MP Board 9th English Moments A House Is Not a Home By Zan Gaudioso
कहानी का विवरण (Description of the Story) 🔥
MP Board 9th English Moments A House Is Not a Home By Zan Gaudioso: “A House Is Not a Home” लेखिका ज़ैन गौडिओसो (Zan Gaudioso) द्वारा लिखी गई एक भावनात्मक कहानी है, जो एक किशोर लड़के के अनुभवों पर आधारित है। यह कहानी उसके जीवन में आई एक बड़ी त्रासदी (tragedy) – उसके घर में आग लगने की घटना – और उसके बाद के संघर्षों का वर्णन करती है। कहानी इस गहरे विचार की पड़ताल करती है कि एक ‘घर’ (house) सिर्फ ईंट और पत्थर की इमारत नहीं होता, बल्कि एक ‘आशियाना’ (home) प्यार, अपनेपन और रिश्तों से बनता है। यह कहानी हमें सिखाती है कि कठिन समय में दूसरों की दयालुता (kindness) और समर्थन हमें किसी भी नुकसान से उबरने में मदद कर सकते हैं।
लेखिका के बारे में (About the Author)
ज़ैन गौडिओसो (Zan Gaudioso) एक अमेरिकी लेखिका हैं, जो अपनी प्रेरक कहानियों के लिए जानी जाती हैं। “A House Is Not a Home” उनकी सबसे प्रसिद्ध रचनाओं में से एक है, जो “चिकन सूप फॉर द टीनएज सोल” (“Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul”) नामक प्रसिद्ध पुस्तक श्रृंखला में प्रकाशित हुई थी। उनकी लेखन शैली बहुत ही सरल, व्यक्तिगत और दिल को छू लेने वाली है। वह अक्सर आम लोगों के जीवन की चुनौतियों और उनसे उबरने की कहानियों पर ध्यान केंद्रित करती हैं, जो पाठकों को आशा और प्रेरणा देती हैं।
कहानी का सारांश (Summary of the Story)
यह कहानी एक किशोर लड़के और कथावाचक (narrator) के जीवन पर आधारित है, जो अपने जूनियर हाई स्कूल के बाद एक नए high school (हाई स्कूल) में दाखिला लेता है। वह अपने पुराने स्कूल, दोस्तों और शिक्षकों को बहुत याद करता है और नए स्कूल में अकेला और अलग-थलग (isolated) महसूस करता है।
एक रविवार की दोपहर, जब वह अपनी माँ के साथ घर पर होता है, तो उसे घर से धुआं निकलता हुआ दिखाई देता है। जल्द ही, पूरा घर आग की लपटों में घिर जाता है। वह और उसकी माँ सुरक्षित बाहर निकल जाते हैं, लेकिन कथावाचक को अचानक एहसास होता है कि उसकी प्यारी बिल्ली (cat) कहीं नहीं दिख रही है। वह उसे बचाने के लिए जलते हुए घर में वापस जाने की कोशिश करता है, लेकिन एक fireman (दमकलकर्मी) उसे रोक लेता है।
आग बुझने के बाद, उनका घर लगभग पूरी तरह से नष्ट हो चुका होता है। उनके पास पहनने के लिए कपड़े या जूते भी नहीं बचते, और वे अपने दादा-दादी के घर रहने चले जाते हैं। कथावाचक को अपनी बिल्ली के खोने का बहुत दुख होता है। अगले दिन, उसे उधार के कपड़े और जूते पहनकर स्कूल जाना पड़ता है, जिससे वह बहुत शर्मिंदा महसूस करता है। उसे लगता है कि उसकी ज़िंदगी में सब कुछ खत्म हो गया है – उसका पुराना स्कूल, उसका घर, और उसकी बिल्ली।
लेकिन जल्द ही, उसके स्कूल में सभी को उसकी त्रासदी के बारे में पता चल जाता है। उसके सहपाठी (classmates) उसकी मदद के लिए आगे आते हैं। वे स्कूल की सप्लाई, नोटबुक, और कपड़े इकट्ठा करके उसे देते हैं। लोग उससे मिलते हैं और उसे अपने घर आने का निमंत्रण देते हैं। इस अप्रत्याशित दयालुता (kindness) और चिंता को देखकर कथावाचक अभिभूत हो जाता है। उसे पहली बार लगता है कि वह वास्तव में कुछ दोस्त बना रहा है।
एक महीने बाद, जब वह अपने पुराने घर के पुनर्निर्माण (rebuilding) को देख रहा होता है, तो एक महिला उसके पास आती है। उसके हाथ में कथावाचक की खोई हुई बिल्ली होती है। महिला बताती है कि बिल्ली आग से डरकर भाग गई थी और उसके घर आ गई थी। उसने बिल्ली के कॉलर पर लगे फ़ोन नंबर से संपर्क करने की कोशिश की थी, लेकिन आग के कारण फ़ोन लाइनें खराब थीं।
अपनी बिल्ली को वापस पाकर कथावाचक की खुशी का ठिकाना नहीं रहता। वह अपने नए दोस्तों और उस दयालु महिला का आभार महसूस करता है। उसे एहसास होता है कि उसकी ज़िंदगी वापस पटरी पर आ रही है। वह अपने नए बेडरूम में अपनी बिल्ली और दोस्तों के साथ बैठा होता है और महसूस करता है कि उसने जो घर खोया था, वह वापस मिल गया है। उसे समझ आता है कि एक ‘आशियाना’ (home) वह जगह है जहाँ प्यार और अपनेपन का एहसास हो।
मुख्य पात्र (Main Characters)
- कथावाचक/लेखक (The Narrator/Author): एक किशोर लड़का जो हाई स्कूल में अकेलापन महसूस करता है। घर में आग लगने और बिल्ली के खो जाने की घटना उसे तोड़ देती है, लेकिन अंत में वह अपने दोस्तों की दयालुता से उबर जाता है।
