A Gathering Of Friends By Ruskin Bond
a gathering of friends is a collection of 21 short
stories.
The twenty-one stories
in the book are the greatest pieces of fiction written by Ruskin Bond. Chosen
by the author himself, from a body of work built over fifty years (starting
with his award winning first novel, ‘The Room on the Roof’, and ending with ‘Tales
of Fosterganj’), this collection includes well-known masterpieces like ‘The Night
Train at Deoli’, ‘The Woman on Platform 8’, ‘Rusty Plays Holi’, ‘Angry River’,
‘The Blue Umbrella’, ‘The Eyes Have It’, ‘Most Beautiful’, ‘Panther’s Moon’, as
well as newer stories like ‘An Evening at the Savoy with H.H’ and ‘Dinner with
Foster’. Taken together, the stories in A Gathering of Friends show why Ruskin
Bond has long been regarded as one of the pillars of Indian Literature.
Timeless tales
Ruskin Bond's stories have the essence of the hills, the
trains through the deodars, uninhibited exploration of childhood and other vagaries
of life. They have such a universal appeal. They are 'rust-free'- they don't
lose their importance with time. They never get corroded with the passing of the
years. Stories spun with such warmth and delicacy. Heart rending tales.
In ‘Love is a sad
song’ a 30 year old man falls for a 16 year old girl named Sushila. It’s a
story of his remembering the time spent with her, their love, him trying for
marriage and the elusive girl not confirming her love. She is a school girl after
all. It’s set in the hills and in the busy city of Delhi.
“It’s not time that is passing by. It’s you and I.”
Above is one of
my favorite quotes from this rather long short story.
Ruskin Bond: The
master of nostalgia and memories
Ruskin Bond’s stories have been a part of our school
syllabus. So childhood memories are almost built on these stories. I remember
having felt extreme nostalgia and yearning for Deoli, a place I have never been
to in real life, after reading The Night
Train at Deoli. Such is the power of stories. People you have never met and places you have never visited become a
part and parcel of your life.
When in this world trust needs to be earned and strangers
should not be granted trust in any way ‘The
Woman on Platform 8’ is such a refresher on a totally different idea.
Strangers are like portals to different parallel universes. And connection
should not be so hard.
A gathering of
friends: People and places left in a Time warp
His stories are emotional in a subtle way, they tug at your
heartstrings, thought provoking yet simple. Simplicity forms such a huge part
of ingredients for his short stories.
"His books seem impervious to the dictates of literary fashion or changing trends."
“Time Stops at
Shamli” is one of my personal favorite. An interesting jotting of events involving an array of characters when the author decides to break his train journey in the remote hilly village Shamli which has one tonga for transport and one hotel for stay. “The prospect of Flowers” too exudes a
soft remembrance and warmth of home- a place of comfort. It talks of the youthful curiosity of uninhibited
mind and joys of childhood.
”Her home was in these hills, among the oaks and maples and deodars.”
“Most Beautiful” is a story that shows how relevant it is
today as it was in yesteryears. Beauty is overrated.
Simplicity a way of enriching life
Ruskin Bond’s stories teach a way of life- less is more. They are all about finding fulfillment in simple things. Finding
meaning in everyday routine. Finding moments to cherish in everyday mundanity.
Since most of them are based on anecdotes, have timelines in
the past, and remote undiscovered places, old world charm is evident. Most
stories present the calm and quiet life in the mountains – show his immense
love for the hills. There is stillness
in these stories. Those times were not fast paced. And the characters took time to feel life closely.
The stories in ‘a
gathering of friends’ are their own kind of fairy tale- a solace in this
ever modern and practical world. Infusing
a new narrative in the everyday humdrum of life. His stories have inspired generations.
Do you have a favorite Ruskin Bond story? Has any of these
quotes been a part and parcel of your life since childhood? I would love to
know.
Recommendations of short stories by other authors are
welcome too.
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