The Summary

The story starts with Gangadharpant Gaitonde – a history professor exploring a different world,
searching for answers to some questions that had altered his understanding of the past and
present. He was travelling to Bombay on the Jijamata Express. He had made a plan –
researching by studying some books at a library and returning to Pune to talk to Rajendra
Deshpande about his findings. He knew Rajendra Deshpande would help him solve his queries.
However, Professor Gaitonde was also uncertain about the existence of his friend Rajendra
Deshpande in this world. As he came out of the station in Bombay, he was shocked to find the
headquarters of The East India Company alive and flourishing – which according to historical
records, was supposed to be wound up after the events of 1857. He reasoned that the time
period could be one of those before 1857. He decided to find out. Meanwhile, when he went to
see his son at the Forbes building, the English receptionist informed him that there was no
employee named Vinay Gaitonde in the building. Gangadgarpant was further shocked. He
guessed that there was no reason for his son to be alive if he himself was dead in this world.
Maybe his son was not born at all.

Professor Gaitonde found a library at the Town Hall and asked the librarian to provide him with a
list of History books, including the ones he had written. As he went through the books, he looked
for the point where history had taken a different turn. Contrary to common knowledge, the
contents of this book presented the outcome of the Battle of Panipat as the Marathas winning
over the army of Abdali. As he read on, Professor Gaitonde noticed that the writing style was
unmistakably his, but the content was completely new to him. The victory established the
supremacy of the Marathas in Northern India, and the East India Company decided to put a halt
to its expansionist agendas.

His book in the new world talked about Vishwarao, the new Maratha ruler, and his brother
Madhavrao using their political acumen and valour to expand their control all over India. They
had made developments in the fields of Science and Technology with the help of the East India
Company. India had become a democracy by the twentieth century, and the position of the
Shahenshah at Delhi was diminished to a figurehead to rubber-stamp the recommendations
made by the central parliament. He went through another book by Bhausahebanchi Bakhar that
talked about the Battle of Panipat in a graphic manner. It talked about how a bullet had missed
Vishwarao, hence, changing the original course of history as we know it. The librarian reminded
Professor Gaitonde that it was time to leave the library. Gaitonde put the book of Bakhar into his
left pocket absent-mindedly when he was putting some notes into his right pocket.

Gaitonde found a guest house to stay in, and after having a frugal meal, went out for a stroll
towards the Azad Maidan. In the maidan, he found that a pandal was organised for a speaker.
He noticed that the presidential chair was unoccupied. He went to occupy the seat, and the
audience revolted against his action. When he went to reason with them by talking about the
importance of a speaker on a presidential chair, the audience grew furious and removed him
from the stage by themselves.

The next scene shows Gangadharpant talking to his friend Rajendra Deshpande. The latter
asked Gaitondewhat he was doing before he hit the truck and had an accident. Gaitonde replied
that he was thinking about the catastrophe theory and its implications on history. Rajendra
smiled, and Gaitonde explained that it was not his mind playing tricks on him. To prove it,
Gaitonde took out a piece of paper from his pocket. It was a page torn from the book of Bakhar
that he had accidentally slipped into his left pocket. It talked about how a bullet had missed
Vishwarao and how this event was interpreted as a good omen by the Martha army that led to
their victory. Gaitonde then took out his own copy of Bakhar, which showed Vishwarao getting
hit by a bullet.

He went into a deep state of thought and finally told Gaitonde that he would try to solve this
catastrophic experience of the latter using two scientific theories. Rajendra pointed out that the
page that talked about Vishwarao’s victory presented a crucial event gone the other way. He
now started connecting the events to a scientific theory. Reality is not only about things that we
can perceive through our senses. It could have other manifestations as well. It is not easy to
predict the nature of systems comprising atoms and their constituent particles, even if all the
governing principles are known. In different world pictures, an electron might be present at
different positions. Once we find the position of the electron, we can easily determine which
world it is. At the same time, interestingly, alternative worlds with the electron in different
positions can also exist.

