The Canal is a
short story featured in the book ‘Secrets’ by Ruskin Bond. The story is about
some adolescent boys’ frolic activities in and around a canal in Dehradun.
Ruskin (the narrator) and some of his friends used to bath and while away time
in that canal during simmer time. The canal used to come from the mountains up
the valley. The canal was famous because once it was a battle point and
historians called it Nalapani. Well, the gang of boys called it Panipat battle
point, since they were weak at history lessons.
Their only
interruption to the fun was Miss Gamla. The canal flowed touching the backside
edge of her house. There were a lot of pot plants in her house and for this
reason the boys called her Miss Gamla. She was around sixty year old spinster.
Because of her presence, boys hardly ever bathed in full nakedness. At the
sight of grown up boys, she felt upset. Boys’ noise often disturbed her
afternoon siesta. She would often warn them to be off but boys never listened
to her even if she complained to the police.
Having tired
of the boys, she one afternoon began chasing and beating the boys in sheer
frustration. In an attempt to save himself Ruskin pulled her into the flowing
water unwittingly. Before the boys could act she was carried off by the strong
streams and lost in the covered canal that stretched for at least two hundred
meters. Boys became frightened and also felt guilty of her death. They stopped
going to the canal and feared that sooner or later the police would come
searching them. They would be arrested on the charges of murder.
After hiding
for a few weeks, they went back to see the canal and there they found Miss
Gamla coming out from her home and shouting at them. They heaved sigh of
relief. They were happy to see her alive and at the same time stopped visiting
that canal.
The book is
fun to read because Ruskin has showed that grown-up boys often bully old
people. Though they never mean harm, but some or other serious misdeed happens
inevitably. As usual the language is light and easy to grasp. Ruskin brings
alive the charm of the young age with no difference at all.
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