Choose the correct indirect transformation of the following sentence…

The correct answer is Option (2) → Rahul said that he must go then.

Statement in indirect speech:

Other standard changes: is/am → was, do/does → did, will → would, can → could, may → might, has/have → had, here → there, today → that day, tomorrow → the next day.

Change	Direct	Indirect	Why
Joining word	“ ” (inverted commas)	that	“Said” (with no object) stays “said”, and that joins the reported statement. The inverted commas are dropped.
Tense kept	must	must	Must (necessity) has no past form of its own, so it usually stays must (it may also become “had to”).
Pronoun change	I	he	“I” becomes he (Rahul, the speaker).
Words of nearness (time and place)	now	then	“Now” becomes then.
Full sentence	Rahul said, “I must go now.”	Rahul said that he must go then.

Example: She said, “I must leave now.” → She said that she must leave then.

Why the Other Options are Incorrect?

Option 1: Rahul said he has to go then. — Incorrect. "has to" is present tense. After the past reporting verb "said", must stays must or becomes had to.

Option 3: Rahul said that he must go now. — Incorrect. "now" is not changed to "then". Words of nearness change in indirect speech.

Option 4: Rahul said that he should be going then. — Incorrect.

• "should" (advisability) changes the meaning of must (necessity).
• The continuous form "be going" is not in the original.

Contrast: "must" can stay unchanged after "said", but the time word "now" changes to "then".