In which direction does the retreating monsoon withdraw?

Correct answer: From north to south

The direct answer is A, from north toward south. Retreating monsoon refers to the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon after the rainy season. In the usual school-level description, the monsoon winds begin to withdraw from northwestern and northern India around September and gradually retreat southward. This process is linked with the changing temperature and pressure pattern after summer. Option A is the intended correct answer because it states the broad north-to-south direction of withdrawal. Option B reverses that direction. Option C, east to west, is not the general direction used for this school-level description. Option D, sea to mountains, describes neither the direction nor the meaning of retreating monsoon; withdrawal is about the seasonal retreat of winds, not a simple movement from sea toward mountains. Remember: after the rainy season, the southwest monsoon retreats across India generally from north toward south.