Is Velu a smart boy? Which instances in the text show that he is or isn’t?

Velu is certainly a smart boy. In the beginning, he was reluctant to talk to a strange girl, this is very smart as one should avoid talking too freely with strangers. He later realises that following the girl is his best chance of survival and takes it. Finally, at the end, even though he doesn’t like the type of work he was getting but he chose to stick to it till finding a better job.