The Comet I

Introduction:

In the story, ‘The Comet’ we come across an amateur astronomer who discovers a comet. This comet is predicted of hitting the earth. Moreover, some people are of the belief that the discovery of the comet will bring ill luck. Manoj Dutta had a secret ambition to discover a comet. His ambition materialised when he retired and bought an 8-inch telescope and named it ‘dibya chakshu’.

Meanings of words and phrases:

• adjoining : near
• oblivious : not conscious of what is happening around you
• tete-a-tete : a private conversation between two people
• huddled : nestled closely
• ensnared : catch or get control of something or someone
• amateur : someone who takes part in an activity for pleasure, not as a job
• eccentric : strange
• gigantic : huge
• optimistic : hopeful and confident about the future
• nebulous : unclear
• smudges : a blurred or smeared mark on the surface of something
• meticulous : very careful and with great attention to every detail
• introvert : shy, quiet, and prefers to spend time alone rather than often being with other people
• correlation: a mutual relationship or connection between two or more things
• spacious : ample space
• deferentially : a manner that shows respect and high regard for a superior or an elder
• delighted : feeling or showing great pleasure
• Provost : the head of certain university colleges, especially at Oxford or Cambridge, and public schools
• imposition : a situation in which someone expects another person to do something that they do not want to do or that is not convenient
• aspersions : a false or misleading charge meant to harm someone’s reputation
• suppressed : to forcibly put an end to
• profound : very great or intense
• implications : things that are likely to happen as a result
• reputation : the opinion that people in general have about someone or something
• Catastrophic : involving or causing sudden great damage or suffering
• barring :except
• inevitable: unavoidable
• fortuitous : something not planned, happening by chance
• precise :exact and accurate in form, time, detail, or description
• restraint: a measure or condition that keeps someone or something under control