'A Robot in the House' Story in English by Dilip M Salwi | Summary | Question and Answers.
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The story 'A Robot In The House' written by Dilip M Salwi centres around the theme of Truthfulness and contradiction. It was about a Robot Manku which is in Ajay's house. The robot participates in household chores and conversations. Manku's habit of poking its nose in every conversation make Ajay annoyed and frustrated. and he decided to complaint about it to the robotics company which in turn make the robot to withdraw its services from Ajay's house. This made him realise his mistake and he decided to be honest...
- A Robot In The House -
'A Robot In The House' story in english :
'Correction. You are in error. You are misinforming your father. Correction. The work has not been done. Your terminal has not been used. Error, Error... ' The robot's voice was
metallicSounding like metal.
and monotone.Without any Changes or differences in sound.
It cut through Ajay's excuses with implacableUnwilling to stop opposing somebody.
finality.'Oh! Do stop interrupting, Manku,' Ajay said angrily. 'You're not supposed to participate in every conversation!'
'Correction. Manku robots are domestic models. They participate in household activity and conversation. They do housework. They answer the telephone. They... '
'Stop, Manku,' Ajay's father said. He turned to Ajay. 'Well, young man,' he said sternly. 'I know you've not even begun your homework. And Manku was only confirming the fact. I don't want to hear any more excuses.'
'I'll get down to it right away, Dad,' Ajay answered, settling down at his computer terminal. He pressed a few buttons and some mathematical problems appeared on the screen. Ajay began to work in
earnest.Very serious and sincere.
Manku pulled out a vacuum cleaner and began to clean the carpet. Ajay's father went off to his study to work at his terminal. Ajay was about halfway through his homework, when the doorbell rang.
'Oh no,' thought Ajay. 'I bet that's Dinesh, come to ask me out for a game of
tele tennis.Tennis played on television using wireless joystick.
I told him I'd go with him, but if I don't finish my homework, Manku will tell Dad and then I'll be in trouble.' He thought hard, trying to find an excuse.The doorbell rang again and Manku began to move towards the door to open it.
'Manku,' Ajay said quickly. 'If the visitor asks for me, tell him I'm not at home.' He switched off the terminal and got up to go to his room until Manku could get rid of the unwanted visitor.
But instead of going to the door, Manku turned and came towards Ajay. 'Not here, sir? Correction. You are here. Or am I seeing a
holographA special type of 3-D image that appears real.
? Are my sensorsDevices that can react to light, heat, pressure, etc. in order to make a machine do something.
in working order? Contradictory commands. Please be clear.''Oh my goodness!' said Ajay in
exasperation.Annoyance.
'Holograph? Do I look like a ghost to you? Can't you follow simple commands?''The word "ghost" is not in my vocabulary, sir. Please be clear.'
The doorbell rang again. 'Ajay, what's the matter? Why isn't Manku answering the doorbell?' called his mother from her study.
'Oh! Really!' Ajay muttered, going to the door. 'You make me sick, Manku.'
'Sick, sir?' Manku said, following Ajay. 'Shall I call a doctor?'
Ajay stopped with a groan. 'No! Don't call a doctor. Open the front door! Let the visitor in. Bring the visitor to my room. Now, are you satisfied?'
'Order received, sir. Commands being processed, sir.' Manku moved
swiftlyQuickly.
to the front door. He opened the door and greeted the visitor.Ajay recognised his friend Tariq's voice. He was relieved it wasn't Dinesh. 'Hi Tariq,' he called, rushing to the door to greet him. 'How marvellous to see you! I was feeling so bored today.'
'Correction, sir. You were feeling sick,' came Manku's metallic voice.
'Sick? Are you well, Ajay?' Tariq asked in concern.
'No, no, I'm feeling fine,' Ajay said hastily.
'Correction, sir. You said you were feeling sick.'
Tariq looked at his friend. 'Are you sure you're all right?' he asked.
'Yes, I'm fine,' Ajay replied, and said firmly to Manku. 'I am well, Manku. I am not sick. Continue with your cleaning.'
'Command received, sir,' Manku replied and turned back to its cleaning.
Ajay smiled at Tariq. 'Come to my room,' he said. 'This robot pokes its nose into everything!'
'Correction, sir. You are in error. I have no nose.'
