he had forgotten the true essence of friendship.

Working with Language

Ques 1. Look at these two sentences.

He had to buy at least five books to last him through the week.
Bepin had to ask Chuni to leave.

Had to is used to show that it was very important or necessary for Bepin Babu to do something. He had no choice. We can also use ‘have to’/ ‘has to’ in the same way.

Fill in the blanks below using ‘had to’/ ‘have to’/ ‘has to’.

(i) I ________________ cut my hair every month.

(ii) We ________________ go for swimming lessons last year.

(iii) She ________________ tell the principal the truth.

(iv) They ________________ take the baby to the doctor.

(v) We ________________ complain to the police about the noise.

(vi) Romit ________________ finish his homework before he could come

out to play.

(vii) I ________________ repair my cycle yesterday.

Ans:

(i) have to

(ii) had to

(iii) had to

(iv) had to

(v) have to

(vi) had to

(vii) had to

Ques 2. Here are a few idioms that you will find in the story. Look for them in the dictionary in the following way.

First, arrange them in the order in which you would find them in a dictionary.

(Clue: An idiom is usually listed under the first noun, verb, adjective or adverb in it. Ignore articles or prepositions in the idiom).

To help you, we have put in italics the word under which you must look for the idiom in the dictionary.)

(i) at/from close quarters (close: adjective)

(ii) break into a smile (break: verb; look under ‘break into something’)

(iii) carry on (carry: verb)

(iv) have a clean record (you may find related meanings under both these words)

(v) beat about the bush (verb)

Now refer to your dictionary and find out what they mean.

Ans:

(i) To remain close by

(ii) To smile suddenly

(iii) Continue with something

(iv) To possess a good track record

(v) To not talk in a straightforward manner

Ques 3. Study the sentences in the columns below.

Column A	Column B
I saw this movie yesterday.	I have seen this movie already.
Bepin Babu worked here for a week last year.	Bepin Babu has worked here since 2003.
Chunnilal wrote to a publisher last week	Chunilal has written to a publisher.
I visited Ranchi once, long ago.	I have visited Ranchi once before.

Compare the sentences in the two columns, especially the verb forms.

Answer the following questions about each pair of sentences.

(i) Which column tells us that Bepin Babu is still working at the same place?

(ii) Which column suggests that Chunilal is now waiting for a reply from the publisher?

(iii) Which column suggests that the person still remembers the movie he saw?

(iv) Which column suggests that the experience of visiting Ranchi is still fresh in the speaker’s mind?

Ans:

(i) Column B

(ii) Column A

(iii) Column B

(iv) Column B

Ques 4. Given below are jumbled sentences. Working in groups, rearrange the words in each sentence to form correct sentences.

You will find that each sentence contains an idiomatic expression that you have come across in the lesson. Underline the idiom and write down its meaning. Then use your dictionary to check the meaning.

One sentence has been worked out for you as an example.

Jumbled sentence: vanished/ The car/ seemed to/ into thin/ have/ air.

Ans: The car seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Idiom: vanished into thin air: disappeared or vanished in a mysterious way

(i) Stop/and tell me/beating about/what you want/the bush