b. He was not popular
c. He was afraid of offending the king
d. He did not believe its message
Answer: A. failure
"Distraught" means "bewildered" or "deeply agitated." On the other hand, "affliction" refers to "something that may cause pain or suffering." Therefore, we know that a person is distraught because of an affliction. On the other hand, "sullen" means in a bad mood. "Failure" is the word that fits the best, as a person is more likely to be sullen because of a failure than because any of the other options.
I believe that the best answer to this will be (IRONY).
By definition, irony is a state of affairs or event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing. Here, its ironic that on the same day that Sekhar decides to be brutally honest, his boss asks him to critique his music.
Answer: irony
Explanation: