The Woman on Platform 8 is a short story written by Indian author Ruskin Bond. It is narrated in first person by a schoolboy named Arun, and recounts an encounter with a mysterious woman in a train station. Arun was waiting on platform 8 at Ambala station for the Northbound train to go to the boarding school. He was alone because his parents thought he was old enough to travel alone. Read More Inter 2nd Year English Summaries.
The Woman on Platform No 8 Summary
About Author
Ruskin Bond (born 19 May 1934) is an Anglo Indian author. His first novel, The Room on the Roof, was published in 1956, and it received the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize in 1957. Bond has authored more than 500 short stories, essays, and novels, including 64 books for children. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1992 for Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1999 and Padma Bhushan in 2014. He lives with his adopted family in Landour, Mussoorie.
Few of his notable works in English:
The Room on the Roof, Vagrants in the Valley, Rusty Runs Away, A Flight of Pigeons The Sensualist, Once Upon A Monsoon Time, Delhi is Not Far, Ranji’s Wonderful Bat, Dust on the mountain, Getting Granny’s Glasses, Looking For the Rainbow: My years with Daddy, Landour Days – A writers Journal, Scenes from a Writer’s Life With Love From The Hills, Roads To Mussoorie
The story “The Woman on Platform” is written by Ruskin Bond. The story was about a twelve-year-old schoolboy named Arun. It was his time to return to his school, so he sat on platform no.8 at Ambala station. His train would most likely arrive at midnight. So he continued to walk up and down the platform, feeding street dogs broken biscuits and browsing the bookstall. He quickly lost interest in his surroundings. He was bored and lonely. Arun was startled to hear a soft voice from behind him.
It was a woman dressed in a white saree who appeared pale and had kind dark eyes. She didn’t wear any jewellery. After a brief introduction, she invited Arun to the station dining room for some snacks and drinks. Arun was too shy to accompany her. But the woman’s tenderness forced him to join her. The woman appeared to enjoy watching him eat. He opened up to her about his school, friends, likes, and dislikes while eating. The woman said very little and listened to him intimately. Satish, Arun’s school friend, and his mother appeared on the platform.
Satish’s mother identified the woman standing next to Arun as his mother. Before Arun could say anything, the woman introduced herself as his mother. Satish’s mother claims that there are a lot of suspicious people around. She advised people to be cautious of strangers. Satish’s mother gave Arun a stern look and told him to be cautious in the absence of his mother and to never talk to strangers. ‘I like strangers,’ Arun said at the time. Satish and Arun board the train after it arrives on the platform.
Satish’s mother and the woman were talking to the boys from the platform. Satish said, “Goodbye, mother,” as the train began to move. They exchanged waves. Before the train departed from the station, Arun addressed the woman as “mother.” He kept staring at the woman until she slipped away into the crowd.
Conclusion:
“The Woman on Platform No 8” story is a coming-of-age story about a young boy who is learning about the world and his place in it. It is also a story about the importance of imagination and the power of mystery.