As the visitors from various parts of the country and abroad begin arriving in Mussoorie for Christmas and New Year festivities, they follow their heart and land up at a book shop that itself lies in the heart of this beautiful hill station.
This shop, for years, has been like a “Mecca” for all Ruskin Bond admirers and fans spread across the world. It is here that they can, on every Saturday, meet this greatly loved author and get books signed by him. They can then be photographed with him. What else can a Bond lover ask forIJ Every Saturday, for a couple of hours (usually 3 to 5 p.m.), the “Bond of the the Mountains” comes down to the Mall Road to take his place among the thousands of books at Cambridge Book Depot where hundreds of people are already present outside the shop, forming themselves into a serpentine queue that covers a long stretch of this road.
last Saturday, the queue was quite long too. Many more tourists will be joining the crowd by the next Saturday, just before Christmas. However, there are many in these fans who come all the way from far- off places only to meet Bond Sa’ab in person and get books signed by him. He writes every fan’s name carefully and tries to write different things for different people before signing. He makes sure that the names are spelt properly. Not a single letter to be missed out! He asks each one of them what they do and where they come from. little boys , teachers, army officers, NRIs, research scholars, budding writers –you name them and they are all there, waiting patiently in the queue of people brought together by the bond they share with the works of Ruskin.
What is special is that Bond gives a dose of his characteristic, tongue-in-cheek humour to each one of these avid fans. One lady who came from Nagpur asked him whether he had ever stayed in Hotel Ashoka thereIJ He was quick to respond, “I have never visited Nagpur. You may be talking about my cousin James Bond. He is a jasoos and can go anywhere!” Well, she took this rather seriously as she quietly nodded her head.
A little boy came and asked the author “Sir, are you a Cottonian”IJ Bond replied “Yes, I am from Bishop Cotton School, I was always getting into trouble at school!” The boy’s father then came forward and said “I am from the same school and I was also always in trouble.” A young couple, contemplating marriage, came and asked him for his advice on this. That baffled Bond Sa’ab and all he could give them was a wide and meaningful smile!
As I was with him last evening, he kept sharing some asides with me between the arrival of fans from the queue. “Don’t they know that I was never marriedIJ” he asked me. A research scholar from the north- east came with her parents and insisted on handing him a list of fifteen questions which he found quite complicated. “These are very tough. It is like taking an exam. I thought I was done with exams!” quipped Bond, quite puzzled with the list of questions. She was told by him to consult me, as I have already completed my research on his works. However, she did not look too happy with the idea.
The weather was perfect and sunny. By next week, rain and snow may arrive. “I always come here as long as I am feeling up to it and the weather is not too bad,” he tells me in as aside. When his hand begins to get tired, the people in the queue are told to wait for a few minutes. “I am on a hartal for a few minutes,” he announces with his endearing smile.
A teacher came in with students of Delhi Public School and wants Bond to tell the students some ways of getting writing skills. His advice is simple-read a lot and then if you have it in you, you will begin writing. After signing more than a hundred books, Bond gets himself photographed with many more visitors as he has his cup of coffee.
“At the moment, the town is relatively quiet. Watch out for next week! Hopefully, there will be the Xmas and New Year rush. In case it rains too much I plan to stick to my bed for those many days !” This is an aside again, shared with me.
So, all you Bond fans out there, till next Saturday then.