NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb Book Chapter 6 Expert Detectives Summary

Maya and Nishad's return to the clinic marks the beginning of the narrative. Nishad had already met Mr. Nath to get his marble. Nishad said to Maya that Mr. Nath didn't appear to be a thief. He noted that he appeared frail and questioned if he lacked the means to purchase meals. Maya ruled out this possibility since she believed Mr. Nath had a large amount of cash hidden away in his room. Nishad was still unconvinced since Mr. Nath didn't seem like a thief in Nishad's opinion. Maya informed Nishad that Mr. Nath was not famished since he had Ramesh bring him food from the restaurant, proving Maya's conviction that Mr. Nath was a criminal. 

Nishad then said that Mr. Mehta had previously informed them that because Mr. Nath did not have a job, it was hard for him to make arrangements for his own food. That was the very point, Maya shouted, that she was attempting to make. She said that Mr. Nath was able to purchase meals because he had stashed large sums of cash either in a trunk or his room. Nishad, however, thought this notion was absurd. Maya was adamant, though. She then inquired as to Nishad's knowledge of the facial scars on Mr. Nath. She couldn't see them in the darkness. She went on to say that a gunfight with the police may have caused Mr. Nath's scars.

Their mother had made it quite obvious to them that those scars were burn marks, Nishad said. Maya hypothesized that Mr. Nath's house may have been set on fire by the police to coerce him into turning himself in. But Nishad continued to display his skepticism. The next Monday, as Maya was interacting with her classmate, Seven and his mother went to the doctor. When they got home, Nishad told his sister that he had run into Mr. Nath once again and that she had been furious at him for leaving her behind. Mr. Nath received a chocolate bar from Seven when he knocked on his door. Evidently, he had been concerned about Mr. Nath's frail and skinny look and was certain that he was starving.

When he revealed this to his sister, she enquired as to whether he had a chance to examine the trunk in his room. Nishad felt let down. He explained to his sister that he wasn't even let inside his room, therefore he was unable to see inside the trunk. Later, though, Seven grinned and mentioned to his sister that he had met Ramesh by going inside the restaurant where he worked. His sister gave him a pat and gave him kudos for his sleuthing abilities. She then hoped Nishad had thoroughly questioned Ramesh. Seven, who appeared content, told Maya what he had discovered. Ramesh informed him that he provided Mr. 

Ramesh claimed that Mr. Nath was not particular. Every day, he would have the same meal of two chapattis, some dal, and a vegetable. Additionally, Mr. Nath used cash and left a sizable gratuity. Seven continued by saying that Ramesh had told him something peculiar. Ramesh brought two meals to Mr. Nath's room almost every Sunday—one for Mr. Nath and the other for the guest, who was tall, fair, heavy, and wearing spectacles. Ramesh added that, in contrast to Mr. Nath, who was largely silent, the guest was highly chatty. Maya praised Nishad and added that in order to catch the criminal, they would need to gather all the information like seasoned detectives. 

Nishad was still unsure, though. The following day was intended to be a school day, but due to the rain, thunder, and flooded streets, it ended up being a holiday. Maya made the decision to utilize that day by compiling all the information and recording it on paper. When she was done, she requested that Nishad read what she had written. Nishad nodded in agreement, and she continued by stating that their suspect's pseudonym was Mr. Nath, and that they wanted to discover his true identity. Although Maya stated that their suspect had a false identity and that most criminals do, Seven still believed that Mr. Nath was the suspect's true name.

The second aspect was that the Shankar House inhabitants described their suspect as crazy, odd, and unwelcoming. The third was that he was rude and avoided eye contact. This was one that Seven didn't agree with since he did speak to Seven and their mother described him as being very courteous. Maya, on the other hand, informed him that he just spoke to us because he had to and that he had to be kind since he was being treated by their mother. The lack of correspondence was the fourth fact. The fifth was that he had spent more than a year residing in Room 10 of Shankar House.

The sixth was that he spent the entire day in his room without going to work. The seventh fact was that he caused fear among both the children and the adults residing at the Shankar House. The eighth was that, other from the tall, fair, robust, spectacled man who used to pay him a visit practically every Sunday, he had no other visitors. The ninth was that he didn't go to the restaurant to eat the meal, didn't care what he ate, paid the bill right away, and left a generous tip. After finishing her list, she noticed that her brother wasn't paying any attention to her and kept referring to Mr. Nath as a destitute and lonely guy. Maya became enraged and nearly yelled at him

Nishad grew angry and told Maya that if she would keep on insisting that Mr. Nath was a criminal, then he would never discuss anything with her. He added that he couldn’t be such a bad man if he gave Ramesh such generous tips. Maya then got another brilliant idea. She told Nishad that it must be because Ramesh knew something about Mr. Nath, which could reveal his truth and so, he was bribing him. Nishad glared at his sister with his arms tightly crossed across his chest. Maya was beginning to get fed up with him. She asked how they could keep up with their investigations if he continued with such an attitude. He answered that he would cooperate only if she would give up the idea of Mr. Nath being a crook. He added that she made him really mad. His sister retorted, saying that it was him who made her mad. She asked him what the point of doing of all the inquiries was when he never felt that he was an escaped crook. Her brother answered that he wanted to know why he was thin and lonely.

Maya tried to make him understand by telling him that if he had live at the Shankar House for a year and hadn’t made a single friend, something was obviously wrong. Maybe he was afraid that someone would recognise him and give him to the cops. Nishad added the possibility that maybe no one tried to be friends with him. Maya asked why anyone would bother. Mr. Nath was a nasty bear, even Nishad had seen that. However, he was stubborn. He said that he didn’t care and would like to be his friend as he liked him. Maya laughed at this idea. She said that he would be put in jail with Mr. Nath when he would get caught by the cops. She then asked if he would like that. Nishad paid no heed to her. Clearly, Maya’s theories had made no impression on her brother.