Tariq laughed as he followed Ajay into the room. Ajay didn't even smile. He was angry. 'That robot is supposed to help us, not to make life more complicated,' he said
resentfully.Angrily and with dislike at being forced to accept something annoying.
After Tariq left, Ajay decided to call the company that had sent Manku to them. He keyed in the number of Robotics International. A smiling man's face appeared on the screen. 'May I help you?' he said
courteously.Politely.
'This is Robotics International, makers of fine robots for your home.''Yes, you can,' said Ajay, all his anger against Manku coming back as he thought of the embarrassments of the morning. 'We bought a Manku robot to help around the house.'
'Yes? May I help you?' the man said again. 'Are you having any difficulties with your model?'
'Yes, I am,' Ajay replied
vehemently.In a strong and emotional way.
'It takes everything I say absolutely literally.' He went on in growing anger. 'Your robot makes things really difficult for me. It tells tales to my father. It has no sense of diplomacySkill in dealing with people without offending or upsetting them.
.'The smile on the man's face faded. 'Diplomacy?' he asked. His voice grew stern. 'Or do you mean lies? Manku robots do not tell lies. They are programmed to respond to clear honest statements of fact.'
'Yes... well, I mean, I... '
'I regret to say that Manku robots do not do well in homes where they are expected to tell lies, even "polite", so-called "white" lies. We do not generally supply our robots to homes where such demands are made on them. I regret to say that we will have to withdraw the services of the Manku robot from your home.'
'But why?' asked Ajay in
alarm.Shock.
'You must understand that the Manku robot is a product of science and technology where there is no room for lies and unclear statements,' the man said firmly. 'If you and your family have not understood this, and if you cannot speak truthfully and in clear sentences, I'm afraid the Manku robot will one day cause a
mishap.An accident.
So, as a matter of policy, we withdraw Manku robots from homes which are not appropriate to their use.... ''Oh, no, I didn't mean that.... ' Ajay cried in
dismay.A feeling of disappointment and alarm.
'I'm afraid so,' the man said with finality. 'We will arrange for somebody to come to your house and collect our Manku robot today. Your money will be refunded in full. Goodbye.'
Ajay stared
wordlesslyWithout a word.
at the screen as the man's image faded from view. 'But I'll be honest from now on. I'll never tell lies again.... ' he thought franticallyOut of control because of extreme emotion.
. Then he grew calmer. Surely, if he learnt to tell truth and to do all that the Manku instruction manual said, they would give him another chance? Would his father be able to convince them to send back the Manku robot, just once more? He hoped very much that they would.- Dilip M Salwi
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# Summary :
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A Robot in the House Summary :
Manku is a robot in Ajay's house. The robot participates in household chores and conversations.
One day, Manku catches Ajay telling a lie about completing his homework. Ajay gets angry with Manku, as he does not want it to participate in every conversation. Ajay's father overhears the conversation and asks him to complete his homework without giving any excuses. Ajay settles down at the computer terminal and starts working earnestly.
The doorbell rings when Ajay completes half his homework. Ajay remembers that he had promised his friend, Dinesh, that he would play tele tennis. But, he wanted to complete his homework, otherwise Manku would complain to his father. So, Ajay asks Manku to tell the visitor that he is not at home. Manku does not understand the command, as it does not know how to lie. Ajay gets angry and asks Manku to open the door and greet the visitor.
But it's not Dinesh at the door-it's Tariq, Ajay's friend. Manku tells Tariq that Ajay is feeling unwell. Tariq gets worried about Ajay. Ajay becomes furious. He grumbles that Manku interferes in everything. He thinks that Manku has made their lives complicated instead of making it simple.
After Tariq leaves, Ajay calls the Robotics International. He complains about Manku. He says that he is disappointed with Manku's services, as it cannot be diplomatic and takes everything literally.
The man understands that Ajay wants Manku to lie. He says that Manku robots do not do well in households that expect them to lie. The robots are a product of science and technology, therefore there is no scope for lies or unclear statements. The man says they will follow company policy and withdraw Manku from Ajay's house.
Ajay realises that he has made a mistake. He tries to convince the man to change his decision, but fails.
After the call, Ajay decides that he will always be honest. He will take his father's help to get Manku back. He hopes to be successful in his effort.
