The Treasure Within

1. What did Hafeez Contractor have nightmares about?

Answer: HafeezContractor was afraid of mathematics. So he used to have nightmares about math
examination.

2. What did the Principal say to him, which influenced
him deeply?

Answer: The principal said to him how his mother toiled hard to bring him up in spite of his
fatherโ€™s death. She further said that he was grown up and should start taking
care of himself. That he should start giving top priority to his study instead
of sports.

Principalโ€™s pep talk influenced him deeply.

3. โ€œ… that year I did not step out onto the field.โ€
What was he busy doing that year?

Answer: Hafeez
was a good sportsperson and participated actively in sporting activities. He
loathed his studies. But after principalโ€™s motivating speech he focused on his
study and did not step out onto the field.

4. (i) What โ€œdistractionโ€ did Hafeez Contractor create
one day?

Answer: Hafeez
was always trying to do some funny pranks. One day he played โ€˜Chor-Sipahiโ€™ with
classmates for one hour distracting everybody from the study.

(ii) Would you have liked to participate in the
โ€œdistractionโ€ had you been with him?

Answer: It
depends which month of the year it is. If it is not exam time, then such
distractions and pranks are welcome once in a blue moon. But if it is exam time
then study should be the priority. There is a saying that all work and no play
makes Jack a dull boy. But too much of everything is bad.

5. Hafeez Contractor wanted to join the police force. Why
did not he?

Answer:
Hafeezโ€™ mother advised him against joining the police force. He was advised to
go for graduation instead.

6. In the architectโ€™s office, Hafeez was advised to drop
everything and join architecture. Why?

Answer: In the
architectโ€™s office somebody was making a technical drawing of a window. Hafeez
observed some lacunae in the drawing and convinced that person. Then Hafeez was
asked to make a drawing for a house which Hafeez did surprisingly well. They
were stunned to see Hafeezโ€™s natural talent and advised him to join
architecture.

7. (i) What was Mrs Guptaโ€™s advice to Hafeez Contractor?

Answer: Mrs.
Gupta was impressed by the sketches Hafeez used to make during childhood.

(ii) What made her advise him so?

Answer: She
thought Hafeez was good at nothing but sketching, so she advised him to become
an architect.

 

8. How did he help fellow students who lost a button?

Answer: Hafeez used to create a button by
sculpting chalks. In boarding school, the dress code was to be strictly followed for
lunch or dinner. He helped his fellow students attend the lunch in spite of
losing a button.

 

9. Which rules did he break as a schoolboy?

Answer: Life
in boarding schools can be tough. It helps develop a more independent child.
Hafeez used to break rules of strict discipline in school. He wanted to be his
own self. It helped him develop an independent personality.

10. (i) What is Hafeez Contractorโ€™s definition of
mathematics?

Answer: Hafeezโ€™s definition of mathematics
was about finding a solution to a problem by putting various pieces together to
create a practical solution to problems related to architecture. For Hafeez, it
had more to do with instinct rather than with calculations.

Mathematics is the most basic and pure way of
finding a solution to a problem.

 

(ii) How would you want to define mathematics? Do you
like the subject?

Answer- Tell your own choice