Moreover, transitions happen in systems with electrons and their constituents. An electron may
cause radiation while transiting from a higher state of energy to a lower state of energy.
Rajendra speculated that this kind of behaviour could also happen at a macroscopic level. An
astonished Gangadharpant asked Rajendra if it was possible that he had travelled to one world
and returned to his original one. Rajendra explained that catastrophic situations offer radically
different alternatives for the world to proceed, but the observer can experience only one at a
time. Gaitonde had made a transition to another world where he stayed for two days and was
able to experience two worlds at one time. In both the worlds, the bifurcation took place at a
certain point – the Battle of Panipat. Gaitonde had travelled neither to the past nor the future,
but he was in the present, experiencing a different world. There could be many more different
worlds formed by bifurcations at certain points in the timeline.

Professor Gaitonde was curious to know why he had gone through such an experience.
Rajendra explained that interaction was necessary to cause a transition. Gaitonde was thinking
about the catastrophe theory and its implications for war. Maybe he was thinking about the
Battle of Panipat, and it probably triggered the neurons in his brain. Gaitonde conveyed to
Rajendra that the topic for his thousandth presidential address was going to be about the
consequences of the reverse outcome of the Battle of Panipat itself.
MCQs:

Q1. What is the name of the protagonist of the story “ The Adventure”?
A. Professor Ajay Sharma
B. Prof. Gangadharpant Gaitonde
C. Professor George Bush
D. Professor Gangadhar Kant Gaitonde
Answer : B

Q2) What is the name of train by which Professor Gaitonde was travelling?
A. Deccan Queen
B. Rajdhani Express
C. Jijamata Express
D. Shatabdi Express
Answer: C

Q3) Whom did Prof. Gaitonde meet during his train Journey?
A. Khan Sahib
B. Pathan
C. Gupta
D. Prof. George
Answer: A

Q4) What did the Professor do when he saw the empty chair?
A.He sat on the chair
B.He went away
C.He stood in the crowd
D.He went back to his guest house.
Answer: A

Q5) How did the crowd react when he sat on the empty presidential chair?
A. Heard his speech
B. Did nothing but ignored him
C. Asked him to leave politely
D. Threw several objects at him and pushed him away.
Answer:D

Extract Based Questions

1) To his dismay, the East India Company(EIC) met its match in the new Maratha ruler, Vishwas
rao. He
and his brother, Madhavrao, combined political acumen with valour and systematically
expanded their influence all over India. The Company was reduced to pockets of influence near
Bombay, Calcutta and Madras, just like its European rivals, the Portuguese and the French.

a) The expression "to its dismay the East India Company met its match" is the same
as-----------------
i) the EIC and the Marathas were unequally matched in the battlefield
(ii) the EIC had an upper hand militarily
(iii) the Marathas were a notch better than the English
(iv) the English were shocked to discover the matching prowess of Marathas

(b) What do the words that both the brothers

"combined political acumen with valour" mean?

(c) "The company was reduced to pockets of influence" indicates that……………..

Answers
(a) (iv) the English were shocked to discover the matching prowess of Marathas
(b) The brothers together had political shrewdness and courage.
(c) its control remained over very small areas..

2) Force of habit took Professor Gaitonde towards the pandal. The lecture was in progress,
although people kept coming and going But Professor Gaitonde was not looking at the
audience. He was staring at the platform as if mesmerised. There was a table and a chair but
the latter was unoccupied. The presidential chair unoccupied! The sight stirred him to the
depths. Like a piece of iron attracted to a magnet, he swiftly moved towards the chair. The
speaker stopped in mid-sentence, too shocked to continue. But the audience soon found voice.

(a) The meaning of the underlined word in the sentence. "He was staring at the platform as if
mesmerized is …………………….
(b) The statement "The sight stirred him to the depths" is the same as
(i)he was deeply touched by the gesture
(ii) he was delighted to the core
(iii) he was moved to tears
(iv) he was dismayed at the vacant chair
(c) Identify the literary device in "Like a piece of…………………………… the chair".

