In This Article We Have Discussed “The Night Train at Deoli by Ruskin Bond – 100+ MCQ with Answers|Class 12 3rd Semester”
About The Night Train at Deoli (Short Summary)
The Night Train at Deoli is a short story written by Ruskin Bond. The story is about a young boy who regularly travels by train during his holidays. On one journey, he meets a lonely girl selling baskets at the small station of Deoli. He feels an instant connection with her, but they never speak much. When the train leaves, he realizes he may never see her again. The story reflects themes of love, longing, and the beauty of brief human connections.
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“দ্য নাইট ট্রেন অ্যাট দেউলি” হলো রাস্কিন বন্ডের লেখা একটি ছোটগল্প। গল্পটি একটি তরুণ ছেলেকে নিয়ে, যে ছুটির সময় নিয়মিত ট্রেনে ভ্রমণ করে। এক যাত্রায় সে দেউলি নামক ছোট্ট স্টেশনে একাকী এক ঝুড়ি বিক্রেতা মেয়ের সাথে দেখা করে। ছেলেটি হঠাৎই তার প্রতি গভীর টান অনুভব করে, কিন্তু তাদের মধ্যে তেমন কথা হয় না। ট্রেন ছেড়ে যাওয়ার সময় সে বুঝতে পারে হয়তো আর কখনো সেই মেয়েটিকে দেখা হবে না। গল্পটি ভালোবাসা, আকাঙ্ক্ষা এবং ক্ষণিক মানবিক সম্পর্কের সৌন্দর্যকে তুলে ধরে।
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MCQ Questions and Answers [ Set-1]
1. The author of “The Night Train at Deoli” is—
A) Mulk Raj Anand B) R.K. Narayan C) Ruskin Bond D) Khushwant Singh
Ans: C
2. “The Night Train at Deoli” is a—
A) Biography B) Short story C) Travel essay D) One-act play
Ans: B
3. The story is narrated in—
A) First person B) Second person C) Third person-limited D) Third person-omniscient
Ans: A
4. The narrator used to spend his summer vacations at—
A) Delhi B) Dehra C) Deoli D) Mussoorie
Ans: B
5. He stayed with his—
A) Parents B) Uncle C) Grandmother D) Cousin
Ans: C
6. He would leave the plains—
A) Early in May B) Late in May C) Early in June D) Late in July
Ans: A
7. He would return from vacation—
A) Early in June B) Late in July C) Early in August D) Late in August
Ans: B
8. Deoli is about how many miles from Dehra?
A) 20 B) 30 C) 40 D) 50
Ans: B
9. The train reached Deoli at about—
A) 4 a.m. B) 5 a.m. C) 6 a.m. D) 7 a.m.
Ans: B
10. The platform at Deoli was—
A) Always crowded B) Dimly lit and lonely C) Decorated with flowers D) Full of porters
Ans: B
11. The platform had—
A) Two tea stalls B) A tea stall and a fruit vendor C) A bookshop D) A restaurant