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# Word - Meaning :
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⚈ Metallic : Sounding like metal.
⚈ Monotone : Without any Changes or differences in sound.
⚈ Implacable : Unwilling to stop opposing somebody.
⚈ Earnest : Very serious and sincere.
⚈ Tele Tennis : Tennis played on television using wireless joystick.
⚈ Holograph : A special type of 3-D image that appears real.
⚈ Sensors : Devices that can react to light, heat, pressure, etc. in order to make a machine do something.
⚈ Exasperation : Annoyance.
⚈ Swiftly : Quickly
⚈ Resentfully : Angrily and with dislike at being forced to accept something annoying.
⚈ Courteously : Politely.
⚈ Vehemently : In a strong and emotional way.
⚈ Diplomacy : Skill in dealing with people without offending or upsetting them.
⚈ Alarm : Shock.
⚈ Mishap : An accident.
⚈ Dismay : A feeling of disappointment and alarm.
⚈ Wordlessly : Without a word.
⚈ Frantically : Out of control because of extreme emotion.
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# Question Answers :
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# Choose the correct answers.
Q1. What type of robots are Manku robots?
a. futuristic
b. domestic ✅
c. aggressive
d. friendly
Q2. In which subject was Ajay supposed to complete his homework?
a. english
b. science
c. mathematics ✅
d. social science
Q3. Who was at the door?
a. Tariq ✅
b. Dinesh
c. Manku
d. An old friend
Q4. Whom did Ajay call to complain about the robot?
a. his friend
b. Robotics International ✅
c. his father
d. robot company
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# Answer the following questions :
Q.
Why was Ajay angry with the robot in the beginning?
Answer :
Ajay was angry with the robot in the beginning because Manku the robot interrupted every conversation and corrected Ajay in front of others. It did not understand the situation and human emotions which made Ajay annoyed and frustrated.
Q.
What were the activities that the Manku robot could do?
Answer :
Manku robots are domestic models. They participate in household activity and conversation. They do housework. They answer the telephone. They are programmed to respond to clear honest statements of fact.
Q.
Why was the robot confused when Ajay told it he was not there?
Answer :
The robot was confused when Ajay told it that he was not there because Manku robot was programmed to respond to clear honest statements of facts. But Ajay asked it to tell lie that he was not at home, despite being standing in front of it. Manku could not process the contradiction and got confused.
Q.
Why did Ajay take Tariq into his room?
Answer :
Ajay took Tariq to his room to avoid Manku's constant interruptions. He wanted to have private conversation with Tariq without Manku's interference. Manku's habit of poking its nose in every conversation make him annoyed and frustrated. So he hoped that being in his room would give him some personal space and peace of mind.
Q.
What did the man from the Robotics International decide to do when Ajay complained?
Answer :
On receiving Ajay's complaint, the man from the Robotics International explained that Manku robots do not do well in homes where they are expected to tell lies, these robots are the product of science and technology where there is no room for lies and unclear statements. So he decide to withdraw Manku's services from Ajay's house and to refund his money in full.
Q.
How do you think Ajay's father knew Ajay was lying?
Answer :
Ajay's father knew that Manku robots do not tell lies. They are programmed to state honest statement of facts. So, when Manku said that "You are misinforming your father, the work has not been done" The father was left with no choice but to believe it.
Q.
Why do you think Tariq just smiled and laughed at the scene at Ajay's house?
Answer :
When Ajay said that "This robot pokes its nose into everything!" and the robot replies that it has no nose. This scene seemed entertaining to Tariq so he smiled and laughed.
Q.
Did Ajay's behaviour deserve to be punished? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer :
Yes, Ajay's behaviour deserves to be punished because he did not complete his homework and give excuses to his father. Moreover he wanted the robot to not to tell tales to his father and to tell lie to the person at the door and he also complaint about it to the company that sent Manku to their home.
Q.
Do you think the Manku robot faced a threat living in Ajay's house? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer :
Yes, the Manku robot faced a threat living in Ajay's house as it is a product of science and technology which is programmed to respond to clear honest statements of facts where there is no room for lies and unclear statements but Ajay want it to develop some sense of diplomacy and he tried to change its nature by asking it to tell lies which is dangerous and may cause a mishap.
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Poem : 'IF' by Rudyard Kipling.