It’s the 15th of August and though ideally, I would have written something for my country land, that is not what this post is about. I feel it’s about time I write something about my exceptional love for books. I have always been fascinated with the world of books and was introduced to reading at a very early age. I remember making strong efforts to read Amar Chitra Katha and Tinkle when I was just 6 yrs old. I would pester my mom to read out stories from these books and while she was too busy, read it by myself, underlying words I didn’t understand. Mom was super supportive, not to mention very patient with my million doubts!!! To make life easier for me, my dad introduced me to the dictionary. Within a few years I moved on to Enid Blyton, Famous Five and then there was Sweet Valley, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and lot many others which was classified under the ‘Classics’ section of my school library. I cannot but help laughing at the bizarre things I have done just to read a book; to reading from a torch light late into the night to avoid my mother’s wrath to using my journal as a cover to finish yet another interesting read right in middle of the physics class!! Now I know why my physics went down the drain!!
I love the fact that books could so easily transport me to a different unreal world; it would just allow my imagination to go wild and so effortlessly make me smile. Even today, I love the smell of books, especially old ones when they haven’t been touched for years. And I had found a few such books in one of my trips to Kerala. I was in my paternal grandparents place at Allepy enjoying every moment running around the white soft sand, playing mindless games with all my cousins!! To my utter bewilderment, I discovered a huge rectangular trunk which had a lot of old stuffs, things I could not comprehend. But what amazed me was; I found 2 copies of Reader’s Digest printed in the year 1982 and 1989. It belonged to my grandfather, a voracious reader himself. That was how, while still in school my annual subscription to RD started!! And over the years, many more subscriptions for other magazines followed.
Over the period of time, my vacations would be incomplete without a few books. They just became a part of me, like a limb attached to my body. I can even today not describe the euphoric feeling of reading a much awaited novel; be it tragedy, romance, classic, mystery, drama, management books, or anything else under the sun. Am one of those kinds, who not only love reading but love collecting books as well. If nothing I am sure, I will pass on a legacy of books to my grand children, just like how my grandfather did!!!
As am typing this, in my bedroom, I can see the rain drizzling down and all I wish to do is cuddle up with a hot cup of coffee, some chips and a nice book to read!! My greatest fantasy is to own a small house, with a small little library of my collection of books! In fact I have already made a list of my favourite ones :P :P Weird though it may sound to lot of people, it is one of those things in life that immediately puts a smile on my face or in some cases even tears!! Either of which I don't mind!! :) :) :)
