Mussoorie, the queen of hill stations, is known for its spectacular beauty and its clean, twisting paths that lure thousands of tourists from around the globe. Take a walk along Mall Road, and beyond the Gun Hill ropeway starting point and the many garment and antique vendors is a spot that no avid reader should miss — the Cambridge Book Depot run by the Arora brothers, Surender and Sunil.
This vintage depot was started in 1952 by Laxman Das Arora and boasts books written by over a thousand authors. Over the years, the book depot has itself become a tourist attraction for Bond lovers — not of James, but author Ruskin, who has made Mussoorie his home for the past 50 years.
Come Saturday evening, and there are serpentine queues waiting to meet dear old Rusty, who is still young at heart. Bond arrives punctually at 3.30 pm, and sits in his arm chair inside the shop to interact with fans, autograph their books and take pictures. Says Surender Arora, “We suggested he visit our shop every Sunday to meet fans, and he readily agreed. Later, we moved the interaction to Saturdays because of larger footfall. Students from schools and colleges across the country also come in huge numbers.”
Bangalore - 21/01/2012 : Ruskin Bond, author of the book ' The Adventures of Rusty ', in Bangalore on January 21, 2010. Photo: K. Murali Kumar.
For those who cannot visit Mussoorie or have missed interacting with him, the store couriers books with Bond’s autograph and a personal message. The bond between the Arora family and Ruskin Bond goes back to the late Sixties, when Bond used to visit their depot every day to browse and buy books. Laxman Das Arora, the father of Surender and Sunil, got acquainted with the author, and, over time, their friendship grew. “I have grown up interacting with him, and he is a humble person with an excellent sense of humour. All my children fondly call him dada (grandfather). We visit his home for Diwali and Christmas,” says Sunil, the younger sibling.
Every year, the Aroras spend Bond’s birthday (May 19) at his residence, with family members cutting a cake. Sunil says, “Since 2003, we have celebrated his birthday in the book depot too; he cuts a cake baked in the shape of his recent books, in front of the public. He announces every year that anyone who shares his birthday can cut the cake with him. A 10-year-old boy has already informed me that he shares his birthday and wishes to do so.”
Bond’s latest book — Looking For The Rainbow: My Years With Daddy , scheduled to release countrywide, is to be launched on his birthday at the book depot. Bond says, “This little book is a tribute to my father who, over a short period of time, did so much to make my life meaningful. I wish all children could have a father like him. I have written about him before, but never at length, and I thought it was time to thank him in the best possible way through a story woven around the events of those two memorable years.” This year, for the first time ever, there is a competition being held for the best birthday wish, which will be judged by Bond himself. Ask Sunil if any of Bond’s fans has attended all his birthday celebrations, and he says, “There is a fan from Kolkata who has got her favourite book — The Best of Ruskin Bond — signed 10 times on the same page every year.”
Mussoorie has housed some internationally recognised writers who are a generation younger than the famed octogenarian author. They have all visited the shop, and their autographs are inked in a visitor’s book. “Ganesh Saili, who is a close friend and who has co-authored two books with dada and has written two biographies of him, calls him the banyan tree that shelters other writers,” says Sunil. The first entry in the visitor’s book is Bond’s, which reads, “May the Cambridge Book Depot enjoy many, many years of providing the reading public with good books. From a permanent customer.”
The Aroras feel privileged to know Bond and have him visiting their store. “We owe a lot to him for the popularity of our book depot,” signs off Sunil.
