A Short Summary of the Essay, "The Eyes are Not Here" by Ruskin Bond
The Eyes are Not Here by Ruskin Bond
About the Author:
Ruskin Bond was born in Himachal Pradesh but grew up in Gujarat, Dehradun and Shimla. He has written more than hundred short stories, essays, novels and more than thirty books for children. He has also published the three collections of short stories; The Night Train at Deoli, Time Stops at Shamli and Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi award for English writing in India in 1992. He also published a collection of non fiction writing under the title Rain in the Mountain.
Summary of the Essay:
The Eyes are Not Here is a short story by Ruskin bond. It was originally published in contemporary Indian English stories. It is a deeply touching story about two co-passengers in a train who are both blind and do not realise that the other is. The irony is in the fact that the narrator of the story learns that his co-passenger was blind only after she had got off the train. There is pathos and irony in the situation and Bond offers us the irony in the ending. It was only after she left and another passenger came into the compartment that the narrator realises that the girl was blind.
The narrator speaks about his experience of a train journey. In the opening paragraph, we come to know about the narrator that he is travelling by train. He is going to Dehradun and from there to Mussoorie. The narrator is alone in the compartment till Rohana and at Rohana station the girl comes in the compartment. The parents of the girl see her off at the station and the woman who is probably her mother gives the girl detailed instructions regarding where to keep her things, when not to look out of the windows and how to avoid speaking to strangers.
The narrator informs us that he is totally blind and his eyes are sensitive only to light and darkness. He is unable to tell how the girl looks like. He informs us that he likes the sound of her slippers. The narrator also likes the voice of the girl. The narrator initiates the conversation and asks her whether she is going to Dehradun. The girl is startled at this question and says that she didn't know that anyone was there in the compartment. The narrator says that even he did not see her but heard while she was coming in. He wonders whether he would be able to prevent her from discovering that he is blind but it was not difficult for him provided that he keeps to his seat.
The girl tells him that she is getting down at Saharanpur and her aunt will receive her there. The narrator thinks that he should not be too much familiar to the girl as her aunt is coming to receive her. The girl asks the narrator where he is going. The narrator instantly replies that he is going to Dehradun and from there to Mussoorie. The girl feels that the narrator is very lucky to go to Mussoorie and she informs that she loves the hill stations and especially in October. The narrator informs that it is the best time to visit the hill stations. The hills are covered with wild dahlias plants. The days are sunny and at night one can enjoy log fire and drink a little brandy. Most of the tourist visits the place in the month of October as the roads are quiet and almost deserted and it is the best time to visit.
The girl is silent and the narrator wonders that if his words have touched her or whether she thinks that he is a romantic fool. The narrator asks her as what can she see outside the window but the girl replies him that why doesn't he himself look out of the window. He pretends looking out of the window as if he is studying the landscape watching outside. He hears the sound of the engine and in his mind's eye he can see the things passing by. He tells the girl that the trees seem to be moving while we seem to be standing still and the girl replies that it always happens when you travel. The girl asks him whether he can see any animals and the narrator replies that there are hardly and animals left in the forest near Dehra.
The narrator remarked that the girl has an interesting face and thinks that he is becoming quite daring. She laughs very pleasantly and replies that it's nice to be told that she has an interesting face but also tells that she is tired of people telling her that she has a pretty face. She tells him that he is a very gallant young man. The narrator informs that very soon they will be at her station that is Saharanpur. The girl says that it's good that she is arriving at her station. She cannot bear to sit in a train for more than two or three hours. The narrator informs us that he was prepared to sit there for almost any length of time just to listen to her talking. He likes her voice. He compares her voice to the sparkle of a mountain stream. He thinks that as soon as she will leave the train she will forget their brief meeting but it would stay with him for the rest of the journey and for sometime after.
The train arrives at Saharanpur station and the girl starts collecting her things. The narrator wonders whether she has kept her hair in a bun or if it is plated or if it hangs loose over her shoulders or if it is cut very short. Outside there is shouting of potters and vendors and he hears a high voice of woman near the carriage door and he concludes that it must be the voice of the girl’s aunt. The girl says goodbye to the narrator and is about to leave the compartment. The girl is standing very close to him; so close that the perfume from her hair was attracting him. He wants to raise his hand and touch her hair but she moves away and only the perfume lingered where she had stood.
There are symbolic lines in the essay where the writer writes: “You may break, you may shatter the vase if you will. But the scent of the roses will linger there still…” These lines indicate that the memories of a particular incident remain for forever and in this case though the journey of the narrator with the girl has come to an end the sweet memories of this journey and the girl will remain with the narrator for forever and he will never forget it.
There is some confusion in the doorway. The man getting into the compartment seeks an apology and shuts the door. The narrator returns to his berth. The guard blows the whistle and the train moves out of the station and the narrator says that he has a game to play and the new fellow traveler. As the train gathered speed, the narrator finds the window and sits in front of it staring into the daylight which is darkness for him. The man who has entered the compartment breaks the daydream of the narrator and says that he must be disappointed and he is sorry that he is not as attractive a travelling companion as the one who has just left. The narrator says that she was an interesting girl and asks the fellow traveller whether he could tell him whether the girl kept her hair long or short. The co-passenger is puzzled and says that he does not remember. It was her eyes that he noticed and not her hair. She had beautiful eyes but they were of no use to her and she was completely blind. The fellow traveller asks the narrator whether he did not notice her eyes.
There is irony in the story. The readers along with the narrator do not know till the end of the narrator's journey that the girl is blind. There is irony and pathos as both the narrator and the girl are blind.
The Eyes are Not Here is a short story by Ruskin bond. It was originally published in contemporary Indian English stories. It is a deeply touching story about two co-passengers in a train who are both blind and do not realise that the other is. The irony is in the fact that the narrator of the story learns that his co-passenger was blind only after she had got off the train. There is pathos and irony in the situation and Bond offers us the irony in the ending. It was only after she left and another passenger came into the compartment that the narrator realises that the girl was blind.
The narrator speaks about his experience of a train journey. In the opening paragraph, we come to know about the narrator that he is travelling by train. He is going to Dehradun and from there to Mussoorie. The narrator is alone in the compartment till Rohana and at Rohana station the girl comes in the compartment. The parents of the girl see her off at the station and the woman who is probably her mother gives the girl detailed instructions regarding where to keep her things, when not to look out of the windows and how to avoid speaking to strangers.
The narrator informs us that he is totally blind and his eyes are sensitive only to light and darkness. He is unable to tell how the girl looks like. He informs us that he likes the sound of her slippers. The narrator also likes the voice of the girl. The narrator initiates the conversation and asks her whether she is going to Dehradun. The girl is startled at this question and says that she didn't know that anyone was there in the compartment. The narrator says that even he did not see her but heard while she was coming in. He wonders whether he would be able to prevent her from discovering that he is blind but it was not difficult for him provided that he keeps to his seat.
The girl tells him that she is getting down at Saharanpur and her aunt will receive her there. The narrator thinks that he should not be too much familiar to the girl as her aunt is coming to receive her. The girl asks the narrator where he is going. The narrator instantly replies that he is going to Dehradun and from there to Mussoorie. The girl feels that the narrator is very lucky to go to Mussoorie and she informs that she loves the hill stations and especially in October. The narrator informs that it is the best time to visit the hill stations. The hills are covered with wild dahlias plants. The days are sunny and at night one can enjoy log fire and drink a little brandy. Most of the tourist visits the place in the month of October as the roads are quiet and almost deserted and it is the best time to visit.
The girl is silent and the narrator wonders that if his words have touched her or whether she thinks that he is a romantic fool. The narrator asks her as what can she see outside the window but the girl replies him that why doesn't he himself look out of the window. He pretends looking out of the window as if he is studying the landscape watching outside. He hears the sound of the engine and in his mind's eye he can see the things passing by. He tells the girl that the trees seem to be moving while we seem to be standing still and the girl replies that it always happens when you travel. The girl asks him whether he can see any animals and the narrator replies that there are hardly and animals left in the forest near Dehra.
The narrator remarked that the girl has an interesting face and thinks that he is becoming quite daring. She laughs very pleasantly and replies that it's nice to be told that she has an interesting face but also tells that she is tired of people telling her that she has a pretty face. She tells him that he is a very gallant young man. The narrator informs that very soon they will be at her station that is Saharanpur. The girl says that it's good that she is arriving at her station. She cannot bear to sit in a train for more than two or three hours. The narrator informs us that he was prepared to sit there for almost any length of time just to listen to her talking. He likes her voice. He compares her voice to the sparkle of a mountain stream. He thinks that as soon as she will leave the train she will forget their brief meeting but it would stay with him for the rest of the journey and for sometime after.
The train arrives at Saharanpur station and the girl starts collecting her things. The narrator wonders whether she has kept her hair in a bun or if it is plated or if it hangs loose over her shoulders or if it is cut very short. Outside there is shouting of potters and vendors and he hears a high voice of woman near the carriage door and he concludes that it must be the voice of the girl’s aunt. The girl says goodbye to the narrator and is about to leave the compartment. The girl is standing very close to him; so close that the perfume from her hair was attracting him. He wants to raise his hand and touch her hair but she moves away and only the perfume lingered where she had stood.
There are symbolic lines in the essay where the writer writes: “You may break, you may shatter the vase if you will. But the scent of the roses will linger there still…” These lines indicate that the memories of a particular incident remain for forever and in this case though the journey of the narrator with the girl has come to an end the sweet memories of this journey and the girl will remain with the narrator for forever and he will never forget it.
There is some confusion in the doorway. The man getting into the compartment seeks an apology and shuts the door. The narrator returns to his berth. The guard blows the whistle and the train moves out of the station and the narrator says that he has a game to play and the new fellow traveler. As the train gathered speed, the narrator finds the window and sits in front of it staring into the daylight which is darkness for him. The man who has entered the compartment breaks the daydream of the narrator and says that he must be disappointed and he is sorry that he is not as attractive a travelling companion as the one who has just left. The narrator says that she was an interesting girl and asks the fellow traveller whether he could tell him whether the girl kept her hair long or short. The co-passenger is puzzled and says that he does not remember. It was her eyes that he noticed and not her hair. She had beautiful eyes but they were of no use to her and she was completely blind. The fellow traveller asks the narrator whether he did not notice her eyes.
There is irony in the story. The readers along with the narrator do not know till the end of the narrator's journey that the girl is blind. There is irony and pathos as both the narrator and the girl are blind.
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