First Summative Examination (Mock Test)

Subhas had cabled Akbar Shah to meet him at Calcutta. Akbar Shah was a co-worker in the freedom struggle against British Raj. He operated in the north-western frontier provinces. He was to help Subhas escape.

Akbar Shah came to Calcutta. He was introduced to Sisir. Together they went to a shop in Central Calcutta where they purchased baggy shalwars (trousers) and a black fez for Subhas’s disguise. Later, Sisir also purchased a suitcase, a bedroll, shirts and pillows. Subhas was to carry these with him in the journey. Sisir then went to a printer’s shop. He ordered a set of calling cards which read: ‘Muhammad Ziauddin, Travelling Inspector, the Empire of India Life Insurance Co. Ltd.’. This was the false identity with which Subhas was to travel.

Elara lived in a small cottage at the edge of a quiet village. Every night, she would sit by her window and watch the stars. She loved the sky. She often wondered where the stars went during the day. “Perhaps they are like lost children,” she thought, “and the sun is their mother looking for them.” One night, a bright star seemed to fall from the sky. It landed in the forest nearby. Elara, being a brave and curious girl, decided to find it. She took a lantern and walked into the dark woods, her heart beating with a mix of fear and excitement. She searched for hours but found nothing. Disappointed, she returned home, only to see the brightest star of all twinkling right above her cottage, as if it was winking at her.