ANSWERS
(a) fascinated (b) he was dismayed at the vacant chair (c) simile

3.Gangadharpant pressed home his advantage. "I had inadvertently slipped the Bakhar in my
pocket as I left the library. I discovered my error when I was paying for my meal. I had intended
to return it the next morning. But it seems that in the melee of Azad Maidan, the book was lost,
only this torn-off page
remained. And, luckily for me, the page contains vital evidence.’’ Rajendra again read the page.
It described how Vishwasrao narrowly missed the bullet; and how that event, taken as an omen
by the Maratha army, turned the tide in their favour.

(a) The expression “ pressed home his advantage” refers to………….

(i) He capitalized on an advantage he already had

(ii) made full use of his rich Imagination
(iii) he won the argument
(iv ) he side stepped the issue.
(b) What is the meaning of the word "inadvertently"?
(c) The expression taken “ as an omen “means………….

Answers:
(a) (i) he capitalized on an advantage he already had.
(b) Unintentionally
(c) Taken as an auspicious sign.

4 There was no great disparity between the latter's troops and the opposing forces. Their
armour was
comparable. So a lot depended on the leadership and the morale of the troops. The juncture at
which
Vishwasrao, the son of and heir to the Peshwa, was killed proved to be the turning point. As
history has
it,his uncle Bhausaheb rushed into the melee and was never seen again. Whether he was killed
in battle or survived is not known. But for the troops at that particular moment, that blow of
losing their leaders was crucial.They lost their morale and fighting spirit There followed an utter
rout.

(a) The sentence ‘Their armour was comparable’ refers to…………

(i) they had the same number of soldiers
(ii) they had similar make of weapons
(iii)they had the same war strategies
(iv) they were equally matched in defense
(b) What does "the turning point” in the battle refer to?
(c) The statement "There followed an utter rout" means

Answers:
(a) (iv) they were equally matched in defense
(b) the killing of Vishwasrao and Bhausaheb
(c) the Marathas were completely beaten

5) By making a transition, you were able to experience two worlds although one at a time. The
one you live in now and the one where you spent two days. One has the history we know, the
other a different history. The separation or bifurcation took place in the Battle of Panipat. You
neither travelled to the past nor to the future. You were in the present but experiencing a
different world. Of course, by the same token there must be many more different worlds arising
out of bifurcations at different points of time.

(a) The statement "By making a.transition.……………. at a time" means that…………………

(b) What was the ultimate truth about bifurcations as revealed by Rajendra?

(c) The statement "One has the history we know, the other a different history" means
(i) actual reality versus alternate reality
(ii) real world versus spiritual world
(iii) reel world versus real world
(iv) imaginary world versus spectral world

Answers:
(a) The Professor experienced two worlds, one at a time.
(b) They generate new realities at different points of time.
(c) (1) actual reality versus alternate reality

Short questions
Q1) What is the main theme of the story ‘The Adventure’ ?

Ans : The story deals with a detailed explanation of the theory of parallel worlds. The
thrill,excitement and shocking events experienced by Professor demonstrates what the real -life
implications of travelling to a particular world could be like.The differences in the parallel worlds
takes place mostly because of a bifurcation in the timeline of that world.

Q2) Who was Professor Gaitonde? Why was he surprised to see the name of East India
Company on an imposing building in Bombay?

Ans: Professor Gaitonde was a history professor living in Poona in the 20th century.He lived in
Independent India.He has authored many books on History.He had also chaired many
meetings( 999).
He was surprised to see the name of the East India Company on a building in Bombay because
it belonged to the 18th and 19th centuries when the Company was ruling India.It did not exist in
the present time.

Q3) How did the Peshwas keep in step with the changing times in the 20th century?

Ans: The Peshwas kept apace with the changing times in the 20th century by setting up centres
of science and technology. They were highly inspired by the West. India moved towards a
democracy. For Technology development, they also accepted help from the East India
Company.

Q4) What was Gangadhar pant’s experience in the Azad maidan? How was he treated and what
effect
did it have on his life?

Ans: Gangadhar Pant saw a pandal at the Azad Maidan. The lecture was in progress. He was
mesmerised by the platform where the main chair was unoccupied. The unoccupied Presidential
chair attracted his attention. He went and occupied the Presidential Chair. The audience reacted
sharply. The people asked him to vacate the chair. When he resisted he became the target of
tomatoes, eggs and other objects. Ultimately he was ejected out of it physically.As a result , he
decided in his real life never to preside over any public function or to address a gathering.

