In this short story, Ruskin Bond narrates his experience during one of his train journeys to Dehra as an eighteen-year-old. He tells us that he used to spend his vacation every summer in his grandmother’s place in Dehra and had to pass a small lonely station, Deoli amidst the jungle on the way. This station appears strange to him as no one got on or off the train there & nothing seemed to happen there. He wonders why the train stopped there for ten minutes regularly without reason and feels sorry for the lonely little platform.
On one such journey, the author happens to see a pale-looking girl selling baskets. She appears to be poor, but with grace and dignity. Her shiny black hair and dark, troubled eyes attracts the author. The girl offers to sell baskets to him. He initially refuses to buy and later when she insists, happens to buy one with a little hesitation, daring not to touch her fingers in the melee. Both of them just look at each other for quite some time, just as it strikes a chord of affection between them. He longs to see her, her searching and eloquent eyes, again on his return journey. The meeting helps to break the monotony of his journey & brings in a sense of attachment & responsibility towards the girl.
The second time he sees her, both of them feel pleased to see each other, a smile on their faces reinforcing it, it seems like a meeting of old friends. Silence reigns and speaks more than words. He feels like taking her with him but does not do so. He tells her that he needs to go to Delhi and she replies saying she need not go anywhere, perhaps expressing her helplessness. Both of them separate unwillingly as the train leaves the station, with the hope of meeting again. The author spends the remainder of the journey and a long time later thinking about her.
The next summer, soon after his college term finishes, he rushes to go to Dehra, eager to meet the girl, his grandmother being an excuse. This time she is not to be seen at the Deoli station though he waits for a long time. This deeply disappoints him and a sense of foreboding overcomes him. On his way back to Delhi, he again waits anxiously to see her, but it ends in vain. On enquiry, he comes to know that the girl has stopped coming, & nobody knows about her whereabouts. Once again, he has to run for the train and invariably leave the station. He decides that once he would break the journey there, spend a day in the town, make enquiries and find the girl who had stolen his heart.
The following year in summer, he again walks up & down the platform hoping to see the girl, but somehow, cannot bring himself to break the journey to look for her. He seems to be afraid of discovering about her, dreading about anything unfortunate that could have befallen her and wants to retain his sweet memories of her & not allow it to be spoilt with unfortunate events. All the same, the author also suggests to his readers that he did not want to project himself like a hero of a movie where the hero would meet his sweetheart going through all hardships and win her over. He prefers to keep hoping and dreaming, waiting for the girl.
The author brings the readers to a realistic world rather than a fictitious, imaginary, unreal world, driving home the fact that life is not like a fiction novel or a movie; losing and gaining becomes part of life’s journey that needs to be taken in our stride. Life is a constant process, which cannot be stopped. We can only carry memories forward while life goes on.
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Sunday, April 11, 2010
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One of the sweetest stories I've ever read
ReplyDeletevry nyc story......
ReplyDeleteThis is the best story I've ever read & I'm a very big fan of yours..........!!!!!!!
ReplyDeletei can understand one thing from this story that is "take life as it comes"and also think about presents and enjoying each and every second with loved ones
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful summary of the story,'The Night Train at Deoli' by Ruskin Bond,I will definitely incorporate these points in my answer.
ReplyDeleten u suck more to write such a thing ovr here.......
DeleteNobody actually BOTHERS to decode the essence of the theme....the "summary" can be written by almost anybody who has read the text. AND yes you wo't get points for just relating the story without bringing out the "feels".
Deletesimply awesome......i suggest that being a literary person anyone and everyone must read this marvellous story........:-)
ReplyDeleteIm studying this story as a part of my 12std portion and your summary was really helpful. Thank you :)
ReplyDeletecute story...<3
ReplyDeletewats the spellin of ruskin......r u all really frm english dept.....hehehhehahaahahhohohohuhuhuhhihhiheeheh......!
ReplyDeleteThe main appeal of this story is that, it portrays beautifully the feelings and sensitiveness of a young adult.Haven't we all shared this kind of experience at least once in our adolescence?
Deleteit was the best story ever read in my life
ReplyDeleteGreat story, I remembered it even after 25 years. The story has a philosphical note, very true in many of our experiences.
ReplyDeleteEveryone goes through this story in his or her real life... thats its beauty...
ReplyDelete......helpful....and nice story....!!...:D
ReplyDeletewonderfully written...appeals to every young heart
ReplyDeleteBull Shit
ReplyDeletethe uploader has himseld/herself uploaded the comments..........
Aakash Aryan
Night Train At Deoli is my most fav story since std 11..
ReplyDeleteTill now I surf about this story,
Very much excited to know what happen next
Guys read Women on platform no 8 . . is also same author story with heart touching experience
I loved that story too...
its a heart touching story thnks to the author and blogspot
ReplyDeletei really luv da story n all those who say bad bout it is mere bullshit
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot. The summary is really helpful for writing answers.
ReplyDeleteWOW
ReplyDeletechut chut lauda story gand mein danda story worthlessss...
ReplyDeletemeaningless ...moral less
definitely the best summary i've read on this particular story...thanks!
ReplyDeleteone of the best i have ever read.....
ReplyDeletetouchy story amidst a rural background
ReplyDeleteNice summary.... :)
ReplyDeletea heart touching storty
ReplyDeleteawesome for a while!!! in the midst of hell they found heaven.
ReplyDeletemas .favourite story .and expected in board of 2013...
ReplyDeletewhere I can read this story?
ReplyDeleteI had this story in my 11th Std.. It is one of my favorite...
nice story
ReplyDeletethis & other all stories you can read on google.
ReplyDeleteIf u want to read his best story write me a email.
I will email you pdf copy of his stories.
smrpagare927@gmail.com
Pretty gay
ReplyDeleteSux if ur studying fr an xam
DeleteHeart touching .......... but at the same time realistic seperation
ReplyDelete..
jinagi mein kabhi kisi se kuch risthe judte nai hai phir bhi unke tutne ya chutne ka dar aur dard hota hai .....
i guesss u r right
DeleteReally a touching story.loved it
ReplyDeletethe story really makes me think....it touches my heart..;)
ReplyDeletemarvalous
ReplyDeletetruly litrature makes a lyf happy..
ReplyDeleteit helped me to move on in my lyf..
love sucks....!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSweet Story .. Leaves Us With A Mystery ..!!!
ReplyDeleteDear Sir,
ReplyDeleteYour short stories r undoubtedly and amazingly wonderful and marvellous..bt u know what..there is sumthin in dis story dat i can relate to,its unbelievable bt it feels vry much own to me.Dunno why, bt its not just a simple story to me..
I jst wanna knw whether dat girl really did get fortunate enough to live those few true moments at d station,in d mystic Deoli????
Yours truly,
Rhiyeshaa Gupta.
P.S.waiting for a very honest reply(anxiously,just like then....)
its a classic and there is nothing boring about a classic !!
ReplyDeleteNYC AND SWEET .... BEAUTIFUL LINES TO DESCRIBE WHAT MANY DOESN,T UNDERSTAND
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