The letter had been sitting in the drawer for six years. It was folded once, carefully, as if whoever wrote it believed in permanence. Leena never touched it—just kept it buried beneath worn notebooks, theater ticket stubs, and dried-out pens. It wasn’t that she forgot it existed; it was that she remembered it too clearly.
It was her father’s last letter—the one he wrote before he left. He had slipped it under her bedroom door the night he walked out, and for weeks afterward, she kept expecting him to return and say it had all been a test. That the silence was temporary. That people don’t vanish just because they feel unseen.
But he hadn’t returned. And the letter remained unread.
Now, standing at the edge of the same room, older but unsure if wiser, she stared at the drawer. Outside, the evening dimmed into that soft color between violet and ash. The kind of light that asked questions.
She opened the drawer. Slowly, without ceremony, she lifted the letter. It was lighter than she expected—as if memory weighed more than paper.
She didn’t read it all at once. Her eyes flicked over familiar handwriting, catching fragments: *“I wasn’t strong enough…” “You reminded me of myself…” “Forgive me, if you can.”*
She folded it again. Once. Like before. Then she sat down on the edge of the bed and whispered, 'Maybe not yet.'
It wasn’t forgiveness. But it was something.
Q1: What internal conflict is Leena experiencing in the passage?
Q2: What theme is most strongly explored in the story?
Q3: How does the author use imagery in the line, 'It was lighter than she expected—as if memory weighed more than paper'?
Q4: What does the phrase 'The kind of light that asked questions' suggest?
Q5: Why does Leena choose not to finish reading the letter?
Q6: What is implied by the final line, 'It wasn’t forgiveness. But it was something.'?
Q7: Which tone best describes the overall story?
Printable Comprehension Practice
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Q1: What internal conflict is Leena experiencing in the passage?
✅ Correct Answer: B
💡 Reasoning: The core of the story is Leena’s emotional struggle with whether or not to open and confront the letter left by her father.
Q2: What theme is most strongly explored in the story?
✅ Correct Answer: C
💡 Reasoning: The story deals with Leena’s slow, emotional journey toward facing her past and beginning—though not completing—the process of forgiveness.
Q3: How does the author use imagery in the line, 'It was lighter than she expected—as if memory weighed more than paper'?
✅ Correct Answer: B
💡 Reasoning: The metaphor highlights how emotional weight can far outweigh the physical object tied to it.
Q4: What does the phrase 'The kind of light that asked questions' suggest?
✅ Correct Answer: B
💡 Reasoning: This poetic line suggests that the time of day evokes reflection and internal questioning, aligned with Leena’s emotional state.
Q5: Why does Leena choose not to finish reading the letter?
✅ Correct Answer: C
💡 Reasoning: The story suggests she is at the edge of acceptance but still in a fragile, uncertain emotional state.
Q6: What is implied by the final line, 'It wasn’t forgiveness. But it was something.'?
✅ Correct Answer: B
💡 Reasoning: The statement acknowledges emotional progress without claiming a full resolution—showing nuance and maturity.
Q7: Which tone best describes the overall story?
✅ Correct Answer: C
💡 Reasoning: The story uses subdued language, subtle symbolism, and emotional distance to explore deep feelings in a quiet, introspective way.