Ruskin Bond wrote his first novel, The Room on the Roof, when he was 17, and won John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial prize in 1957. He has been enthralling the readers for 62 long years. He has written several essays, novels, poems, short stories and children’s books. He is also the winner of the prestigious Sahitya Academy Award which is the second-highest literary honour in India.
I too have been a die hard fan of Ruskin Bond since long. I can still recall a story, A face in the Dark, that was a part of our class 6 English syllabus. That was the first time, I was vis-a-vis with the Bond’s literature. The first time we read it, it’s thrilling climax made shivers run down our spines. I was so mesmerised that, when I upgraded myself to higher classes, I clipped the story from my textbook and preserved it for the rest of my life. I grew up reading his stories in the school textbooks and gradually he became one of my favourite authors.
There are classics written by great authors, but sometimes there are books written by story-tellers that are unputdownable, that can make you forget your work, no matter how big or small it might be. The words charm you and you fall into a hypnotic trance. When any author compels his readers to hover in the delicious overlap of reality and illusion, he has your full attention. Every second the story lures the reader into the book. Only then, the author knows that he has deftly carved out a masterpiece.
But what makes The Blue Umbrella book so distinct? The book portrays the distinctive flavour of India, a sense unmistakable realism and the diminutive details, characterising Bond’s work. The Blue Umbrella is one of Ruskin Bond’s marvellous creations. It is a perfectly handy children’s book.
The plot is set in the foothills of Himachal, in the beautiful lush green hills and valleys. The lackadaisical life in this small sequestered hamlet is seldom peppered with tourists. As is evident from the title of the book, it is the story of a precocious girl, Binya and her blue umbrella. She barters her leopard claw amulet for a blue umbrella with a tourist. She takes the umbrella along with her everywhere she goes. She fights men and nature to keep it safe. She even refuses to close it even while at home. The rain and sun eventually fade away the colour of the umbrella, but couldn’t tarnish her love for the umbrella. Soon the umbrella becomes the focal point of her life, and she becomes the cynosure of all eyes. Everyone’s thing of covet, the blue umbrella becomes the talk of the town for the unpretentious villagers.
Ram Bharosa, the shopkeeper is no different from the other villagers. He too is enamoured of the blue umbrella and secretly yearns to own it. Ram Bharosa tries hard to possess his craving wish but all his efforts go in vain. He feels vexed and dejected by his futile endeavours to own the umbrella. Seeing him desolated, his apprentice offers to steal it for him. Eventually, the boy gets caught while stealing and inculpates Ram Bharosa. Ram Bharosa’s unethical way to possess Binya’s umbrella, slanders his image and demolishes his repute. The villagers abstain from going to his shop, this further causes loss in his business.
Binya felt guilty for inculcating jealousy and covetousness inside the villagers and hence, she decides to share it with everyone. Unable to stand his suffering of loss, the instilled compassion of Binya gives away her umbrella. Overwhelmed by her kindness, Ram Bharosa comprehends his mistake, and gifts her a pendant with a bear claw amulet.
It is a simple, heart-lifting, children’s story with a resonating message of sharing the fragrance of caring by doling out the things that we love the most. A good read for adults as well as recommended marvellous gift for children. The simplified and elegant english with excellent storytelling and vivid descriptions makes it a delightful read for kids. Ruskin Bond does an immaculate job by revealing the various dimensions of human emotion and eventually touching the core meaning of humanity – kindness.
