Set in Dehra, Room on the Roof is the story of a young boy Rusty, a seventeen year old orphaned boy. He stays with his guardian, Mr. Harrison who is strict and does not allow or tolerate Rusty to meet the bazaar boys or the sweeper boy, who works at their house. Rusty is fed up with the...
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(warning: may contain spoilers)
Set in Dehra, Room on the Roof is the story of a young boy Rusty, a seventeen year old orphaned boy. He stays with his guardian, Mr. Harrison who is strict and does not allow or tolerate Rusty to meet the bazaar boys or the sweeper boy, who works at their house. Rusty is fed up with the confined life. On the occasion of Holi, Rusty leaves his home and finds his new friends Suri, Ranbir and Kishen, whom he had previously met at the chaat shop in the bazaar, enjoying the festival of colors. For the first time, he escapes the confinement of his guardian and lets himself flow with the splendor of the day. He is smirked with the colorful dust on his cheeks. When he returns, his guardian punishes him much to the woe of himself in result. For the first time, Rusty retaliates and hits his guardian badly and runs off. He reaches the bazaar at night and finds himself completely lonely. He questions his decision of running away from his abode but it was too late for he doubted whether Mr. Harrison would allow him in his house any more. But, as the morning dawns, his fears get wiped. He finds refuge in the house of Kishen in lieu of his service of helping Kishen in his studies, especially in English. Kishen's parents Mr. Kapoor and Meena greets him well. He is given a room on the roof, where Rusty discovers the pleasure of enjoying the nature in solitude. In the mean time, Rustry falls in love with Kishen's mother, Meena. She is a young lady with a high age-difference with her husband. The more he sees Meena, the deeper his feelings become. In the mean time, the Kapoor's arrange a picnic which is joined by Kishen, Rusty and their friends Suri with his dog and Ranbir. There, Rusty strays away with Meena in the forest where his emotions overcome him and he cannot help but kiss Meena passionately on her lips. They have lovely time in the forest. Rusty feels he should stay with Meena in the forest far away from any other acquaintances. But real life does not allow them the pleasure to do so. Rusty's happiness does not stay long as Meena dies in an accident while accompanying her husband on a drive. Kishen's aunt comes to take him with her. Suri and Ranbir leaves the town. Rusty is left with no more friends who can share his loneliness and despair nor anyone who will provide him with shelter. He decides to Dehra and migrate to England. On the way, he visits the Kapoor's only to discover that Mr. Kapoor has remarried within a month of Meena;s death and that Kishen has fled from his house to become a thief. Later Rusty meets Kishen at a time when both of them are without friends or someone to care for.