“Inside of me … I am all lonely” is what Rusty is, Kishan is, and I think all of us are.
Sometimes, when I get surrounded all around. There are meetings with people I don’t want but can’t avoid and I have to go to places I don’t wanna go. My whole day is so packed that I don’t have anytime for me and for things I love to do. When it feels like I need some place to be alone, some time to think and nothing but to think, where it all is going .. Then I remember about times when I was really alone.. looking for friends .. someone to talk to ..someone to hear from.. and those prayers to God.. please send someone and break this solicitude..s
o alone that I could be with anyone in the world, just anyone.. and thinking was the last thing on mind.. Then I pray again that let it be so.. let things come as they are .. O God , don’t listen to what I am saying..
Loneliness of Rusty in “The room on the Roof ” reminded me again of those days.. and I prayed again. Another thing that I got from this book is that things can change, they can change in a moment, leaving you with nothing but whole lot of memories and thoughts that you could have done it this way, that way and so on, but the truth is … things happen and no matter how you take them, they just happen. So before they take away what you have today, appreciate and thank God for letting you be with them for so long.
Whenever I read a book and I really like it, I get a little philosophical while writing about it and that’s how I got above lines. Wont be writing much about the author and book as I usually do as Ruskin dont need any intro.. anymore here, I guess.
This book is where the Journey of Rusty began and that was also the beginning of Ruskin Bond as a writer. And I will like to thank God that it became a huge Success and Ruskin wrote so much lovely books afterwards.
STORY :
Rusty, having lost his parents early in his life, lives with his Guardian, Mr. Harrison, very strict English man who wants Rusty to stay in his own culture, live in and talk only to his own people and remain away from local people and places. Rusty always did so but..till the day he goes out to see bazaar and meet people there. Then friendship with Somi and Ranbir happens which gives Rusty courage enough to breakaway from his fears of his Guardian and be free, and it happens so. Somi helps Rusty to find a job and shelter at Kapoors place and job is to teach kapoors son, kishan. Kapoor’s family involves, Mr. Kappor himself – a drunkard who has nothing but his past glories to talk about and drink. Meena Kapoor – lovely lady, Rusty falls in love with her and you will fall in it too, and there is Kishan, there son – at first looks a fool but later forms an imp. character.
There Rusty gets his “Room on the Roof” and life begins to bring out days filled with interesting and beautiful moments., moments of his life. But good days are always short-lived.. and things starts to happen.. and finally Rusty finds himself all alone again in his Room on the Roof. Only questions on his mind are – where do I belong – what am I doing – what is going to happen to me.
This is the part where Ruskin has shown his real writing skills, and I fell in love with this book. There is one chapter where he has described the first rain of the mansoon, and that is wonderful and..no words.., and what more I read that part while rain was falling outside and I was reading with a cup of tea in my hand.. what more I can ask for.
Finally Rusty decides to leave Dehra for England, having left no reason to stay there and no one to stay there for, in the hope of becoming somebody or nobody, not just anybody i.e. what we all are striving for, isn’t it?. But first he wants to meet Kishan and decides to take a stop at Haridwar, which turns out to be a turning point in his journey.. things just happen, right ?.
What happens afterwards is for you to find out. Well there is nothing to hide about the story and I didn’t even make any effort to do so.. my apologies for revealing all.
Every character in the story is interesting and I loved Meena’s and Somi’s , along with Rusty. Every aspect has got a place in the book, there are sad moments, happy ones and all other emotions. But at the end of the day its Ruskin at his best. Its only around 150 pages long and every page is precious.
The Ruskin wrote this book at the age of 17, and thats the age of Rusty too. It was his first book and he won John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize for it in 1957. I can guess what it is to get a prize for your first work itself. And I rate this book as best among all his books I have read till now.
My take :
“At first everything was dark, then gradually objects began to take shape-the desk and chair, the walls of the room—and the darkness lifted like the raising of the veil, and over tree tops the sky was streaked with crimson. It was like this for sometime while everything became clear and distinguishable; and then, when nature was ready, the Sun reached up over the trees and Hills, and sent one tentative beam of warm light through the window. Along the wall crept the sun, across to the bed and the boy’s bare legs, until it was caressing his whole body and whispering to him to get up, get up, its time to get up”
“ I will go back to my room and time will run on and things will happen but this will not happen again… there will still be sun and litchis, and there will be other friends.. but there will be no Meena and no Kishan, for our lives have drifted apart… Kishan and I have been going down the river together, but I have been caught in the reeds and he has been swept onwards, and if I do catch up with him again, it will not be the same, it might be sad… Kishan is gone and a part of my life is gone with him, and inside of me I am all lonely. ”
I guess only Ruskin can write words like this.
So that is it, story of Rusty, Kishan, Somi moves on in “Vagrants in the Valley” which is sequel to this book. And I hope to read it and write a review on that one too.. when ..I don’t know.. things just happen.. let it be so..
Don’t forget to rate and comment,-- remember -- it inspires to write more.
Take care and keep Smiling, Writing and Reading
Vikky gural
PYAR HUMEIN PHIR MILAAEGA.....
Note : Next book review will be on "Amsterdam - Ian McEwan" in end July 2008
