ISC Class 12 Atithi / Guest (Rabindranath Tagore): Summary, Characters and Solved Questions
Updated 14 October 2026 · Fact-checked
Atithi (Guest) by Rabindranath Tagore is about Tarapada, a runaway boy and free spirit who is taken into Motilal Babu's household, wins the love of the mother Annapurna and the jealous rivalry of the daughter Charushashi, and leaves Kathaliya just as the family plans his marriage. ISC asks about his nature and relationships.
What Atithi / Guest is about
Atithi / Guest by Rabindranath Tagore is one of the five Class XII stories in Prism: A Collection of ISC Short Stories (Evergreen Publications), prescribed for ISC Literature in English (English Paper 2). Questions on Prism come in Section A (MCQs and 'because' completions) and in Question 4 of Section B (two 5-mark answers of 100-150 words and a 10-mark answer of 200-250 words, with a choice).
Atithi has been set every time so far: the 2025 specimen asked why Motilal Babu and Annapurna choose Tarapada as a groom and whether Tarapada is 'a free soul who cannot be restrained by the bonds of society'; the 2025 board paper asked why Charushashi smashed his flute, why Motilal Babu was at first reluctant to marry his daughter to him, and for a 10-mark answer on his relationships with Annapurna and Charushashi and why he leaves Kathaliya. The examiners listed 'Tarapada's attitude to life' among the concepts candidates found confusing.
The story is in copyright in the translation prescribed in Prism, so this page does not reproduce its text. Every plot detail and character point below is taken from the CISCE 2025 specimen answer key and the 2025 marking scheme; read the story in Prism alongside it and collect your own short quotations.
Weightage: Question 4 (Prism) carries 20 marks: two 5-mark answers and one 10-mark answer (choice of two). Atithi supplied the 10-mark option (b) in 2025 and option (a) in the 2025 specimen, plus one MCQ and one reason completion in Section A.Source: CISCE ISC Specimen Question Paper 2025, English Paper 2; 2025 board paper in the ISC Analysis of Pupil Performance 2025, Literature in English
Atithi / Guest: summary
In our own words, in the order of the text. Read the NCERT text itself too: the board quotes from it.
Tarapada is a young boy who has run away from home even though his mother is alive. He is a wanderer by nature, drawn to music, nature and ordinary people, and he never stays long in one place. He comes to live as a guest in the household of Motilal Babu, whose home is at Kathaliya.
Motilal Babu's wife, Annapurna, is moved by the boy. He awakens her maternal feelings: she is curious about his background, surprised to learn that he left home although his mother is living, and longs to feed and clothe him and care for him, even though he is shy. Tarapada respects her feelings but does not return her love in the same measure.
The couple's only daughter, Charushashi, is a wild, wilful girl. She is jealous of all the attention the newcomer receives and shows her hostility openly, though she is secretly impressed by his accomplishments. She is jealous too of his friendship with Sonamani, and in a fit of jealousy and anger she smashes his flute. Even while treating him harshly, she wants him to herself. When Tarapada learns English, she tries to compete with him, and when she cannot keep pace she throws tantrums. Tarapada is indulgent towards her and does not take her seriously.
In time Annapurna and Motilal Babu think of Tarapada as a husband for Charushashi. Motilal Babu is at first reluctant, since he knows nothing of the boy's family, Charushashi is his only daughter and he wants her well married, and Tarapada is a vagabond. But the parents hope that Tarapada would temper their daughter's wild nature, and since she is their only daughter, such a marriage would let her stay with them even after it. Just as the household draws him into these bonds of affection and marriage, Tarapada, the free spirit, slips away from Kathaliya and returns to the open world of nature.
Themes and message
Freedom and the refusal to be bound
Tarapada values freedom above comfort and affection. The 2025 scheme describes him as 'a free spirit who refused to be tied down by any social and emotional bonds', and suggests that his realisation that he was growing close to the family pushed him to 'escape the cage of emotions'. The specimen asks candidates to cite examples of his love of freedom, his interests, his attitude to his own family and mother, and to interpret 'his return to the world of Nature at the conclusion'.
From the text: He has run away from his own home and leaves Kathaliya just as marriage is planned (2025 scheme; specimen key).
Oneness with nature
The 2025 examiners suggested that teachers 'explore Tagore's philosophy of oneness with nature as an important theme'. Tarapada is at home in the open world, responsive to music and ordinary people, and the story ends with his return to nature rather than to a house.
