📌 Chapter 8 – A House Is Not a Home

The narrator has just entered a new high school. He feels lonely because his friends are in a different school. He misses his old teachers and feels awkward and insecure.

One Sunday, while he is doing homework, a fire breaks out in his house. Smoke fills the rooms and the family rushes out. His mother runs back into the burning house to save important documents and his father’s photos. Firemen save her, but the house burns down completely.

The narrator realises his cat is missing. He cries because he has lost his home, his belongings, and his pet. They go to live with his grandparents temporarily.

Next day at school, he feels embarrassed —

• he has no books,
• no bag,
• no proper clothes,
• no shoes,
• and he feels like an outsider.

But suddenly, students and teachers surprise him. They collect clothes, school supplies, and other items for him. They talk to him, invite him to their homes, and include him in activities. He realizes people genuinely care.

A month later, while watching the house being rebuilt with his new friends, a lady brings his missing cat. She had found the cat far away and worked hard to locate the owner.

The narrator feels emotional and says:
“My cat was back and so was I.”
It means he finally feels happy, confident, and himself again.

📌 Hindi 

लेखक नया हाई स्कूल जॉइन करता है और बहुत अकेला महसूस करता है क्योंकि उसके पुराने दोस्त दूसरे स्कूल चले गए हैं। उसे सब कुछ नया और अजीब लगता है।

एक रविवार को जब वह पढ़ रहा होता है, उसके घर में आग लग जाती है। धुआँ पूरा घर भर देता है। सब बाहर भागते हैं। उसकी माँ जरूरी दस्तावेज़ और उसके पिता की यादें बचाने के लिए फिर अंदर जाती है, लेकिन फायरमैन उसे बचा लेते हैं।

पूरा घर जल जाता है — और उनकी बिल्ली भी गायब हो जाती है। लेखक रो पड़ता है क्योंकि उसे लगता है कि उसने सब कुछ खो दिया है।

अगले दिन स्कूल में उसे शर्मिंदगी महसूस होती है —

• कपड़े अजीब,
• जूते उधार के,
• किताबें-बैग सब जल चुके,
• और वह खुद को बेगाना महसूस करता है।

लेकिन स्कूल के बच्चों और शिक्षकों ने उसके लिए एक टेबल भरी चीज़ों से तैयार की — कपड़े, नोटबुक, बैग, शूज़। सब उससे मिलने, बात करने और मदद करने आए। उसे महसूस हुआ कि लोग अच्छे हैं।

एक महीने बाद जब वह अपने टूटे घर को बनते हुए देख रहा होता है, एक महिला उसकी बिल्ली लेकर आती है। बिल्ली डरकर एक मील दूर भाग गई थी और महिला ने उसे सँभालकर रखा था।

अपनी बिल्ली को देखकर लेखक को लगता है कि उसकी ज़िंदगी फिर से ठीक हो रही है।
इसलिए वह कहता है—
“My cat was back and so was I.”

📌 Word Meanings

📌 4. NCERT Questions with Easy Answers

Q1. What does the author notice one Sunday afternoon? What is his mother’s reaction?

Answer:
He notices smoke coming from the ceiling — the house is on fire.
His mother immediately runs into the burning house to save important documents and his father’s photos.

Q2. Why does he break down in tears after the fire?

Answer:
Because he:

• lost his home
• lost his belongings
• lost his school things
• and most importantly, his cat was missing

He feels everything is gone.

Q3. Why is the author embarrassed the next day in school? Which words show his fear?

Answer:
He is embarrassed because he has:

• strange clothes
• borrowed shoes
• no backpack
• no books

Words showing fear:

• “I walked around like a zombie.”
• “Everything felt surreal.”
• “I was totally embarrassed.”
• “Was I destined to be an outcast?”

Q4. How is the bond between the author and the cat shown? Where was the cat after the fire? Who brings it back?

Answer:
The cat always stayed close to him, slept on his papers, followed him everywhere, and he rescued it when it was small.
The cat had run far away in fear — over a mile.
A kind woman found it, cared for it, and brought it back.

Q5. What actions of his schoolmates comfort him emotionally? How does he stop feeling lonely?

Answer:
Schoolmates collect clothes, books, and supplies for him. They talk to him, invite him home, and show real care.
He stops feeling lonely because he makes new friends and feels accepted.

Q6. What is the meaning of “My cat was back and so was I”?

Answer:
His cat returning symbolizes that his life, happiness, and confidence also returned.
He wasn’t physically gone — but emotionally he felt lost.
Now he feels like himself again.