Letter to Umaiyal - Ruskin Bond

Dear Uma, 

I am writing this to catch a wholesome memory from December 7, 2025, before it flies away. But then, just a week later on the 15th, you surprised me even more. - you've memorized a person's name and spelling so much, that this is the first ever word you have ever spelled, wrote and read all by yourself. Not APPLE apple or BALL ball, but RUSKIN BOND - Ruskin Bond. Atta girl!

You have always been fond of writing and scribbling - and today you picked up a book that I love most, and started writing the author’s name on multiple random places - like your slate, etch-a-sketch board, notes, papers and finally we also redesigned the cover of the book on our iPad. You don’t know how much joy this little act of yours bathed me in. I was already intending deeply to introduce Ruskin Bond to you, sooner than later in your life. Now, Let me tell you why this author is very close to my heart. 

Ruskin Bond: The Chronicler of the Hills

Ruskin Bond is one of India's most beloved contemporary writers, celebrated for his simple, evocative prose and his creation of a tranquil, timeless world in the Himalayan foothills. You and I are very lucky to live in his time. 

I strive to raise you in a world of grounded, simple values, like the one Ruskin Bond has captured in his works - while still enabling you to access the technology, the information abundance and financial power on demand. As you may recall, your childhood had no TV, you played outdoors most of the time and enjoyed your time with your grandparents. You also learnt to ride a bicycle at a very young age and you are not addicted to screens - for that I give 10 points to myself and a pat on my back. But the world you are about to explore is very different and may even be intimidating at first. Don't you worry, though; the roots you’ve grown firm will surely raise you above the chaos.

The Universe He Created

The Setting of Mussoorie and Dehra: Bond’s literary universe is primarily centered on the small towns and villages of Mussoorie, Dehra Dun, and the surrounding lower Himalayas. I plan to take you to these places very soon.

This setting is more than a backdrop; it is a character in itself, defined by its mist-covered pine forests, winding mountain roads, tin roofs, and the quiet rhythm of small-town life. The one which I am raising you right now, and the one that my inner-child has always stuck to. 

Themes of Childhood and Nostalgia: His stories capture the simple magic of being young—the innocence, the friendships, and the quiet beauty of the hills. But there is also a gentle longing for the past in his words.

As you grow up and I grow older, you will see that I am much the same. I will become a man of deep nostalgia, perhaps even a little annoying with my memories. When that happens, just bear with me, my dear.

Nature and Solitude: Nature is central to his work. His writing is rich with the details of the local flora and fauna, from the chattering of squirrels and the call of the cuckoo to the smell of rain on the dust. His work champions a contemplative life, highlighting the peace and clarity found in solitude and harmony with the natural world. I want to make sure the world you grow up into still has most of these intact - fingers crossed. 

Everyday Characters: Bond's characters are drawn from everyday life: eccentric uncles, kindly grandmothers, postmen, shopkeepers, and street vendors. They are often quirky, endearing, and deeply human, populating his fictional world with a gentle warmth and understanding.

I must admit, dear Umai, I carry a quiet regret that I cannot share such kindly souls whom I had in my own youth with you. Time stole them away before I reached adulthood, long before your story began. But the world has not run out of such characters. They are still there, waiting in the margins of busy streets and quiet tea shops.

You won’t need to search for them; you simply need to walk slowly enough to notice them.

Now, you may begin to understand that the universe he has managed to record uncannily in his works is something that we can never recreate in real life. Ruskin Bond's enduring appeal lies in his role as the accidental archivist of a consciousness now functionally extinct: the irretrievable universe of pre-digital innocence. His body of work, centered on the simple life of the Himalayan foothills, doesn't just describe a setting; it chronicles a state of mind unburdened by modern acceleration and mediation, a world where time moved at the pace of the seasons, and human connection was built on immediate, unhurried presence. This "tech-free life" is not a fictional construct but a poignant record of reality, a gentle testament to the quiet dignity and authentic discovery found in solitude and direct sensory experience—qualities that resist all attempts at material or digital recreation, making his world a historical artifact preserved only in the fragile permanence of his words.

I am so happy that you already love the storyteller I hold most dear. As you grow and learn to read, I know he will be waiting for you. You will pull his book from a random shelf, in a random library, on a random quiet day. I can picture it now: you running to me, clutching that book tight, your face beaming with the joy of finding a treasure.

Someday that’s soon. 

Love, 

Appa.