The Bhowani Junction , a novel written by Jhon Masters was first published in 1954.Jhon has been successful in giving picturesque details of the situation prevailing in India in 1946. The Britishers were to leave the country. Indians will have to become the creators of their own fate and of the free nation. The story of novel revolves around the three main characters, Vectoria Jones, an Anglo-Indian and daughter of Mr. Thomas Jones, driver, Delhi Deccan Railway, Rodney Savage, Lieutenant Colonel, Commanding 1st Battalion 13th Gurkha Rifles, Indian Army and Patrick Taylor, non-gazetted officer, Traffic department, Delhi Deccan Railway, an Anglo-Indian who is in love with Victoria Jones. The other characters of novel including, Govindswammy, collector of the Bhowani Junction, Surabhai, head of local Congress unit, Sardarini, mother of Ranjit Singh Kasel, an officer working under the Patrick Taylor, Traffic department, Delhi Deccan Railway enlivens the narrative of the novel. Except Govindswammy, indigenous population lives in the other part of the city, which clearly defines the wide rift between the British and Indian. Indians were struggling hard to end the long days of British Raj(rule).The Congress activists had their peaceful means to demand freedom from the colonial rule by staging dharna, protest and demonstration against British rule. On the other hand there were extremists who believed in violence and large scale use of weapons in vandalizing British establishments. KP Roy was one of the such extremists who derailed many trains around the Bhowani Junction. The British Troops arrived at the Junction to handle the sizzling situations. A large section of the Anglo-Indians residing in Bhowani Junction, are employed in different Railway related works. The novel informs the common tendency of British officers towards young Anglo-Indian ladies as they looked down upon these Eurasians, half Indian and half British in blood. Graham Macaulay, Adjutant of Colonel Savage tried to rape Victoria Jones on two occasions. In an attempt of rape, Victoria killed Macaulay by a fishplate lying under railway wagon near Railway lines. Victoria finds it difficult to intermingle with British people after this incident. Therefore, she starts searching her roots in Indian culture.Victoria believed, the Britishers would have to leave the India one day or other. In that case, Anglo-Indians had only way left out was to live in India and to adopt the Indian culture. The British officers usually believed Anglo-Indian ladies as the sexual object. But they were not ready to tie nuptial knot with these ladies. Victoria tried to be in love with Ranjit Singh Kasel, an officer working under Patrick Taylor in Traffic department. But, she could not assimilate Indian culture, beliefs and practices as her mind had been trained since childhood to imbibe the British ideas, costumes and culture.
Patrick Taylor was the love of Victoria Jones since childhood. But, Patrick proved himself big fool by his foolish actions. Although, Patrick had no bad intentions against anyone, but whatever he did turned out against himself. Colonel Savage rightly commented on the behavior of Patrick that his luck always seemed to be against him. He lost Victoria for the same reason for a short period. Victoria tried to feel affection for Colonel Savage after her brief relation with Ranjit Singh. Although,Victoria and Savage made physical relations, but not a flicker of love existed between them. Victoria realized it in the end. She found Patrick was still in love with her despite of her relations with Colonel Savage and Ranjit. KP Roy, the dreaded communist was shot dead by Patrick Taylor in the end of novel. Patrick was fearing he might have opened fire at Gurkha rifleman and killed an Gurkha soldier instead of Roy, as Roy was wearing the dress of Gurkha soldier. But when the troops reached the spot, Roy was found lying dead. This time Patrick’s luck was with him, as with it Victoria returned to him to her forgotten lover. Jhon Masters is successful in describing the ways of functioning of the British troops. Being an retired Lieutenant Colonel himself, John Masters had deep knowledge of the tactics of the military personnel. The example of it is displayed when KP Roy tried to escape from Bhowani Junction, while taking Victoria Jones as his hostage in a goods train. The thrilling moments of Gurkha riflemen’s search of the train in which Roy was hiding under the heap of coals and forced Victoria to do the same at gun point, compels the reader to remain glued to the novel for some time. It is due to the story moving in one direction of Victoria’s frantic search for her true identity and love which seems monotonous some times. At many places, the novel contains insignificant details, which should have been avoided. The concluding part of the novel is woven skillfully amid the vivid details of British troops leaving for their own country, end of Anglo-Indians' dilemma, Indians win freedom and finally, the frenzied search of Victoria for true love and identity comes to an end, as she and Patrick decided to get solemnized into marriage relationships.