Drive a hard bargain means negotiate strongly to get a good deal. 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: Drive a hard bargain can refer to a situation involving negotiate strongly to get a good deal.
• Story example: A writer may use Drive a hard bargain when describing a situation involving negotiate strongly to get a good deal.
• Exam example: When a sentence contains Drive a hard bargain, choose the meaning “negotiate strongly to get a good deal.”