Ans: B
12. The train halted at Deoli for—
A) 5 minutes B) 8 minutes C) 10 minutes D) 15 minutes
Ans: C
13. Why did the narrator feel sorry for Deoli?
A) Because it was too noisy B) Because nobody wanted to visit it
C) Because it was dangerous D) Because trains never stopped there
Ans: B
14. The narrator once decided to—
A) Walk into the jungle B) Get off and spend a day at Deoli
C) Skip Deoli forever D) Move to Deoli
Ans: B
15. The girl the narrator notices was selling—
A) Flowers B) Baskets C) Toys D) Books
Ans: B
16. The girl’s appearance is best described as—
A) Pale face, shiny black hair, dark troubled eyes
B) Tall with brown hair and spectacles
C) Richly dressed with jewellery
D) Dirty and shabby
Ans: A
17. On first seeing the girl, the narrator felt—
A) Fear B) Irritation C) Fascination/Attraction D) Anger
Ans: C
18. Initially, when their eyes met—
A) Both smiled B) She looked away C) He shouted D) A quarrel began
Ans: B
19. The narrator went to the—
A) Ticket counter B) Waiting room C) Tea stall D) Stationmaster’s office
Ans: C
20. When the narrator went to the tea stall, the girl—
A) Went away B) Followed him C) Boarded the train D) Slept
Ans: A
21. The girl asked the narrator to—
A) Buy a basket B) Write to her C) Take her photo D) Give food
Ans: A
22. The narrator finally paid for the basket—
A) ₹2 B) ₹5 C) One rupee D) Twelve and a half annas
Ans: D
23. After refusing at first, they—
A) Argued B) Stood looking at each other C) Walked away D) Laughed loudly
Ans: B
24. The narrator wished to—
A) Put her on the train B) Scold her C) Insult her D) Call the police
Ans: A
25. He did not act on his impulse mainly because—
A) He had no money B) There wasn’t time / the guard’s whistle would blow
C) She refused D) The tea vendor stopped him
Ans: B
26. The guard’s whistle and bell symbolize—
A) Celebration B) Danger C) The inevitability of separation/time
D) A festival
Ans: C
27. The narrator felt Deoli was—
A) A bustling junction B) A forgotten place C) A hill station D) A port town
Ans: B
28. The tone of the story is largely—
A) Comic B) Satiric C) Nostalgic and wistful D) Ironic
Ans: C
29. The story’s central theme is—
A) Political conflict B) Fleeting love and memory
C) Crime and punishment D) War and peace
Ans: B
30. The narrative setting mainly covers—
A) A day-long stopover B) A brief halt at dawn
C) A night at the station D) A week in the town
Ans: B
31. The girl’s dignity is shown through her—
A) Loud bargaining B) Quiet manner and eyes
C) Expensive clothes D) Anger
Ans: B
32. The station had how many platforms (as described)?
A) One B) Two C) Three D) Four
Ans: A
33. Porters (coolies) at Deoli were—
A) Many B) Few C) None D) Only at night
Ans: C
34. The jungle across the tracks is visible in—
A) Bright daylight B) Faint dawn light
C) Evening sun D) Moonlight
Ans: B
35. The narrator meets the girl again—
A) On his return journey B) In Dehra bazaar C) In Delhi D) Never again
Ans: A
36. On the return halt, the girl—
A) Ignores him completely B) Remembers him
C) Fights with him D) Runs away
Ans: B
37. Their connection is portrayed as—
A) Loud and public B) Silent and intense
C) Transactional only D) Hostile
Ans: B
38. The narrator’s age at the time (commonly cited) was—
A) 16 B) 18 C) 21 D) 25
Ans: B
39. What happens on a later visit when he looks for her?
A) He marries her B) She has shifted elsewhere / she’s gone
C) She rejects him D) She is ill
Ans: B
40. The mood at the end is—
A) Triumphant B) Comedic C) Melancholic/longing D) Angry
Ans: C
41. The title foregrounds—
A) The jungle B) The train’s brief halt and setting
C) The narrator’s grandmother D) The tea vendor
Ans: B
42. The story structure mainly follows—
A) Exposition only B) Circular return to the station
C) Flashback-only D) Epistolary form
Ans: B
43. “Dimly lit with electric bulbs and oil-lamps” is—
A) Metaphor B) Oxymoron C) Visual imagery D) Personification
Ans: C
44. “The guard blew his whistle” functions as—
A) Climax B) Catalyst / turning point
C) Denouement D) Comic relief
Ans: B
45. The fruit vendor suggests—
A) Urban luxury B) Simple, sleepy rural station life
C) War-time ration D) Political rally
Ans: B
46. The stray dogs add to the station’s—
A) Wealth B) Exoticism C) Loneliness/ordinariness
D) Danger
Ans: C
47. The narrator’s impulse to “put her on the train” shows—
A) Recklessness only B) A rescue fantasy/romantic impulse
C) Cruelty D) Social satire
Ans: B
48. The basket’s symbolic value is—
A) Wealth B) Bond/connection token
C) Rebellion D) Religion
Ans: B
49. The repeated ten-minute halt symbolizes—
A) Endless time B) Brief chances in life
C) Imprisonment D) Festival
Ans: B
50. The central conflict is between—
A) Rich vs poor B) City vs village
C) Desire vs limitation/time
D) Politics vs literature
Ans: C
MCQ Questions and Answers [Set -2]
