Summary
Chapter 4 of NCERT Class 8 English (Honeydew), "Bepin Choudhury's Lapse of Memory", is a humorous short story written by Satyajit Ray. It follows Bepin Choudhury, a serious, solitary executive, who is confronted by a stranger named Parimal Ghose claiming they met in Ranchi in 1958. Bepin Babu insists he has never visited Ranchi, but multiple witnesses — Dinesh Mukerji, Chunilal — confirm the trip, driving him to near breakdown. He travels to Ranchi seeking to jog his memory, falls unconscious at Hudroo Falls, and on returning home receives a letter revealing the entire episode was an elaborate hoax engineered by his old friend Chunilal to punish him for ignoring a plea for help.
Bepin Choudhury, a well-off, solitary executive who buys crime and thriller books every Monday, is approached at a bookshop by Parimal Ghose, who claims they met in Ranchi in October 1958. Bepin Babu firmly denies ever going to Ranchi, but Ghose recounts precise personal details — a fall at Hudroo Falls, a cut knee, an argument about the moon landing with Dinesh Mukerji, a bag of books on sightseeing trips. When Bepin Babu phones Dinesh Mukerji to verify, Mukerji confirms the Ranchi trip. Chunilal, an old school friend, also confirms it, saying he booked Bepin Babu's railway ticket. Rattled, Bepin Babu consults Dr Chanda and travels to Ranchi, only to feel no recognition of the town or Hudroo Falls. He collapses at the falls, returns to Calcutta in despair, and then receives a letter from Chunilal confessing the whole thing was a hoax, a retaliation for Bepin Babu's refusal to help him when he was in financial difficulty. The story explores memory, friendship, and the consequences of indifference.
Key points & formulas
- 01Bepin Choudhury is a solitary, book-loving executive who visits Kalicharan's bookshop in New Market every Monday to buy crime stories, ghost stories, and thrillers — at least five at a time.
- 02Parimal Ghose confronts Bepin Babu at the bookshop, claiming they met in Ranchi in October 1958, that Ghose arranged a car to Hudroo Falls, and that Bepin Babu fell and cut his right knee there.
- 03Bepin Babu insists he spent Puja of 1958 in Kanpur at his friend Haridas Bagchi's place, not Ranchi — but Haridas has left for Japan and cannot be reached to confirm.
- 04When Bepin Babu phones Dinesh Mukerji to check, Mukerji confirms he and Bepin Babu were both in Ranchi in 1958, deepening Bepin Babu's anxiety.
- 05Chunilal, Bepin Babu's old school friend who previously worked at a travel agency, confirms that he personally booked Bepin Babu's railway ticket for Ranchi and saw him off at the station.
- 06Doctor Paresh Chanda, baffled by the unusual nature of the memory lapse, advises Bepin Babu to revisit Ranchi, hoping the sight of familiar places will restore his memory.
- 07Bepin Babu travels to Ranchi, feels no recognition of the town, falls unconscious beside a boulder at Hudroo Falls, and returns to Calcutta convinced he is losing his mind.
- 08Back in Calcutta, Bepin Babu receives a letter from Chunilal confessing the entire episode was an act of imagination — a hoax — conceived as retribution for Bepin Babu's unfeeling refusal to help an old friend in financial difficulty.
- 09The story's surprise ending reveals that Chunilal, who had been seeking a job through Bepin Babu, orchestrated the conspiracy using his imagination and knowledge of Bepin Babu's personal history.
- 10The central theme is that indifference to the needs of old friends can lead to unforeseen consequences, and that wealth and status do not excuse neglecting personal relationships.
Frequently asked questions
01Who wrote 'Bepin Choudhury's Lapse of Memory'?
The story was written by Satyajit Ray. His name appears at the end of the story in the NCERT Honeydew textbook.
02What kind of books did Bepin Choudhury buy, and how often?
Every Monday, on his way back from work, Bepin Choudhury would drop in at Kalicharan's in New Market to buy crime stories, ghost stories, and thrillers. He bought at least five at a time to last him through the week.
03Who was Parimal Ghose and what did he claim?
Parimal Ghose was a round-faced, meek-looking man who approached Bepin Babu at the bookshop. He claimed that in October 1958 they had spent a week together in Ranchi, that he had arranged a car for Bepin Babu to visit Hudroo Falls, and that Bepin Babu had a fall there and cut his right knee.
04What personal details did Parimal Ghose reveal about Bepin Babu?
Parimal Ghose mentioned that Bepin Babu had no children, that his wife had died ten years ago, that his only brother had died insane, that he always carried a bag of books on sightseeing trips, that he preferred meals cooked by a bawarchi rather than hotel food, and that he had a big argument about the moon landing with Dinesh Mukerji during the Ranchi trip.
05Where did Bepin Babu claim to have been in October 1958?
Bepin Babu insisted he had spent Puja in 1958 in Kanpur at his friend Haridas Bagchi's place, not in Ranchi.
06Why could Bepin Babu not ask Haridas Bagchi to confirm his alibi?
Bepin Babu remembered that Haridas had left with his wife for Japan some weeks ago, and he did not have Haridas's address there, making it impossible to write to him for confirmation.
07What did Dinesh Mukerji say when Bepin Babu phoned him?
After checking his diary, Dinesh Mukerji confirmed that he had been out of Calcutta twice in 1958 — once in February for a nephew's wedding in Krishnanagar, and once for a trip to Ranchi, adding that Bepin Babu was there too.
08Who was Chunilal and why did he keep visiting Bepin Babu?
Chunilal was Bepin Babu's old school friend who had been having a rough time lately. He kept visiting Bepin Babu to seek help finding a job, but Bepin Babu kept telling him he could do nothing and tried to avoid seeing him.
09How did Chunilal confirm the Ranchi trip?
Chunilal told Bepin Babu that he had previously worked in a travel agency and had personally fixed up the railway booking for Bepin Babu's trip to Ranchi. He had gone to the station to see Bepin Babu off and even got an electrician to fix a broken fan in Bepin Babu's compartment.
10What did Doctor Chanda advise Bepin Babu to do?
Dr Paresh Chanda, a young physician, said the case was outside his field of experience but suggested that Bepin Babu travel to Ranchi again, because seeing the place might remind him of his earlier trip. He also prescribed a nerve tonic and a tranquilliser, noting that sleep was essential.
11What happened to Bepin Babu at Hudroo Falls?
At five o'clock in the afternoon at Hudroo Falls, two Gujarati gentlemen from a group of picnickers discovered Bepin Babu lying unconscious beside a boulder. When he regained consciousness, he said 'I'm finished. There's no hope left.'
12What did Chunilal's letter reveal?
Chunilal's letter confessed that he had used his imagination 'in retribution of your unfeeling behaviour' — Bepin Babu's refusal to help an old friend in financial difficulty. The entire episode of the Ranchi trip was a hoax. Chunilal also mentioned that a novel he had written was being considered by a publisher.
13What did Bepin Babu tell Dr Chanda when the doctor arrived after the letter?
Bepin Babu told Dr Chanda that he was fine and that everything had come back to him as soon as he got off the train at Ranchi. He then asked the doctor to prescribe a painkiller for a pain in his hip from a fall he claimed to have had in Ranchi.
14Is the NCERT Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 4 PDF free to download?
Yes. The NCERT Honeydew Chapter 4 PDF is available free on CBSE PrepMaster — no sign-up or payment required.
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