👉 The Eyes Have It -- Ruskin Bond "Summary"

                      Summary

It is the story of a blind man who thought he was very smart at behaving like a sighted (able to see) man. Once he was on a train with a female passenger, just the two of them alone. The man struck (started) a conversation with the girl without giving away with (making known) his blindness. The two talked about the beauty of the hillsides that they were passing by. At Shahranpur, the girl got down after a few pleasant words and the man really felt lonely. When the train was about to leave, a male passenger got in. From this new companion the narrator learnt something about the girl who was now gone. What was so very special about the girl?

Two Passengers in northbound train

The narrator is a blind man. He was in a train bound to Dehradun, north of India. At Rohana Station the train stopped and a girl came in with her guardians giving her instructions through the window.
The narrator, this blind man, was a little attracted to girls and women – pretty ones. He saw that the girl’s slippers slapped against her heels and made sounds. He liked her voice as well.
It was quite queer, the girl who entered the coach didn’t see the narrator either. May be he was seated in a dark corner. The narrator didn’t like it. He blamed the girl for not observing him. He wondered how people with sight can be so careless. The narrator was altogether willing to bring his blindness to the girl. If she didn’t notice, he could travel like a perfect gentleman.

A lively chat

The girl informed him that she was up to Saharanpur. He aunt would be waiting at the station. The narrator’s perverted behavior is revealed a bit. He said he had better keep a distance from the girl because he was scared of aunts.
May be he was expecting the girl say – “Well, don’t mind my aunt. Let’s get along!” The girl asked where the narrator was going. He said he was heading to Dehradun and then beyond, to Mussoorie. The girl sounded sad. She wished if she too could be going to Mussoorie because she loved hilly areas, especially in October.
To present himself as a blind man, the narrator agreed to that. He further described the beauty of the hills, the wild dahlias, the warmth of the sun, the cool nights. Note that the narrator was once a sighted man. Gradually he lost his sight.
The narrator made the impression that he was a sighted man and the girl had no doubt about that. The journey continued. But the narrator did something foolish. He asked the girl how the world outside looked. He blamed him for it but soon he was cheered. The girl asked him – “Why don’t you look out of the window?” The question cheered him but felt hurt. Why couldn’t she reply politely?

Shahranpur Station

The train was drawing near to Shahranpur. The girl said she was relieved that the journey was coming to an end. But the narrator was not – he was a romantic fool. He was willing to travel with the girl for any length of time. He thought that the girl would forget him once she got out of the train but he was not ready to forget this encounter.
The train came to a halt. The girl collected her things. The narrator wondered if the girl had her hair in a bun or got it plaited. The girl’s aunt received her at the station. The girl said good-bye and left the coach. While she moved away, the narrator smelled the tantalizing scent of her perfume.
Another passenger got in. He must have come in the girl’s way or he rubbed her aside in the hurry, the new passenger apologized. The doors were shut again. The train moved out of Shahranpur station. The narrator felt a heavy heart. He didn’t quite agree with the new company.
He had nothing else to do other than pretending to be a sighted gentleman with this new passenger. Seeing that the narrator was disappointed about the girl’s absence, the new passenger attempted striking a conversation. He said he was not as attractive a co-passenger as the girl. The narrator asked the man about the girl’s hair. Was it short or long? The passenger was a little puzzled. The passenge