- माँ (The Mother): एक मजबूत और देखभाल करने वाली महिला जो आग लगने के बाद अपने बेटे को संभालती है और जीवन को फिर से बनाने की कोशिश करती है।
- बिल्ली (The Cat): कथावाचक की पालतू बिल्ली, जिसका खो जाना उसके दुख का एक बड़ा कारण बनता है। बिल्ली का वापस मिलना कहानी में आशा और खुशी का प्रतीक है।
- स्कूल के सहपाठी (The Schoolmates): वे दयालुता और समर्थन का प्रतीक हैं। उनका निस्वार्थ भाव कथावाचक को अकेलेपन से बाहर निकालने और नए दोस्त बनाने में मदद करता है।
कठिन शब्दों के अर्थ (Difficult Word Meanings)
| English Word | Hindi Meaning |
| Awkward | अजीब, अटपटा |
| Isolated | अलग-थलग, अकेला |
| Swatting | मारना, थपथपाना |
| Engulfed | घिरा हुआ, निगल लिया |
| Fireman | दमकलकर्मी |
| Destiny | भाग्य, नियति |
| Outcast | बहिष्कृत, समाज से निकाला हुआ |
| Geek | अजीब या जुनूनी व्यक्ति |
| Vulnerable | कमजोर, असुरक्षित |
| Gratitude | आभार, कृतज्ञता |
| Tragedy | त्रासदी, दुखद घटना |
Short Answer Questions from Text Book🔥
1. What does the author notice one Sunday afternoon? What is his mother’s reaction? What does she do?
One Sunday afternoon, the author notices smoke pouring through the ceiling. His mother reacts quickly, getting them both out of the house safely. She then repeatedly runs back into the burning house to save a small metal box containing important documents and old family photos.
2. Why does he break down in tears after the fire?
He breaks down in tears because the reality of his terrible situation hits him all at once. He feels overwhelmed by the cumulative loss of his old school, his house, and his beloved pet cat. The fire was the final tragedy that compounded all his earlier feelings of loneliness and sadness.
3. Why is the author deeply embarrassed the next day in school? Which words show his fear and insecurity?
The author is deeply embarrassed because he has to wear borrowed clothes and shoes, has no books or homework, and feels like everyone is staring at him.
Words that show his fear and insecurity include his feeling of being an “outcast” and a “geek.” The line, “I just wanted to curl up and die,” most powerfully shows his deep sense of insecurity.
4. The cat and the author are very fond of each other. How has this been shown in the story? Where was the cat after the fire? Who brings it back and how?
Their fondness is shown when the author tries to run back into the burning house to save his cat and later cries for hours, missing it. The cat was not in the fire; it had gotten scared and run away. A kind woman, who lived miles away, found the cat and brought it back after finding the author’s phone number on its collar.
5. What actions of the schoolmates change the author’s understanding of life and people, and comfort him emotionally? How does his loneliness vanish and how does he start participating in life?
The genuine concern and kind actions of his schoolmates change the author’s understanding. They collect school supplies, clothes, and other items for him and invite him to their homes. This outpouring of support makes him realize that people can be very kind and that he is not alone.
His loneliness vanishes as he stops focusing on his troubles and starts making new friends. This newfound sense of connection and belonging comforts him and helps him start participating in life again.
6. What is the meaning of “My cat was back and so was I”? Had the author gone anywhere? Why does he say that he is also back?
This statement has a deep emotional meaning. The author had not physically gone anywhere, but he was emotionally and mentally lost in a state of grief, loneliness, and depression after losing his home and his old life.