Q5) Describe Professor Gaitonde’s conversation with Khan Sahib.

Ans: Professor Gaitonde finds himself in a train( Jijamata Express) going to Bombay. Khan
Sahib,a fellow traveller tells him that the British Raj has begun from the station called Sarhad.
Khan Sahib told Professor that he was going to Peshawar. He asked Professor Gaitonde’s
destination. Then he started talking about his business. In this way, Professor Gaitonde got a
flavour of life in India.

Long Questions
Q1) What is Catastrophic Theory? How is it used in this chapter?

Ans: Catastrophic Theory was originated by the French Mathematician, Rene Thom, in 1960s. It
is a special branch of dynamical systems theory. It studies and classifies phenomena
characterised by sudden shifts in behaviour arising from small changes in
circumstances.Rajendra Deshpande uses this theory to explain the Battle of Panipat. Both the
armies of Abdali and the Marathas were equally strong. But the bullet missed Vishwasrao. Its
effect on the troops was as that of morale booster. Similar statements are made about the Battle
of Waterloo which Napoleon could have won. As regards Gangadharpant who, by making
transition, was able to experience two worlds although
one at a time, the one he lived in at that time and the other where he spent two days.

Q2) How did Rajendra Deshpande explain Gangadhar Pant's experience? Write in detail.

Ans. Prof. Rajendra explained Prof. Gatitonde's theory on the basis of catastrophe theory and
the lack of determinism in the quantum theory. He applied catastrophe theory to the Battle of
Panipat. Both the armies were well-equipped, so, a lot depended on the leadership and the
morale of the troops. He said that the point at which Vishwasrao was killed proved to be the
turning point. Whether be was killed in the battle or survived was not known that time. But, the
troops were in constant stress of losing their crucial leaders. They lost their morale and fighting
spirit. Now, when the bullet missed Vishwarao, the battle took the other way, and the troops felt
encouraged. It boosted their morale and they applied a lot of efforts to lion the battle. This
happened due to the lack of determinism in quantum theory which means that you cannot
predict the behavior of anything, even the outcome may be vastly different.Prof. Gaitonde was
able to experience a different reality because he made a transition to the other India where the
Marathas had won the Battle of Panipat. The transition occurred because at the moment of the
collision, Prof. Gaitonde was thinking of the catastrophe Theory and the Battle of Panipat.

Q3. Gangadharpant could not help comparing the country he knew with what he was witnessing
around him. Explain briefly.

Ans. Mumbai, that Gangadharpant was familiar of was completely different when the train
stopped
beyond the long tunnel, at a small station called Sarhad. Gangadharpant was stunned to see an
Anglo-Indian in uniform checking permits. He got to know that this was the place from where the
British rule began. For Gandadharpant, this was the new Mumbai. When the train passed the
Suburban rail traffic, he noticed blue carriages with the marking, GBMR ( Greater Bombay
Metropolitan Rail) and the tiny Union Jack painted on each carriage. The station looked spick
and span. The staff included Anglo-Indians and Parsees along with some British officers. He
also noticed the building to be East India Company office along with some different-looking
shops and office buildings. Bombay was now completely under the influence of British rule.

Q4. The lessons "The Adventure' and 'We are Not Afraid to Die...' are based on adventure.
Show how
the adventures described in each are similar or different. Answer briefly.

Ans. The two lessons are vastly different in the adventures they describe. "The Adventure' is a
science fiction and "We're Not Afraid to Die' is an account of real life adventure. The former is
based on a theory of Quantum Physics that alternative worlds and realities can coexist. Due to
this Prof. Gaitonde was able to experience a different reality of the 3rd battle of Panipat in which
the Marathas routed Abdali's forces. Eventually they defeated the East India Company. On the
other hand, "We're Not Afraid..." deals with turbulent ocean, a shipwrecked yacht and the battle
for survival. It is the adventure of a ship captain and his family.