A New Home for Old Friends !

The fact that I am a bookworm is known to all. Books are my solace, my refuge, something I always turn to when I am feeling down. A book is pure happiness, is as essential as the air I breathe! 

I think books should seriously be considered as stress relievers. They are also much more effective than medicines. I believe one dose of PG Wodehouse or Ruskin bond along with your antibiotics will help you recover from your cold or stomach upset that much faster! Works for me at least! 

For me reading is a religion. And I honestly treat my books like minor Gods. I am not averse to sharing things usually but I am very very hesitant about sharing my books and god help you if you give me back my book with even a scratch on it.

I also want my books to be accessible to me at all times. I rather fancy them as dear friends whom I can walk up to and have a pleasant conversation with at any time of the day. My time with my books is very precious to me. I like to sit quietly, leafing through them, re reading my favorite chapters and passages afresh. 

Till now all my books were scattered around the house. Some on tables, some in shelves, some locked inside the cupboards. I was not happy. I wanted all my books together, in one place. 

So I decided to indulge in a few good book shelves. After searching high and low through the city for many months, I found two fabulous book shelves in Amar Colony Antique Market. These gems were hiding behind a few tables and antique chairs and it seemed as if they were just waiting for me to spot them! I fell in love with them as soon as I saw them! 

Last weekend I spent a very pleasant day arranging my books in them and then proud as a peacock I put up a few pictures of the bookshelves on Facebook.

And then Suranga Date of the Strewn Ashes and Gappa fame saw them and penned this lovely poem about them on the spot. 

इतनी सारी सहेलियांकोई साइज़ शून्य

कोई टुनटुन जैसी,

कोई बाहरसे एकदम कड़क ,

और कोई इतनी मुलायम

कि दुसरे कि सहारे सिवा

खड़ी न रह सके.।

शीला आयी ,

बोली , "मुझे वोट दो, घर दिलाऊंगी "…

केजरीवाल आये

बोले "मुझे वोट दो, जगह दे दूंगा ,

लेकिन इलेक्ट्रिसिटी बिल आपका "…।

कोई हर्षभरा वर्धन आया ,

बोला " मुझे वोट दो,

मई प्याजके गहने फुकट दूंगा। …

फिर एक रुचिरा आयी

और बोली,

चलो मेरी बहना,

नया घर लाया है,

आराम से लेटो ,

कुछ वोट बीट नहीं चाहिए ,

लेकिन मेरी याद आयेगी

तो बाजूवाले झरोके से मुझे देखते रहना

और पूरी कि पूरी सहेलियां

नए घर कि तरफ भाग कर निकल पड़ी।

I particularly like the first para. The books are so well described. 

Thank you Suranga ! And I hope my books will be happy in their new home !