From the text: Specimen key: 'his reaction to music, nature and ordinary people'; 'his return to the world of Nature'.
Love, possessiveness and jealousy
Two kinds of attachment surround Tarapada. Annapurna's is maternal and generous; Charushashi's is jealous and possessive, shown when she smashes his flute and when she wants 'sole rights' over him. Both, in different ways, try to hold him, and both fail.
From the text: Charushashi's jealousy of Sonamani; the smashed flute (2025 MCQ).
Social customs of the period
The plan to marry Charushashi to a guest whose family is unknown, and Motilal Babu's doubts, reflect the marriage customs and family concerns of rural Bengal in Tagore's time. The examiners asked teachers to 'discuss the cultural mores of the period depicted in the text'.
From the text: Motilal Babu's reluctance and the parents' reasons for choosing Tarapada (2025 paper; specimen).
Characters
Tarapada
The 'guest' of the title: a young wanderer who lives for a while in Motilal Babu's home.
- A free soul who cannot be restrained by the bonds of society.
- Gifted and accomplished; Charushashi is secretly impressed by him.
- Shy, respectful and indulgent, but emotionally detached: he does not return Annapurna's love in the same measure.
- Drawn to music, nature and ordinary people.
2025 marking scheme; 2025 specimen answer key.
Annapurna
Motilal Babu's wife, who treats Tarapada as a son.
- Maternal and caring: she longs to feed, clothe and comfort him.
- Curious about his past and surprised that he left a living mother.
- Practical about her daughter's future: she considers Tarapada a fit groom.
2025 marking scheme, Question 4(iii)(b).
Charushashi
The only daughter of Motilal Babu and Annapurna.
- Wild and wilful.
- Jealous of the attention Tarapada receives and of his friendship with Sonamani.
- Possessive: harsh with him, yet anxious to claim him for herself.
- Competitive and childish: she throws tantrums when she cannot keep pace with him in learning English.
2025 marking scheme; 2025 MCQ on the smashed flute.
Motilal Babu
The head of the household that gives Tarapada a home.
- Kind and hospitable.
- Cautious as a father: at first reluctant to marry his only daughter to a boy of unknown family.
2025 reason completion (vii); specimen reason completion (v).
How it is written
| Device | Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Characterisation through contrast | Annapurna's gentle maternal love set against Charushashi's jealous possessiveness. | Shows two kinds of attachment that both try, and fail, to bind Tarapada. |
| Symbol: the flute | Charushashi smashes Tarapada's flute in jealousy and anger (2025 MCQ). | The flute stands for his music and inner freedom; breaking it is an attempt to possess or punish what she cannot control. |
| Ironic ending | Tarapada leaves just when the family has arranged to bind him to them through marriage. | The plans of the settled world are defeated by the free spirit; the guest remains a guest. |
Atithi / Guest in real life
Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.
Freedom versus belonging
Suppose a talented cousin keeps changing colleges and cities, and the family tries to settle him by arranging a job in the family business.
How does Tarapada's story help you understand the cousin's choices?
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Some people value freedom and new experience above security.
- Affection that tries to hold them can feel like a cage.
- Understanding their nature matters more than pressure.
Answer: Like Tarapada, the cousin may be a free spirit for whom fixed bonds feel confining. The story asks us to understand such a nature rather than force it into a settled life.
Memory hook: Some guests are meant to leave.
Jealousy in close relationships
Imagine a younger sibling who breaks an older sibling's new phone after the parents praise the older one's results.
What does Charushashi's smashing of the flute teach about such behaviour?
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Identify the feeling: jealousy at attention given to another.
- Note the target: the thing the other person loves.
- See the underlying wish: to be noticed and to possess.
Answer: Charushashi's act shows how jealousy turns into destructive anger when a child feels displaced, while still wanting the other person's attention. Recognising the feeling behind the act is the first step to dealing with it.
Memory hook: The broken flute was really a cry for attention.
Choosing a partner for the right reasons
Suppose parents choose a match mainly because it would keep their daughter living near them.
What does the plan in Atithi suggest about such reasoning?
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- List the parents' reasons: taming her nature, keeping her at home.
- List what they ignored: Tarapada's restless nature.
- Compare with the outcome.
Answer: The plan served the parents' wishes, not the nature of the two young people, and it failed. Decisions about relationships work best when they respect the people involved.
Memory hook: A match made for the parents is not a match.
