The Concert Chapter 18 Notes Summary Questions Class 10 SSC
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This chapter is a touching story featuring a brave 15-year-old boy suffering from cancer and his sister's courageous attempt to fulfill his final wish.
About the author
Shanta Rao (1930-2007) was a notable dancer from India. She was an exponent of Bharatnatyam and also studied Kathakali and Kuchipudi. She received the Padmashri, Sangeet Natak Academy Award, and Kalidas Sanman.
Summary
Anant, a talented fifteen-year-old boy and the best table-tennis player and runner in his school, fell seriously ill with cancer. He and his family came to Bombay for his treatment, staying at Aunt Sushila's apartment. Despite their hopes, his condition worsened rapidly.
One morning, Smita read in the newspaper that Pandit Ravi Shankar was performing at the Shanmukhananda auditorium. Anant desperately wanted to attend, calling it the chance of a lifetime, but he was too weak to leave his bed. Smita and her parents tried to keep him happy and fulfilled his wishes.
Smita attended the concert with her father. While listening to the enchanting ragas, she made a daring plan. After the concert ended, she bravely went backstage and approached Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Allah Rakha, pouring out her story about her ailing brother.
Moved by her request, Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Allah Rakha agreed to visit Aunt Sushila's house the next morning. They performed for Anant, surrounding him with great happiness as life went out of him gently.
Mind map
The Concert
- Anant's Condition
- Fifteen-year-old boy
- Suffering from cancer
- Loves playing sitar and sports
- The Family in Bombay
- Staying with Aunt Sushila
- Came for medical treatment
- Hopes fading as health worsens
- Smita's Daring Plan
- Reads newspaper announcement
- Attends Pandit Ravi Shankar's concert
- Meets artists backstage
- Fulfillment of Wish
- Artists agree to visit
- Private performance for Anant
- Anant passes away peacefully
Sequence of Events
- Smita reads about Pandit Ravi Shankar's concert in the newspaper.
- Anant expresses his intense desire to hear the sitar maestro play live.
- Anant's deteriorating health makes it impossible for him to attend the venue.
- Smita goes to the concert with her father and listens spellbound.
- Smita sneaks backstage after the concert and speaks to Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Allah Rakha.
- The legends agree to visit her home and perform for Anant the next morning.
- Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Allah Rakha arrive at Aunt Sushila's apartment and play for the dying boy.
Characters
| Character | Traits |
|---|---|
| Anant | Fifteen-year-old boy, multi-talented athlete and sitar player, terminally ill with cancer, brave, and deeply passionate about music. |
| Smita | Anant's sixteen-year-old sister, loving, caring, determined, and courageous enough to approach renowned musicians. |
| Aunt Sushila | Kind-hearted relative in Bombay who accommodates the family during Anant's medical treatment. |
Themes and message
The Healing Power of Music
Music brings profound joy, comfort, and peace to a dying boy, transcending physical suffering.
Sibling Love and Selflessness
Smita goes to great lengths and steps out of her comfort zone to fulfill her brother's dying wish.
Key points to remember
- Anant was a brilliant student, athlete, and budding sitarist before cancer struck him.
- The family stayed in Bombay at Aunt Sushila's house for Anant's treatment at the cancer hospital.
- Smita devised a daring plan during the concert to request the artists to play for her brother.
- Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Allah Rakha showed immense kindness by visiting the apartment to play for Anant.
Word meanings
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Maestro | A prominent conductor or performer of classical music. |
| Murmur | Quietly spoken words (बुदबुदाना / कुजबुजणे). |
| Indulge | To allow someone to enjoy the pleasure of something (लाड पुरवणे). |
| Plaintive | Sounding sad and mournful (उदासीन / करुणाजनक). |
| Spellbound | Holding one's attention completely as though by magic (मंत्रमुग्ध). |
| Wriggle | To twist and turn body to move through a tight space (सरपटत किंवा घुसຜत जाणे). |
| Ovation | A sustained and enthusiastic show of appreciation by clapping (अभिनंदन / दाद). |
| Code-mixing | Using words from another language in a write-up. |
Figures of speech and poetic devices
| Device | Example | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Metaphor | gates of a land of enchantment | Comparing the feeling of listening to the ragas to entering a magical, wonderful world. |
Important questions and answers
Q1. Why was Smita excited after reading the morning newspaper?
Smita was excited because the newspaper announced that Pandit Ravi Shankar was performing the next day at the Shanmukhananda auditorium.
Q2. What was the frightening truth that Smita knew deep inside?
Smita knew deep inside the frightening truth that her brother Anant was dying of cancer, even though everyone pretended that he would get well.
Q3. Why did the doctors at the cancer hospital tell the family to take Anant home?
The doctors told the family to take Anant home and give him whatever he liked because his condition grew worse and he did not have many days left to live.
Q4. What was Smita's daring plan?
Smita's daring plan was to approach Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Allah Rakha after the concert and request them to visit her home and play the sitar and tabla for her dying brother.
Q5. Why were the neighbours surprised the following morning?
The neighbours were surprised because they saw legends Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Allah Rakha step out of a taxi and head towards Aunt Sushila's apartment.
Q6. Identify who said the following: 'We mustn’t miss the chance.'
Anant said this to his mother and sister when he heard that Pandit Ravi Shankar was playing in Bombay.
Q7. Write the emotion revealed in the sentence: 'It’s the chance of a lifetime.'
Anant said this to his mother when he heard that Pandit Ravi Shankar was playing in Bombay.
Q8. Explain the meaning of 'Maestro' with reference to the text.
In the text, 'Maestro' refers to Pandit Ravi Shankar, signifying a prominent and master performer of Indian classical music.
Exam tips
- Memorize character traits of Anant and Smita for web-diagram questions.
- Pay attention to 'Who said to whom' and emotional identification questions from the English Workshop.
- Revise Indian classical music terms (like Raga, Ustad, Pandit) used as examples of code-mixing.
FAQs
Is 'The Concert' a true story?
Yes, it is a true story, but all the names except Pandit Ravi Shankar's and Ustad Allah Rakha's have been changed.
Why couldn't Anant attend the live concert?
Anant was suffering from terminal cancer and was extremely weak, confined to bed and dependent on oxygen, making it impossible for him to travel to the auditorium.
How did the story end?
The story ends emotionally as Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Allah Rakha visit Anant's home to play music for him, bringing him great happiness as he passes away gently.
These notes were prepared with AI help from the Balbharati English Kumarbharati textbook (2026-27) and fact-checked against it.
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