India’s most loved children’s author Ruskin Bond turned 84 on Saturday, May 19. But he still has the mischievous glint of little Rusty, his alter ego found in his books. Even though he is equally well-known for his nature books and has recently come out with his autobiography Lone Fox Dancing, Bond remains a child at heart; fond of chocolates and happily obliging requests for photographs
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A few days ahead of his birthday, TOI trekked to Ivy Cottage, his Landour home perched atop the Mussoorie hills. In a free-wheeling chat, punctuated with charm and humour, the raconteur regaled us with many a tale; including his connect with Lucknow and how he was once mistaken for a ghost at Carlton Hotel. “I used to frequent Lucknow in the 1960s and 70s and often stayed at Carlton Hotel. Once, perchance I was the sole occupant on a floor. Night had fallen when I stepped out of my room. Some men standing in the lawn missed a heartbeat as for a fleeting moment they mistook me for an apparition; one of them even managed to squeak with fear: bhoot!” he recalled with a laugh.