Against the grain means opposite to what is usual or natural. This answer is correct because the expression has a fixed figurative meaning in English. In an SSC idiom question, students should match the whole phrase with its accepted meaning rather than translate each word separately.

• Classroom example: Against the grain can refer to a situation involving opposite to what is usual or natural.
• Story example: A writer may use Against the grain when describing a situation involving opposite to what is usual or natural.
• Exam example: When a sentence contains Against the grain, choose the meaning “opposite to what is usual or natural.”