The story of The Room on the Roof is a semi-autobiographical piece that Bond wrote when he was 17 years old. It tells the story of Rusty, an Anglo-Indian orphan youngster. He resides in Dehradun with his guardian Mr. Harrison, a preacher, and his wife. Mr. Harrison desires that he grow up with English values and stay away from influences from the Indian culture. Rusty, however, is irritated by his guardian's tight guidelines and confining atmosphere.