Mussoorie, May 20 -- The iconic Cambridge Book Depot on Mussoorie's Mall Road on Tuesday missed its most celebrated visitor for the second consecutive year as acclaimed author and Padma Bhushan awardee Ruskin Bond celebrated his 92nd birthday in Dehradun, away from his beloved Ivy Cottage in Landour Bazaar due to ongoing health and mobility constraints. The veteran writer was hospitalised at Max Super Speciality Hospital in Dehradun in December 2025 after experiencing severe leg discomfort and sudden difficulty in walking. He has stayed in the valley since his discharge to support his recovery. His adopted son Rakesh Bond confirmed that the condition is age-related and said the author has been steadily recovering. "My father has shown signs of a speedy recovery since being discharged from the hospital last year, but because he is still unable to climb the steep stairs of his Mussoorie home, the family decided to celebrate his 92nd birthday in Dehradun, where friends, well-wishers and fans gathered to wish him a long and healthy life," he said For nearly two and a half decades, the Cambridge Book Depot has maintained an annual tradition wherein waves of admirers to queue up outside it on May 19 to wish Bond in person, cut a birthday cake, and have him autograph their books. Sunil Arora, who owns Cambridge Book Depot, said Bond's absence was deeply felt. "Last year he missed it due to the Pahalgam issue and this year, health concerns after his medical setback forced him to skip the annual book-signing and cake-cutting ceremony. To keep the tradition alive, we invited a student who shares his birthday with Ruskin Bond to cut the cake," he said. Reaching out to readers from Dehradun, Bond expressed affection for his mountain home and said he hoped to return to Mussoorie once his condition improved....