Love, Loss & Literature Why Ruskin Bond, the Beloved Author, Remained a Bachelor
Ruskin Bond – From the older books in our childhood filled with nostalgic stories of nature and its beauty to his recent memoirs on living a meaningful life, it’s a name we have all come to be very familiar with.
Ruskin Bond’s tales have enchanted readers for generations, not by fierce spectacle or visuals but because of the simple honesty in how he writes. Each story is an earnest retelling of what it means to live life, capturing every scent and every colour in the moment.
It’s written in a way that makes you feel as though you’ve stumbled onto a love letter to the Himalayan foothills where Bond spent most of his early life. He eventually made the decision to settle down in Mussorie and pursue his dream of becoming a full-time writer, penning the start of a writing career that would go on to touch the lives of many. Although this career has spanned many genres, he has written about his romantic experiences in both his memoirs and romantic fiction.
Ruskin Bond’s Experiences With Love
Ruskin Bond has often talked about his love life, once saying that a lot of his romantic novels are based on real encounters. However, his writing was a priority to him, with Bond once saying, “Marriage never crossed my mind and by the time I turned 40, I stopped thinking about it altogether.”
Bond’s own parents divorced when he was around 8 years old, with his mother remarrying a Punjabi named Hari. This affected his outlook on love for a time, especially following the death of his father two years later. It’s clear that his father’s undying love for him had a big impact on his mind. In 1973, he chose to adopt the family of his house help in Mussoorie and still lives with his adopted family at the Ivy Cottage today. Amongst his family, his adopted son Rakesh even features in ‘Cherry Stories’ and is said to be the inspiration for several of his funnier stories as well.
Ruskin Bond’s writing has never shied away from capturing love in its purest form, however. Although he has often said that his relationships “always end sadly”, it’s clear that the author channels that love into his many writings over the years. Whether it’s the heartwarming bond captured between his characters or the brief instances he shares in his memoirs of brief affairs in many train rides and boat cruises.
Love As A Constant Theme In His Writings
His love for the natural world is also a running undercurrent throughout his work. His descriptions of the Himalayas in his books like ‘Treetops’ really shine through – the crisp mountain air, the vibrant flora, the playful streams – taking the reader to a place of serenity. This connection with nature becomes a source of solace and strength.
His writings simply brim with the kind of love that is experienced for the sake of fully enjoying the moment. The kind of love that you pursue with open palms embracing the moment and not closed fists trying to hold on with longing. Although Ruskin Bond has said that his decision to remain a bachelor is the likely aftermath of his passion for writing, with books like ‘A Flight of Pigeons’ or ‘Falling in Love Again’, he has never shied away from love knocking at his doorstep.
Finding solace in the natural world and solace in his memories, perhaps his love for literature and the mountains are the greatest companions by his side, in the end.