The Eyes are Not here is a short story written by Ruskin Bond. The story of novel revolve around a life two blind person who travels together in train in same compartment. They meet in train but doesn’t know about the blindness of each other. The girl and boy talks with each other till they reach their station but both does not let each other know that they are blind.
The Eyes are Not Here By Ruskin Bond
Summary of The Eyes are Not Here By Ruskin Bond
Ruskin Bond’s “The Eyes are not Here ” begins with Train compartment where our story narrator is sitting. The train stops at Rohana station where a girl comes in train and sit in front seat of narrator. The narrator is blind but he is very good at observing and feeling things as compare to normal human being. The narrator immediately learns that a girl is sitting in front of his seat and her parents has come to drop her in train.
The girl’s parents are worried as she is going to travel alone so they advice her to take care of her belongings, and to stay away from strangers. Thereafter, parents say good by to their daughter and goes back to home. The narrator says I’m blind so I don’t know what this girl look like but I do know one thing that she is wearing a sleepers. He sensed it when girl was coming in train by making sound with her sleepers.
The narrator loves girl’s voice and he also likes her sleeper’s sound. The narrator ask girl, are you going Dehra ? The girl get shocked after hearing narrator’s voice, narrator thought that he is sitting in dark place that’s why girl haven’t notice her.
The girl says to narrator, I thought I’m the only person who is sitting in this compartment. The narrator tells girl, the people who have good eye sight they doesn’t observe things around them with focus but people with weak eye sight focus on everything around them. I had not seen you but when you came in train I heard your sound.
The narrator don’t want to tell girl that he is blind, he wants to show her that his eye sight are normal. The girl tells narrator that she is going Saharanpur from where her aunt will pick her. Afterwards, girl ask narrator, where is he going ? The narrator replies that he is going Dehra and after Dehra, he will go to Mussoorie.
The girl says wow !, are you going Mussoorie, I love Mussoorie. Wish I could go to Mussoorie too. I love Mussoorie mountains especially in October month. The narrator remembers his old memories and says, yes, October is the best month to go Mussoorie as every hills covered with Dahlia flower.
Afterwards, girl does not respond and kept quiet. The narrator thought, is he said something wrong to girl or is she thinking I’m romantic. The narrator ask girl about outside view, girl respond, can’t you see it yourself. Through the respond of girl, narrator learns that girl does not know about his blindness yet. She doesn’t know I’m blind. The narrator turns his head towards window and does an acting of watching outside view.
The narrator tells girl, did you notice that we both are sitting in one place while trees are moving. It is looking like trees are walking. The girl respond it happens all the time and there is nothing new in it. Are you watching animals outside the window ?
The narrator confidently say no to girl, that he is not seeing any animals. He replies no to girl because he knows that there are no animals left in Dehra surround forest. Thereafter, narrator turns his head in train and for a while both kept quiet.
After some time, narrator says to girl that her face is very interesting, girl started laughing on this as she is tired of listening compliments about her beautiful face. But for the first time someone tells her that her face is interesting.
The narrator thinks in his mind about the beauty of girl. Afterwards, narrator tells girl that a interesting face can be a beautiful face too. On this, girl tells narrator that he is a bold and courageous person. But why are you so serious ? The narrator decides to talk with girl with a smile on face.
The narrator tells girl that her station will come in a while, girl replies, thank god!, as she can’t spend much time in train. On the other side, narrator don’t want girl to leave train as he is ready to spend years in train with girl. He can spend many years in train if he get to hear a voice of this girl.
The narrator thinks as soon as girl will leave the train she will forget about their conversation. But he will remember their conversation for many years. He won’t forget this experience of him with girl and will never forget the voice of girl.
The narrator thinks as soon as girl will leave the train she will forget about their conversation. But he will remember their conversation for many years. He won’t forget this experience of him with girl and will never forget the voice of girl.
Meanwhile, the engine whistle starts blowing, train changes its track and girl starts packing her belongings. The narrator starts thinking about the hair of girl, whether they are tied or open. Maybe her hairs are open and falling on her shoulders or maybe her hairs are small.
Thereafter, train reaches the station, and girl said goodbye to narrator. The girl was standing near to narrator, and narrator was able to smell the fragrance of girl’s hair. Narrator wants to touch the hair of girl but till then girl leaves.
There comes new person who comes in train and sit in front of narrator. He tells narrator that he must be very sad now because beautiful girl was sitting before him in front of his seat. You were enjoying a company of beautiful girl before me. The narrator respond him yes, she was a interesting girl, he ask him about the hair of girls.
The man respond, he does not know because he forgot it but her eyes were very beautiful. The man tells narrator, her eyes were very beautiful but useless as she was completely blind. Haven’t you notice it ? The story ends with the conversation of narrator and man who ends up sitting in a seat where girl was sitting.