Topics in this chapter
How the board asks Atithi / Guest
The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.
| Question type | How it is asked | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Section A: MCQ (1 mark) | 'Why did Charushashi smash Tarapada's flute in the short story, Atithi?' (2025). | Recall the motive, not just the event: jealousy and anger, not dislike of the music. |
| Section A: reason completion (1 mark) | 'Motilal Babu is initially reluctant to marry his daughter to Tarapada because ____' (2025); 'Motilal Babu and Annapurna choose Tarapada as a prospective groom… because ____' (specimen). | Give the precise reason. The 2025 examiners said most candidates misunderstood the word 'reluctant'. |
| Section B: 10-mark analysis of character or relationships | 'Explore Tarapada's relationship with Annapurna and Charushashi… Why, in your opinion, does Tarapada leave Kathaliya?' (2025); 'Tarapada… is a free soul who cannot be restrained by the bonds of society. Examine this statement' (specimen). | Balance the parts: both relationships, then the reason for leaving, tied to his nature. The 2025 examiners criticised answers focused on one relationship and those that skipped the second part. |
Tricks to remember Atithi / Guest
Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.
Names to know at Kathaliya: M-A-C-S
Motilal Babu (host), Annapurna (mother-love), Charushashi (jealous daughter), Sonamani (whose friendship with Tarapada Charu resents).
Use it when: Recall names and roles quickly for MCQs.
Two loves, one escape
Annapurna's love and Charu's jealousy both try to hold him; he escapes both.
Use it when: Structure for the 10-mark relationships question.
Reluctant vs chosen
Reluctant: unknown family, only daughter, vagabond. Chosen: tame Charu, keep her home.
Use it when: The two reason completions set in 2025 and the specimen.
Atithi / Guest: board-level solved questions
Ordered from board level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.
Example 1: MCQ: the smashed flute (2025) · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
Why did Charushashi smash Tarapada's flute in the short story, Atithi?
(a) Sonamani had gifted the flute to Tarapada.
(b) She felt the sound of the flute was not sweet.
(c) She wanted to give Tarapada another flute.
(d) She was overcome with jealousy and anger.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Charushashi resents the attention Tarapada receives and his friendship with Sonamani.
- Her act is an outburst of feeling, not a judgement on the music.
Answer: (d) She was overcome with jealousy and anger.
Example 2: Reason completion: Motilal Babu's reluctance (2025) · 1 mark · Very short answerHarder board level
Complete with a reason: In the short story, Atithi, Motilal Babu is initially reluctant to marry his daughter to Tarapada because ________.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- 'Reluctant' = unwilling, hesitant.
- Find what makes a father hesitate: unknown family, only daughter, vagabond groom.
Answer: he knew nothing about Tarapada's family, Charushashi was his only daughter whom he wanted to marry well, and Tarapada was a vagabond. (The 2025 examiners said most candidates did not understand 'reluctant'.)
Example 3: Reason completion: why the parents choose Tarapada (specimen) · 1 mark · Very short answerHarder board level
Complete with a reason: In Atithi, Motilal Babu and Annapurna choose Tarapada as a prospective groom for their daughter because ________.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Think of Charushashi's nature: wild and wilful.
- Think of the parents' wish: to keep their only daughter near them.
Answer: they hoped he would temper Charushashi's wild nature, and since she was their only daughter, marrying her to a homeless boy would let her stay with them after marriage.
Example 4: 5-mark model: Tarapada and Annapurna · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level
Describe the bond between Annapurna and Tarapada in Atithi. Write 100-150 words, incorporating: • Annapurna's feelings for Tarapada • Tarapada's response to her.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Bullet 1: maternal instinct, curiosity, longing to care for him, plan to make him her son-in-law.
- Bullet 2: shy and respectful, but does not return her love in the same measure.
- Link to his nature as a free spirit.
Answer: Tarapada awakens Annapurna's maternal instincts from the moment he enters her home. She is curious about his background and is surprised to learn that he ran away from home although his mother is still alive. Though the boy is shy, she longs to feed him, clothe him and comfort him as she would her own son, and she comes to see him as a fit husband for her daughter, Charushashi. Tarapada, for his part, is respectful and gentle towards her and does not hurt her feelings, but he does not return her affection in the same measure. Her love, however sincere, is one more bond, and Tarapada, a free spirit who has already left one mother, cannot let it hold him. The relationship is therefore tender but one-sided, and it foreshadows his departure. (133 words)
Example 5: 10-mark model: relationships and the departure (2025) · 10 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
Explore Tarapada's relationship with Annapurna and Charushashi in the short story, Atithi. Why, in your opinion, does Tarapada leave Kathaliya? Answer in 200-250 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Annapurna: maternal love; his respect without reciprocation.
