Indian author Ruskin Bond tells KT why he never married

Dubai - Always known to be a great romantic, it’s a bit of a mystery why he never got hitched. Bond tells us why.

Indian author Ruskin Bond turned 87 a couple of weeks back. For the ‘other Bond’, the licence to love doesn’t come with an expiry date: in an exclusive interview to Khaleej Times, from his home in Landour (near Mussoorie), he speaks about how he’s been dreaming of having “wonderful affairs” as he slept fitfully (he’s been sleeping more than usual) over the quiet statis of Covid protocol, hardly ever stepping out of the house.

Always known to be a great romantic, it’s a bit of a mystery why he never got hitched. Bond tells us why. It seems like he had a penchant for Bollywood-style romantic dramas and high-octane desi values — and he concedes he wasn’t ever “practical”. He wanted to “marry someone [in circumstances] where there would have been too many obstacles in the way. Family obstacles on the girl’s side, you know”. He would have braved his way through and emerged triumphant, paving the way for a ‘happily ever after’. However, he is quick to point out that “obstacles” would have never cropped up from his side, “there was no one to stop me”.

Also, in India, he adds, “It’s usually the family that arranges a marriage, there was no one to speak up for me.”

Having said that, Bond says he came close to getting married twice — but both times, they fell apart.