Question

Complete the table for the story you have read. By asking and answering questions, exchange information with your partner (for the story you have not read) and complete the other half of the table.

Name	Shravan	Narendra
Age
Parents
How he spends a typical day
Recreation/hobbies
Hopes/dreams/ambitions
Your assessment of his future

Answer 1

Name	Shravan	Narendra
Age	13 years	13 years
Parents	He is an orphan. His father died of a stroke and his mother fell ill and died a couple of years ago.	His father is a dedicated police officer. His parents are very supportive and encourage him to paint.
How he spends a typical day	His day begins when most other people’s ends. He starts working around seven in the evening. He prepares samosas, tea and coffee and carries these to several press offices. Then he does the dishes and collects the money from everywhere. Then around six in the morning, when all the newspapers are dispatched and all the press employees leave for their home he prepares his food and then takes bath and goes to sleep.	During afternoon after he reaches home from school, he likes to paint or play. Health conscious, he plays tennis and swims regularly in evening. He studies before dinner and goes to bed at 10 O’clock.
Recreation/hobbies	Cinema is his favourite form of entertainment. He even wakes up early to watch the noon show. He misses the time when he used to play gully danda and marbles in his village.	He loves to paint. He recently received Soviet Land Nehru Award for drawing and painting. However, he does not intend to become an artist as he says, “Drawing and painting are just hobbies, which give me a great deal of pleasure.”
Hopes/dreams/ambitions	He wants to fulfil his mother’s dream to own a big shop. Also, he dreams of getting back the land his father mortgaged in his village. His brother and he have already paid back the loan of 8000, now only the interest is left to be paid.	He aspires to become a police officer, just like his father. He has been observing his father and other police men for a very long time. Very confidently he confirms that he possesses the qualities of a good police officer. He is physically fit and mentally alert. A member of a local sports club, he plays tennis in the evening and also swims regularly.
Your assessment of his future	Shravan is a young son of his deceased parents, trying to survive in the big city. He is trying to make a living out of the little he has. His future is lost in bewilderment. Although he is better than what he used to be; however, not good enough like other children at his age. At 13, he is working, serving samosas, tea and coffee, staying up late, working through the night. His childhood is burdened by debt and his dead mother’s dream to fulfil, of owning a shop of his own; he has to restore the land his father mortgaged in their village before he died. At the mercy of his fate, he survives and tries to make an identity of himself.	Narendra is a boy who is bestowed with a well to do family. He has received all the basic amenities and good education. Well focused, he is concerned about his future; he has a goal and a plan. Life is not that tough for him as compared to Shravan. He has loving and supportive parents. All this makes it quiet easier for him to accomplish his goals. He is not just good at sports and chases his hobbies, but also is serious about the career he wants to pursue. If all goes smoothly the way it is, if he stays focussed and passionate about his ambitions and dreams, he has a very bright future.