He says “so was I” because the return of his cat, along with the kindness of his new friends, helped him overcome his sadness. It signifies that his old, happy, and secure self had returned. He was no longer just surviving but was ready to live his life fully again.
Very Short Answer Type Questions ✍️
Question 1: Why was the author feeling lonely in his new high school?
Answer: He was feeling lonely because he missed his old friends and teachers.
Question 2: What happened to the author’s house one Sunday?
Answer: His house caught fire and was almost completely burned down.
Question 3: What did the author lose in the fire that deeply saddened him?
Answer: He lost his pet cat.
Question 4: How did the author’s new schoolmates help him?
Answer: They collected school supplies, clothes, and other items for him.
Question 5: Who found the author’s lost cat?
Answer: A kind woman found the cat and brought it back to him.
Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1: Why did the author feel embarrassed the day after the fire?
Answer: He felt embarrassed because he had to go to school wearing borrowed clothes and odd-looking tennis shoes. He felt like an outcast and didn’t have any of his books or homework.
Question 2: What is the difference between a “house” and a “home” according to the author?
Answer: According to the author, a “house” is just a physical building of bricks and mortar. A “home,” on the other hand, is a place filled with love, connection, and a sense of belonging, created by family, friends, and pets.
Question 3: How did the author’s feelings towards his new school and friends change after the fire?
Answer: After the fire, his schoolmates showed him immense kindness and support. This act of genuine concern changed his feelings of isolation into a sense of belonging. He stopped feeling like a newcomer and started making new friends.
MCQs on “A House Is Not a Home” 🔥
- The author felt isolated in his new…?
a) Neighbourhood
b) High school
c) City
d) Class
Answer: b) High school - What was the author doing when the fire started?
a) Sleeping
b) Studying
c) Sitting at the dining-table
d) Playing outside
Answer: c) Sitting at the dining-table - The author’s mother ran back into the burning house to save…?
a) The cat
b) Important documents
c) Money and jewelry
d) Old photos
Answer: b) Important documents - After the fire, where did the author and his mother spend the night?
a) In a hotel
b) At a neighbour’s house
c) At his grandparents’ house
d) In a shelter
Answer: c) At his grandparents’ house - What was the author most worried about after the fire?
a) His lost books
b) His lost clothes
c) His lost cat
d) His lost homework
Answer: c) His lost cat - What did the author wear to school the next day?
a) His old school uniform
b) Clothes from the church
c) His gym clothes
d) Borrowed tennis shoes
Answer: d) Borrowed tennis shoes - How did the students at his new school help him?
a) They gave him money
b) They collected supplies for him
c) They rebuilt his house
d) They found his cat
Answer: b) They collected supplies for him - What emotion did the author feel when his classmates helped him?
a) Embarrassment
b) Anger
c) Gratitude
d) Sadness
Answer: c) Gratitude - For how long was the author’s cat missing?
a) For a few days
b) For a week
c) For a month
d) For a year
Answer: c) For a month - How did the kind woman find the author?
a) From a poster
b) Through the neighbours
c) From the phone number on the cat’s collar
d) From the school
Answer: c) From the phone number on the cat’s collar - The author’s cat had run away because it was…?
a) Lost
b) Scared by the fire
c) Chasing a mouse
d) Hungry
Answer: b) Scared by the fire - When the author got his cat back, he felt…?
a) A sense of loss
b) His life was returning to normal
c) Angry at the cat
d) Confused
Answer: b) His life was returning to normal - What is the central theme of the story?
a) The dangers of fire
b) The challenges of high school
c) The importance of kindness and community
d) The love for animals
Answer: c) The importance of kindness and community - The narrator’s old school teachers encouraged him to…?
a) Get involved in new activities
b) Forget about the past
c) Work harder
d) Visit them often
Answer: a) Get involved in new activities - What did the author realize at the end of the story?
a) He needed a new house
b) He missed his old life
c) A home is about love
d) He should be more careful
Answer: c) A home is about love - Who stopped the author from running back into the burning house?
a) His mother
b) A neighbour
c) A policeman
d) A fireman
Answer: d) A fireman - The story is an excerpt from which famous book series?
a) Goosebumps
b) Harry Potter
c) Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul
d) The Hardy Boys
Answer: c) Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul - The word “vulnerable” in the story means feeling…?
a) Strong
b) Exposed and weak
c) Angry
d) Happy
Answer: b) Exposed and weak - The author’s feeling of responsibility for the fire was…?
a) Justified
b) A normal reaction
c) Blamed on him by his mother
d) Quickly forgotten
Answer: b) A normal reaction - The return of the cat symbolized the return of…?
a) His old house
b) His lost money
c) Normalcy and happiness
d) His old friends
Answer: c) Normalcy and happiness