The Night Train To Deoli - Ruskin Bond // Audio book

Summary

In 'The Night Train at Deoli' by Ruskin Bond, a young man encounters a girl selling baskets at a remote train station during his summer vacations. Their brief, silent encounters spark a deep, unspoken connection. Despite a strong desire to know her, he never disembarks to explore Deoli or her story. As years pass, the memory of the girl with the baskets lingers, symbolizing missed opportunities and the fear of breaking from life's routine to chase after what truly captivates the heart.

Takeaways

• 🚂 The story revolves around the narrator's encounters with a girl at Deoli station during his train journeys.
• 🌄 Deoli is depicted as a small, remote railway station with a single platform, surrounded by jungles.
• 🧳 The girl is a basket seller who catches the narrator's attention with her grace and dignity despite her simple attire.
• 👀 A silent connection forms between the narrator and the girl during their brief interactions at the station.
• 💭 The narrator is filled with a mix of tenderness and responsibility towards the girl after their encounters.
• 🚶‍♂️ The narrator contemplates getting off at Deoli to spend a day and potentially find out more about the girl.
• 🚉 The girl's absence during the narrator's subsequent visits to Deoli leaves him with a sense of disappointment and foreboding.
• 🔍 The narrator's attempts to learn more about the girl from the station master and tea stall owner are unsuccessful.
• 🌿 The story reflects on the theme of missed opportunities and the fear of breaking out of one's routine.
• 🌌 The narrator continues to hope and dream about the girl, choosing to remember her rather than discovering what might have become of her.

Q & A

Who recommended the story 'The Night Train at Deoli' to the narrator?

The story was recommended to the narrator by Shujari Dotto, who is also the narrator's sister.

Where did the narrator spend their summer vacations during college?

The narrator spent their summer vacations at their grandmother's place.

What is significant about Deoli station in the story?

Deoli is a small station about 30 miles from Dehra, marking the beginning of the heavy jungles of the Indian terrain, and the train stops there for only 10 minutes before rushing into the forests.

What does the narrator decide to do at Deoli station after feeling sympathy for its loneliness?

The narrator decides to get off the train at Deoli one day and spend the day there, just to please the town.

How does the girl selling baskets on the platform first interact with the narrator?

The girl first interacts with the narrator by stopping at his window and noticing that he is looking at her intently, but initially, she pretends not to notice.

What does the narrator feel compelled to do when the guard blows the whistle and the train starts moving?

The narrator feels compelled to run back to his compartment, leaving the girl behind on the platform.

Why does the narrator return to Deoli station two months later?

The narrator returns to Deoli station two months later because he remembers the girl he met there and feels an unexpected thrill when he sees her again.

What does the narrator consider doing when he sees the girl again at Deoli station?

The narrator considers putting the girl on the train and taking her away with him, as he cannot bear the thought of watching her recede into the distance of the daily station.

Why does the narrator feel a sense of foreboding when he returns to Deoli station after college?

The narrator feels a sense of foreboding because he cannot find the girl who used to sell baskets on the platform, and he is deeply disappointed and worried about what might have happened to her.

What does the narrator decide to do regarding the girl and Deoli station in the end?

In the end, the narrator decides not to break his journey at Deoli to find out what happened to the girl. Instead, he prefers to keep hoping and dreaming, looking out of the window at the lonely platform, waiting for the girl with the baskets.