51. The narrative pace at Deoli feels—
A) Rushed B) Unnaturally slow
C) Suspended/paused
D) Chaotic
Ans: C
52. The story belongs to which collection?
A) Malgudi Days B) The Night Train at Deoli and Other Stories
C) The Guide D) Untouchable
Ans: B
53. The genre also reflects—
A) Detective fiction B) Romantic realism
C) Science fiction D) Fantasy
Ans: B
54. The girl’s economic activity indicates—
A) Aristocracy B) Middle-class leisure
C) Modest livelihood
D) Corporate job
Ans: C
55. The narrator’s memory of the girl becomes—
A) A social movement B) Nostalgic obsession/longing
C) A crime case D) Political speech
Ans: B
56. The setting “dawn” underscores—
A) Endings B) Beginnings/ephemeral light
C) Noon heat D) Midnight mystery
Ans: B
57. The jungle near Deoli represents—
A) Civilization B) Unknown/mystery backdrop
C) City glamour D) Warfield
Ans: B
58. The narrator’s college life is mentioned mainly to—
A) Show academic brilliance B) Set age/context of youth
C) Criticize universities D) Praise Delhi
Ans: B
59. “Nobody got off and nobody got on” stresses—
A) Liveliness B) Stasis/neglect
C) Prosperity D) Violence
Ans: B
60. The story’s climax occurs when—
A) He buys the basket and their eyes meet
B) He falls asleep
C) He argues with the guard
D) He misses the train
Ans: A
61. The narrative voice is—
A) Sarcastic B) Matter-of-fact with tenderness
C) Didactic D) Cynical
Ans: B
62. The “ten minutes” at Deoli, in effect, feel like—
A) An eternity of feeling
B) A second of boredom
C) A nightmare
D) A lecture
Ans: A
63. The story ends with—
A) Reunion B) Marriage C) Unanswered longing
D) Police complaint
Ans: C
64. The stationmaster is portrayed as—
A) Central character B) Background presence
C) Villain D) Comic relief
Ans: B
65. The tea-stall owner appears—
A) Talkative with customers B) Absent
C) Fighting D) Singing
Ans: A (common classroom MCQ form)
66. The narrator’s purchase is motivated more by—
A) Utility B) Pity C) Emotional connection
D) Habit
Ans: C
67. The prose style of Bond here is—
A) Ornate, heavily allusive B) Simple, lyrical, evocative
C) Academic, dry D) Journalistic
Ans: B
68. The girl’s disappearance later makes the memory—
A) Fade B) Grow sharper
C) Turn into anger D) Become comic
Ans: B
69. The halt at Deoli each time shows—
A) Predictability of routine vs unpredictability of feeling
B) Weather pattern
C) Ticketing issues
D) Political control
Ans: A
70. The story’s atmosphere is built with—
A) Technical terms B) Vivid sensory details
C) Statistics D) Dialogues only
Ans: B
71. A key image repeated is—
A) The bell and whistle B) A billboard
C) An overbridge D) A fountain
Ans: A
72. The narrator sees the girl as—
A) Aggressive B) Vulgar C) Graceful and self-possessed
D) Dishonest
Ans: C
73. The time pressure in the scene heightens—
A) Comedy B) Romantic tension
C) Political satire D) Didacticism
Ans: B
74. The “basket” most closely symbolizes—
A) Burden B) Captivity C) A fragile bond / keepsake
D) Wealth
Ans: C
75. The narrative suggests love can be—
A) Only planned B) Unexpected and momentary
C) Always permanent D) Only material
Ans: B
76. The setting “small lonely station” helps explore—
A) National politics B) Human intimacy in brief encounters
C) Corporate life D) Sports
Ans: B
77. The phrase “left behind and forgotten” captures—
A) Growth of Deoli B) Erasure/neglect by time
C) Triumph D) Celebration
Ans: B
