odbyes> and 2 hey called thelr 8° ray blind &* that times the station. ‘As Iwas totally bliss as pane sensitive only to light ae H Sede put 1K ‘hat the girl looked likes Fea the way they slapped against her heels. sa about Tt would take me some time to discover Paci : 01 her looks, and perhaps I never WO" \d. But I hi a 2 sound of her voice, and even the sound of her s! lippe all the way t© Dehra?’ I asked. ting in a dark comer bee little exclamation and said, ‘I didn ‘are you going ause My voice n't know anyone e was here. I must have been sit startled her. She gave @ either,’ I said, ‘But I heard you come in. ‘J didn’t see as blind. Provided 1 wondered if 1 woul I keep to my seat, I thought, ‘am getting off at Saharanpur. ” [ replied. ‘Aunts are usual Id be able to prevent her from discovering that I w it shouldn't be too difficult The girl said, My aunt is meeting me there.” “Then, I had better not get too familiar, lly formidable creatures. “Where are you going?” she asked. “To Dehra, and then to Mussoorie.’ ‘Oh, how hi ow lucky you are. I wish I were going to Mussoorie. I love the hills. Especially in Octobe oe eee XS ae bes best time I said, calling on my memories. “The hills red with wild dahlias, the sun is delicious, and at night you ee you inspiring can sil can sit in front of a Tog fire. Most of the tourists have gone, fea d ccceeaaaiall ; : rand respect be hae r is the best time.’ large, brightly coloured flower (here) emptyfer wondered if my wo' touched her, or whether she thought me a le was St ser 0: . ymade a mistake them fine outside?’ I asked. awhat is wt oe Bul «why dor eee “ . aay along the berth and felt for the window ledge. The window was open and ne making a pretence of studying the landscape. I heard the panting of te engine, fpeai, ierumbl ofthe wheels, and, in my mind's ey, I could see the wlegraph Posts flashing by. a ‘hat the esa ze noticed,’ I ventured, ‘that the Mees seem to be _ Y le we acm to be standing ste Y QUICK CHECK SS ai Answer these questions, “That always happens,’ she said. ‘Do you see any animals? 1. List the observations that the narrator conveyed to the girl about the view outside? 2. What was the girl tired of? med to find nothing strange in the question, Had she n ‘oticed already that I could not her next question removed my doubts, a t you look out of the window?’ she asked, n't y ‘No, I answered quite confidently. I knew that there were hardly any animals left in the forests near Dehra. ee edorests near-Debra._ Ttumed from the window and faced the girl, and for a while we satin silence, (You have an interesting face) 1 remarked. She laughed pleasantly—a clear, ringing laugh. ‘Ts nice to be told I have an interesting face. I'm tired of People telling me I have a Pretty face,” “You area very gallant young man, she suid, ‘but why are you so serious? Thought, then, I would try to laugh for her, but the thought of laughter only made me feel ‘toubled and lonely, soon be at your station,’ I said.—== There was some confusion in the doorway. A man, getting into the compartment, sta, an apology. Then the door banged, and the world was shut out again. I returned to Be ‘The guard blew his whistle, and we moved off. Once again, I had a game to play and q ay fellow-traveller. 1 found the window and sat in front of it, staring into the daylight that was darkness for », So many things were happening outside the window: it could be a fascinating game, Guessing what went on out there. The man who had entered the compartment broke into my reverie. “You must be disappointed,’ he said. ‘I am not nearly as attractive a travelling companion ay the one who just left.’ ‘She was an interesting girl,’ I said. ‘Can you tell me—did she keep her hair long or short?’ wuzzled, ‘It was her eyes I noticed, not her hair. She had beautiful eyes—bi ise to her ‘I don’t remember,’ he said, sounding p —Ruskin Bong reverie: (here) a state of being lost in thoughts ELIOT LICE 0 LE LOT Le * | Ruskin Bond is a popular Indian author, Born in 1934 in Kasauli, he has | spent most of his life in the Himalayas, He wrote his first novel The Room | on the Roof when he was only seventeen! Till date, he has written over thirty | novels for children and more than three hundred short stories. He was awarded | the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1992, the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2014 for his contribution to Indian literature. He lives in Landour, Mussoorie. $39 ory, rays sy pprraa gi IY | About The Aut atl