- Charushashi: jealousy, possessiveness, rivalry, tantrums; his indulgence.
- Give the two relationships roughly equal space (the examiners criticised imbalance).
- Answer the second part: he leaves because he is a free spirit who fears emotional and social bonds.
Answer: Tarapada's stay at Kathaliya draws him into two very different relationships.
Annapurna, Motilal Babu's wife, responds to him with a mother's love. She is curious about his past, surprised that he has left a living mother, and longs to feed, clothe and comfort the shy boy. She even sees him as a suitable husband for her daughter. Tarapada respects her and is gentle with her, but he does not return her love in the same measure.
Charushashi, the couple's only daughter, reacts in the opposite way. She is jealous of the attention he receives and openly hostile, though secretly impressed by his accomplishments. She resents his friendship with Sonamani and, overcome by jealousy and anger, smashes his flute. She is harsh with him yet wants him wholly to herself, and when she cannot keep pace with him in learning English she throws childish tantrums. Tarapada is indulgent towards her and never takes her seriously.
Tarapada leaves Kathaliya because he is a free soul who will not be tied down. The marriage being arranged for him would bind him permanently to a house, a family and social duty. Perhaps he also realises that he is growing close to these people, and that affection itself is a kind of cage. Just as he once left his own mother, he escapes again, returning to the open world of nature where he belongs. (229 words)
Where the marks are
How a typical answer is marked: the value points the examiner looks for and the marks each earns.
Question 4(iii), 10-mark answer (200-250 words). Indicative split: CISCE lists expected points and accepts any interpretation supported by textual evidence. (10 marks)
| Step | Marks |
|---|---|
| Every part of the question addressed (for 2025: both relationships and the reason for leaving) | 3 |
| Relevant points from the story, with specific incidents | 4 |
| Interpretation linked to Tarapada's nature | 1 |
| Organisation and expression within 200-250 words | 2 |
Where students lose marks in Atithi / Guest
The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.
Mistake: Unbalanced answers
Students write at length on the relationship they remember better. The 2025 examiners: 'some candidates focused on Annapurna more than Charushashi or vice versa.'
Do this: Plan equal space: one paragraph each, then the second part of the question.
Usually costs: Content marks for the neglected half.
Mistake: Skipping 'why does Tarapada leave'
Students run out of words after describing the relationships. The 2025 examiners said most candidates 'did not answer the second part of the question' or tie the departure to his nature.
Do this: Reserve the last 60-70 words for the reason he leaves, linked to his love of freedom.
Usually costs: A large share of the 10 marks.
Mistake: Misreading a key word
In the 2025 reason completion on Motilal Babu, most answered wrongly 'because they did not understand the meaning of the word reluctant' (CISCE examiners' comments, 2025).
Wrong working
Motilal Babu is initially reluctant because he liked Tarapada very much.
Right working
…because he knew nothing of Tarapada's family, Charushashi was his only daughter, and Tarapada was a vagabond.
Do this: Underline the key word of the stem and check its meaning before answering.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Retelling the story instead of examining a statement
A 10-mark 'examine this statement' question needs judgement. The examiners' general suggestion was to provide original answers and analyse motives rather than rely on guides.
Do this: Make each paragraph prove or test part of the statement, with an incident as evidence.
Usually costs: Analysis marks.
Practice questions on Atithi / Guest
Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.
Q1 · 1 mark · MCQHarder board level
Which of the following BEST describes Tarapada's attitude to the affection he receives at Kathaliya?
(a) He exploits it to secure a rich marriage.
(b) He respects it but does not let it bind him.
(c) He rejects it rudely from the start.
(d) He returns it fully and settles down.Hint
Think of how he treats Annapurna and how the story ends.
Answer
(b) He respects it but does not let it bind him.
Q2 · 1 mark · Very short answerBoard level
Complete with a reason: Charushashi throws tantrums during the English lessons because ________.
Hint
What is she trying to do?
Answer
she wants to compete with Tarapada even in learning English and cannot keep pace with him.
Q3 · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level
Describe Charushashi's attitude towards Tarapada in 100-150 words, incorporating: • Her jealousy and hostility • Her possessiveness.
