Book Love is Forever
Okay, diamonds are overrated, move over!
Dear Reader,
It is November, already, and I can’t believe how the year has raced ahead!
Diwali is over. Festive lights are still shimmering everywhere.
In Delhi, the nights are turning darker than usual.
But there’s always a glimmer of festive lights that makes me feel happy, almost like a child who can’t wait to go shopping.
Like many book-obsessed kids, I was often told not to read.
As a child, I had an in-built default setting to instantly drown out such comments from my conscious mind. I made sure never to ‘listen’ or pay attention to it. As I reflect on this now, it strikes me that it was always women who said these things to me, whereas my father and all my uncles encouraged me to read as much as I could. They used to recommend books to me and tell me to read the newspapers daily.
As far as I am concerned, if I were to think of the unimaginable, of a life without books, a world without literature, I would see a world without meaning.
- Shashi Deshpande (Listen To Me)
My father used to subscribe to one English newspaper, one Malayalam newspaper and an English news magazine. This is besides other reading materials such as a small ‘book quota’ every month and children’s magazines like Tinkle or the Malayalam children’s magazines that were a huge rage!
On my birthdays, my parents used to gift me with a new set of books to read. Back then, reading story books was a luxury most households could not indulge in. To make sure I had a steady collection of books to read, my father used to keep aside a regular ‘book fund’ from his salary. This would be used to buy books of my choice.
Whenever I had pocket money, I would save it so that I could buy books.
If I believed in the Day of Judgement - and it is possible that, having begun life in a Roman Catholic school, the belief is there, lurking somewhere within me - and if I am asked by whoever is supposed to ask the questions…, ‘What have you done with your life?’, I will say, ‘I have read, I have read many books, I have read many good books, some great books.’ And if the voice then asks, ‘And…?’ I will add in a small voice, ‘I have written.’
- Shashi Deshpande (Listen To Me)
Reading was and continues to be an obsession and a passion for me.
The day when we go out to buy books, I used to feel like the luckiest girl on earth! Nothing excites me more than stepping into a bookshop to browse through books.
The more I read, the more I preferred to curl up with a book than play with children of my age. My mother would encourage me to go and play with girls of my age but I would be like, “No, I want to read a book.”
As I grew older, I always sat in a corner and read books while my classmates had fun, played games and did what most kids of that age would do.
For me, reading was many things.
It was like travelling to fascinating places I had never seen before.
It felt like meeting people I would love to have known but couldn’t meet in person.
Many times, reading felt like my personal rebellion and protest; it endowed me with a freedom to think differently about the world, a conscious withdrawal and a stubborn refusal to conform to what the society expects a girl to do.
The more I read, the more my peers found me ‘odd’. But it didn’t matter. Not one bit. Because I loved reading and I still do.
What I am trying to say is - do what you truly, deeply, madly love.
Don’t let anyone stop you.
For me, reading is the most joyous experience.
It could be dance or music or cooking or gardening or pottery for you.
I can’t say this enough:
Don’t let the opinions of others deter you from pursuing what you love.
writing anchor
last things
Step out and feel the sun once you wake up - align with your body’ s circadian rhythm.
Invest your energy intelligently.
Spend time with people who understand and care about you.
It’s OK to feel anxious - lift your energy higher and make wise choices.