Glossophobia

Ashir was constantly walking in dysphoria. He was so keen to mug up all the important points
but every time he forgot to read out the quotation enthusiastically. “Wow! Ladies and
gentleman presenting you Mr. Ashir, the pride of our school, who is knack at everything and
now he is here to present you his wonderful piece of writing”, Ashir’s younger brother, Faizan
teased him with a smirk on his face.
“Mama! See Faizan is getting on my nerves again. Just tell this crazy monkey to stay quite. I am
concentrating on my speech”, Ashir complained.“Oh! Mama’s little boy! Have you taken your
feeder?”, Faizan came up with another teaser for Ashir. “Will both of you Tom and Jerry stop
fighting for a while. I am discussing some important points to my friend on phone and he
thought that we might have some noisy beggars in the society…disgusting both of you fighting
like beggars arguing for some cents”, Affan, the elder brother, interrupted them while he kept
his palm on his phone to avoid unnecessary transmission of noise.
“You better press that mute button on phone, if you know the use of that option”, Faizan
niggled Affan while laughing loudly on Affan’s remarks of beggar. “Beggar! yes, Ashir is begging
for some applauses’’, Faizan said while holding his cereal bowl interpreting the beggars’ style.
“Don’t show me your ugly teeth”, Ashir hit Faizan with a cushion which accidentally hit their
maid Maham Bibi. “Oh my God Almighty! Where I have got stuck with these noxious brothers”,
Maham Bibi kept on whining and rubbing her head dramatically as usual.
“Oh! Maham Bibi! Did you get hurt? Ashir why did you always forget that our cushion is made
of iron? See you broke Maham Bibi’s head.” Faizan said sarcastically widen his eyes showing
fake concerns. “No, not at all. I really amused yesterday when you hit me with the carpet
cleaning brush and before that I enjoyed a lot when you hit me with your plastic drum….”
Maham Bibi said ironically. “Maham Bibi I was throwing the brush outside but you came
abruptly and I didn’t hit you with plastic drum, it was my dustbin by the way and Affan threw it
towards me when I ran away after breaking his guitar’s string”, Ashir said mischievously.
“Maham Bibi, why are you making a mountain out of a molehill? You know their callowness
very well. Now windup your work, I have taken out some rice and curry for you from the fridge,
don’t forget to take it with you. Come early tomorrow as we have to leave by 10 O’ clock sharp
in the morning”, Mrs. Ahmed said meanwhile giving her further instructions. “Oh Madam!
Absolutely I will be on time as tomorrow is a very big day. Best of luck to all the boys especially
Faizan”, Maham Bibi grinned and then cover her mouth with scarf to hide her uncontrollable
laugh.
“Why that woman gave me such ugly expressions’’? asked Faizan curiously. “You better learn
some manners”, Mrs. Ahmed chided Faizan . “You have made it a routine activity to tease and
discombobulate us. Well how much have you prepared for tomorrow? since morning I haven’t
seen you practice”, Mrs. Ahmed interrogated Faizan
“Practice? Practice for what? What I have to do now?” Faizan asked while being a little
timorous. “That’s the main problem with you. You don’t remember anything and shows up with
such an overweening attitude. Faizan where is your speech which Affan has written for you
about two weeks earlier? Mrs. Ahmed asked distraughtly.” Don’t you know tomorrow you have
an ‘Inter-Schools Debate Competition from grade six till grade eight and as per rules every
student has to participate like you all did last year’’, Mama explained Faizan wearily
“And you went blank on stage, remember!’’ Affan said sarcastically while putting his phone on
charger. “And you were trembling and sweating”, Ashir came up with another disturbing
memory for Faizan. “Tomorrow! Why tomorrow comes so early?”, Faizan fell himself loose on
the sofa. The feeling of being on stage is always odious for him. Faizan is dexterous by all means
but the thing that brings him nightmare is the fear of being on stage, in short Faizan has
Glossophobia, stage anxiety, where a person can’t speak on stage.
Last year Faizan couldn’t utter a single word like he was oblivious of the competition and stood
silently until the bell rang. That was quite embarrassing for Mr. and Mrs. Ahmed as Faizan has
always being valiant of all. Mr. Ahmed is fastidious about his children. Whatever the
competitions are there, he remains adamant to emphasize all three of his sons to participate.
He was sanguine that Faizan would raise the trophy but Faizan discovered that he has
Glossophobia. In every class he made himself out of such competitions like debate, speech and
extempore but this time it was compulsory for every student to participate.
“No Mama, I can’t. The stage is a kind of hell fire for me and the audience is like raging
monster’’, Faizan said seriously. “So, my boy is not ready to face the raging monster’’, Mr.
Ahmed remarked on Faizan’s childish confession. “Daddy you came early today’’, asked Affan
while he went in to the kitchen to fetch a glass of water meanwhile Ashir came and took the
laptop bag from his father along with the shoppers of samosas and patties. Faizan still sat
silently bending his head down as he felt bashful by the memories of last year’s debate
competition.
“You better freshen up, I will make some tea for us’’, said Mrs. Ahmed. ‘’I will but after
watching my son debating like no one else can’’, Mr. Ahmed said gently. ‘’No daddy I can’t, it’s
impossible for me. I don’t know but I can’t even tell you how terrible I felt on stage last year’’,
said Faizan sadly. ‘’That is why we are here, to allay your stage fear’’, said Mr. Ahmed while he
held Faizan’s arm. “My boy there is no any fear around, we are the one who nourishes it inside
our soul. If we keep on seeking our goal, concentrating and believing ourselves then there will
be no space left for the fear to reside in our personality. My boy is dapper little man, I believe
that you can and haven’t you observe? Impossible itself says that I’m possible’’, Mr.Ahmed said
graciously. He has a simpatico bond with his sons and this time he wants Faizan to forget about
glossophobia and perform with sheer excellence.
Faizan smiled confidently, went in to his room to get the speech paper. Meanwhile Mrs. Ahmed
came with the trolley of tea and delicious snacks. They all were waiting and then Faizan started
his debate with the quote by Kobe Bryant “My parents are my backbone. They are the only
group that will support you if you score zero or you score 40’’.
Affan set the timer already for five minutes and Faizan left everyone flabbergasted with his
confident delivery of words. Everyone lauded him for his speech and enjoyed their snacking.

