It was an inky night. I pulled the heavy quilt around me even tighter. I was half-propped on the bed, eyes widening in terror as I wondered what would happen next. I looked at the big clock on the wall. It was 2 am and the end was nowhere near. Cursing myself because I did have to wake up early the next morning I ploughed on. The lure was irresistible. It was as if I was possessed. I remember that I finally fell off to sleep at about 4 in the morning. But it was worth it. I was reading Frederick Forsyth’s The Odessa File that I had picked up from my father’s collection. He had all the Godfather books, Agatha Christie, and so many other titles that I later flicked, read and replaced.
Ah, reading! It is one of the purest joys that a human being can experience. I have loved reading for as long as I can remember. Books, magazines and comics – I devoured anything that I liked with passion. I have spent many a day and night when I could not wait to get my hands on the book that I wanted to read especially when book reading was interrupted by school days. That moment when I open a book, take a deep whiff of its fresh paper and then dive in has to be among the most cherished moments of my life. Oh yes, I still love paper books. I am just not an e-book reader. I did try but unless I am traveling and have no access to paper books, I never read e-books.
Of late, I feel that in managing a bunch of activities, I am missing out on reading. I have realized that if I don’t write or read for a while then I feel anxious, restless almost as if something big is missing from my life. And when I talk about reading, I don’t mean online articles, blogs etc. Those I read regularly as I work in this domain. But the true pleasure of reading for me is in reading books. Earlier I would read only fiction and magazines. But a couple of good friends introduced me to non-fiction, and I haven’t looked back.
What would we be if we don’t read? Seriously? I love tales. I love reading about history. I love murder mysteries, thrillers, drama and romantic comedies. Books transport us to another world. Books give us knowledge about things and places we never knew about. Books make us chuckle in delight and make us gulp a lump down the throat. Oh, books are life themselves.
I have seen my elder son pick up my passion of reading. He is also able to polish off the genres like History, Psychology, Nutrition and Self-help that I enjoy which is quite amazing for a 13 year old. The younger son is still not that interested in reading unless you count ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’. But I am hopeful that one day he will discover the books that will make him forget the world around him, as if time had ceased to exist, when nothing can come between that perfect book and you. I will want him to discover that ecstasy.
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