RUSKIN BOND - The Night Train at Deoli and About the Story

About the Author: RUSKIN BOND -
Fig: Ruskin Bond

Ruskin Bond (born 19th May, 1934, Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, India) is an award winning Indian author of British descent, much renowned for his role in promoting children's literature in India. His first novel, 'The Room on the Roof', published in 1956, received the prestigious John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. The prolific writer Bond has written over 500 short stories, essays and novels. He is also the author of more than 50 books for children and two volumes of autobiography. Apart from 'The Room on the Roof' his more notable works are Our Trees Still Grow, A Flight of Pigeons, The Blue Umbrella, Granny's Tree Climbing, Angry River. His popular novel 'The Blue umbrella' was made into a Hindi film of the same name which was awarded the National Film Award for Best Children's Film in 2007. has been awarded 'Sahitya Akademi Award ' (1992), 'Padma Shri' (1999), and 'Padma Bhushan' (2014). Ruskin Bond lives in Mussoorie, near Dehradun in the state of Uttarakhand.

About the story "The Night Train at Deoli"

Fig: The Night Train at Deoli by Ruskin Bond

The Night Train at Deoli is a well-known short story written in 1988 by Ruskin Bond, a well-known Indian author. The story is a poignant story of adolescent love. It focuses on the narrator's infatuation with a busket-seller whome he meets at a small, lonely train station. The meeting between the narrator and the basket-selling girl at a small railway station is brief but meaningful. Through this simple incident, the author explores themes of loneliness, curiosity, affection, and the lasting impact of short encounters.

The narrator is an unnamed young college student who regularly travels by train between Dehradun and Delhi during his college vacations. On the way, the train always stops for about ten minutes at a small and quiet station called Deoli. Deoli is described as a lonely station surrounded by forests, with only a small platform, a tea stall, and a few dim lights. The narrator often wonders why the train stops there when hardly anyone gets on or off.

One day, while looking out of the train window, the narrator notices a young girl selling baskets on the platform. She looks poor but graceful and has a calm and innocent expression. The narrator feels attracted to her simplicity and cannot stop thinking about her. During his next journey, he sees the girl again and decides to get down from the train to speak with her. He buys a basket from her, and they share a few quiet moments together. Although their conversation is short, a silent understanding develops between them. The narrator begins to feel a deep emotional connection with the girl.

However, the train soon begins to move, and the narrator must leave. He promises himself that he will meet her again on his next trip. But when he returns months later, the girl is nowhere to be seen. He asks the people at the station about her, but no one knows where she has gone. This leaves him feeling disappointed and sad.

Even though the narrator continues to pass through Deoli many times afterward, he never sees the girl again. He finally decides not to search for her anymore because he wants to preserve the beautiful memory of their brief meeting.

The story highlights how small and unexpected moments can leave a deep impression on our lives. It also shows the beauty and sadness of fleeting relationships, making the story emotional and memorable.