Read the passage given below and answer the four questions that follow:-
Deven Shrank back in apology. 'No, sir I teach in- in the Hindi department. I took my degree in Hindi because-'
But the poet was not listening. He was laughing and spitting as he laughed because he did it so rustily and unwillingly. Phlegm flew. 'You see', he croaked, 'what did I tell you? You are a slave. Perhaps a spy even if you don't know it, sent to universities to destroy whatever remains of Urdu, hunt it out and kill it. And you tell me it is for an Urdu magazine you wish to interview me. If so, why are you teaching Hindi?" he suddenly roared, fixing Deven with that small, turtle- lidded eye that had now become lethal, a bullet.
'I studied Urdu, sir, as a boy, in Lucknow. My father, he was a schoolteacher, a scholar, and a lover of Urdu poetry. He taught me the language. But he died. He died and my mother brought me to Delhi to live with her relations here. I was sent to the nearest school, a Hindi-medium school, sir,' Deven stumbled through the explanation. 'I took my degree in Hindi, sir, and now I am temporary lecturer in Lala Ram Lal College at Mirpore. It is my living, sir. You see I am married man, a family man. But I still remember my lesson in Urdu, how my father taught me, how he used to read poetry to me. If it were not for the need to earn a living, I would I would-'
How does Deven respond to the poet's accusation?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → He tries to explain his background and circumstances.
Deven stumbled through the explanation: he learnt Urdu as a boy from his father in Lucknow, moved to Delhi after his father's death, studied in a Hindi-medium school and now teaches Hindi because it is his living. He explains his background and circumstances.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: He argues that Hindi and Urdu are equally important. — Incorrect. Wrong focus: Deven does not argue about the two languages; he only explains his own life.
Option 2: He denies being a Hindi lecturer. — Incorrect. Contradicted: he admits it; he says he is a temporary lecturer, teaching Hindi.
Option 3: He leaves the interview abruptly. — Incorrect. Contradicted: he stays and explains himself; he does not leave.