1- What is Glossophobia?

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2- ‘He was so keen to mug up all the important points but every time he forgot to read
out the quotation enthusiastically.’ Can you explain according to the given lines what
is happening with Ashir?

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3- Have you ever been in a state of Glossophobia? Do you think it is a disability? Why?

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4- Why the brothers were fighting like Tom and Jerry?

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5- Irony is the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the
opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect. What two things Maham Bibi said
ironically:

I. ________________________________________________________________
 II. ________________________________________________________________

6- What is meant by Faizan when he said, ‘The stage is a kind of hell fire for me and the
audience is like raging monster.’?

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7- ‘Memories can either shatter a personality or it can make a personality.’ Why do you
think that Faizan sat silently bending his head down?

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8- Write down the worst moment of your life which you can never forget? Why?

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9- How is Faizaan’s memories related to Ashir’s current situation?

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10- According to the writer what sort of bond father and sons share?

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11- How would you describe Mr. Ahmed’s character?

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12- Infer the meaning of the following words:

I. noxious _____________________________
II. discombobulate _____________________________
III. dexterous _____________________________
IV. fastidious _____________________________
V. dapper _____________________________
VI. flabbergasted _____________________________

13- What is the meaning of simpatico? How do you use it in a sentence? Write down the
opposite of simpatico?

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14- What Affan felt at the end of the story?

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15- ‘Confidence can be described as a belief in oneself’, How do you build confidence?

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