A Devoted Son

BEDLAM broke loose then.

(Line 4)

• chaos

• noise

• turbulence

• anger

All day, visitors STREAMED into the small yellow house to congratulate the parents of this wonderful son, to slap Rakesh on the back and fill the house and garden with the sounds and colours of a festival.

(Line 4)

• flooded

• trailed

• gathered

• poured

So much had been sacrificed to send Rakesh to school,

and at last the FRUITS of the sacrifices had arrived.

(Line 9)

• benefits

• rewards

• success

• merits

He won a scholarship, went to university, became a doctor in the most PRESTIGIOUS of hospitals...

(Line 14)

• renowned

• important

• best

• popular

A girl so placid that she settled into the household like a charm, APPARENTLY too good-natured to want Rakesh to set up home independent of his parents...

(line 18)

• allegedly

• supposedly

• seemingly

• obviously

However, none of this was accomplished IN THE WINK OF AN EYE:

it was the achievement of a lifetime.

(line 21)

• suddenly

• unexpectedly

• blinkingly

• magically

All of this was very GRATIFYING for the old man, but then dramatic events ensued.

(Line 31)

• encouraging

• comforting

• rewarding

• acceptable

He stared at Rakesh with a disbelief that darkened quickly to REPROACH.

(line 33)

• scorn

• dissatisfaction

• complaint

• disapproval