Hint
Use the smashed flute, Sonamani and the English lessons as evidence.
Answer
Points: jealous of the attention he gets from her parents and of his friendship with Sonamani; openly hostile, though secretly impressed by his accomplishments; smashes his flute in jealousy and anger; competes with him in learning English and throws tantrums when she falls behind; yet anxious to claim sole rights over him; Tarapada indulges her and does not take her seriously. Conclude that her hostility is a childish form of attachment.
Q4 · 10 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
'Tarapada, the central character in the short story, Atithi, is a free soul who cannot be restrained by the bonds of society.' Examine this statement in 200-250 words.
Hint
Specimen key: love of freedom, interests and activities, attitude to his own family and mother, reaction to music, nature and ordinary people, relationship with Charushashi, return to nature.
Answer
Build the answer on the specimen points: he has run away from his own home though his mother is alive; he is drawn to music, nature and ordinary people rather than to property or status; he accepts the comforts of Motilal Babu's home without becoming dependent on them; he respects Annapurna's love without returning it fully; he indulges Charushashi without being drawn into her possessive feelings; when marriage would bind him for life, he leaves and returns to the world of nature. Conclude whether you agree (most will), with reasons.
Q5 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Do you think Motilal Babu and Annapurna were wise to plan Charushashi's marriage to Tarapada? Give two reasons for your view, in about 60 words.
Hint
Weigh their reasons (temper her nature; keep her at home) against what they knew of Tarapada.
Answer
Many would say unwise: they knew he had already run away from his own home and was a free spirit, and Charushashi's jealous, possessive nature was unlikely to hold him. Their reasons (taming her wildness, keeping their only daughter at home) served their own wishes more than either young person's nature. (Accept a reasoned 'wise' view.)
Q6 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Why is the story called 'Atithi' (Guest)? Answer in about 50 words.
Hint
A guest stays for a while and then leaves.
Answer
Tarapada is received as a guest and, despite every effort to make him a son and son-in-law, remains one: he belongs to no house and leaves when the bonds tighten. The title sums up his nature as a passing visitor in the settled world.
Test your recall
Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.
1.Who wrote Atithi and in which anthology is it prescribed?Show answer
Rabindranath Tagore; Prism: A Collection of ISC Short Stories.
2.Why did Charushashi smash Tarapada's flute?Show answer
She was overcome with jealousy and anger.
3.Who is Sonamani?Show answer
Someone Tarapada makes friends with; Charushashi is jealous of that friendship (2025 marking scheme). Check Sonamani's place in the story in your Prism text.
4.Why did the parents choose Tarapada as a groom?Show answer
To temper Charushashi's wild nature and to keep their only daughter with them after marriage.
5.What happens at the end of the story?Show answer
Tarapada leaves Kathaliya as the marriage is being arranged and returns to the open world.
6.Which theme did the 2025 examiners ask teachers to explore in Atithi?Show answer
Tagore's philosophy of oneness with nature.
Quick revision checklist
The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?
- Can you name the members of Motilal Babu's household and their attitude to Tarapada?
- Can you give three reasons for Motilal Babu's initial reluctance?
- Can you explain the symbolism of the smashed flute?
- Can you argue that Tarapada is a free soul, with four examples?
- Can you explain why Tarapada leaves Kathaliya, linked to his nature?
Atithi / Guest: frequently asked questions
Who is the 'guest' in Atithi?
Tarapada, the young wanderer who lives for a while in Motilal Babu's home and leaves when the family plans to marry him to their daughter.
Why does Tarapada leave Kathaliya?
He is a free spirit who refuses to be tied down by social and emotional bonds; the planned marriage, and perhaps his growing closeness to the family, made him escape.
What is the theme of Atithi?
Freedom and the refusal to be bound, oneness with nature, and the contrast between generous and possessive love, set against the customs of rural Bengal.
Can I quote from the story in my answers?
Short, accurate quotations from your Prism text help, but specific references to incidents are enough as evidence. This page gives no quotations because the translation is in copyright.
Based on: CISCE ISC 2027 English (801) syllabus and Appendix I: Prism: A Collection of ISC Short Stories (Evergreen Publications); CISCE ISC Specimen Question Paper 2025: English Paper 2 (Literature in English), with answer key; CISCE ISC Analysis of Pupil Performance 2025: Literature in English (board paper, marking scheme, examiners' comments)