78. The girl’s request “Buy a basket?” is—
A) Purely commercial B) Also a bid for connection
C) A legal demand D) Mockery
Ans: B
79. The narrator’s hesitation shows—
A) Cowardice only B) Conflict between impulse and reality
C) Indifference D) Pride
Ans: B
80. The jungle’s edge at dawn adds—
A) Horror B) Mystery/romance of place
C) Comedy D) War motif
Ans: B
81. The story’s resolution rests on—
A) Action B) Memory
C) Dialogue D) Police report
Ans: B
82. The line “I was eighteen…” anchors—
A) Social class B) Temporal & emotional perspective of youth
C) Political party D) Religious identity
Ans: B
83. The repeated halting routine acts as—
A) Metaphor for brief chances in life
B) Symbol of wealth
C) Measure of success
D) Legal code
Ans: A
84. The genre label often used in classes—
A) Parable B) Slice-of-life romantic short story
C) Detective tale D) Fable
Ans: B
85. The narrator thinks one day he will—
A) Miss the train entirely B) Get off and explore Deoli
C) Move to Delhi D) Become a guard
Ans: B
86. The story’s key contrast is between—
A) City vs jungle B) Routine travel vs sudden emotion
C) Rich vs poor D) Past vs future only
Ans: B
87. The bell at Deoli typically rings—
A) As the train arrives B) Before departure
C) At noon D) Randomly
Ans: B
88. The presence of “few stray dogs” adds a tone of—
A) Prosperity B) Ordinary solitude
C) High drama D) Fear
Ans: B
89. The narrator’s unfulfilled wish creates—
A) Closure B) Open-ended longing
C) Rage D) Humour
Ans: B
90. The story is often taught in WBCHSE to highlight—
A) Rhetoric B) Character-sketch and theme of fleeting love
C) Grammar only D) History of railways
Ans: B
91. The first meeting between the two is marked by—
A) Long conversation B) Mutual silence and gaze
C) A letter exchange D) A fight
Ans: B
92. The time of day (dawn) best supports the theme of—
A) Finality B) Transience/vanishing moments
C) Political change D) Comedy
Ans: B
93. The narrator’s repeated journeys mirror—
A) Economic rise B) Emotional cycles / return of memory
C) Legal process D) Religious rites
Ans: B
94. The girl’s “troubled eyes” imply—
A) Superficiality B) Depth and untold stories
C) Dishonesty D) Sleep
Ans: B
95. The fruit vendor and tea stall form a backdrop of—
A) Urban bustle B) Simple station life
C) Festive market D) Luxury travel
Ans: B
96. The narrative avoids—
A) Poetic imagery B) Complex philosophy
C) Over-plotting; it stays minimal and evocative
D) Any descriptions
Ans: C
97. The story’s ending invites readers to—
A) Forget it B) Imagine possibilities beyond the page
C) Demand a sequel D) Change the setting
Ans: B
98. The piece is widely loved because of its—
A) Violence B) Simplicity and emotional resonance
C) Historical details D) Humour only
Ans: B
99. The “night train” in the title primarily emphasizes—
A) Comfort B) The journey that frames the brief encounter
C) Speed D) Luxury coach
Ans: B
100. Overall, Bond suggests that some meetings—
A) Must end in marriage B) Can remain beautiful as memories
C) Are meaningless D) Should be avoided
Ans: B
Conclusion
The Night Train at Deoli by Ruskin Bond beautifully captures the fleeting yet powerful emotions of love, longing, and unspoken connection. Through its simplicity, the story highlights the charm of small moments that remain unforgettable. For Class 12 ( 3rd Semester) English, it is important as it teaches readers to value emotions beyond words.