It is a pleasant feeling when we get something which we have been longing for a long time..

Yesterday was a lovely day for me!!

Divya and I were coming to our home(flat) after meeting our junior in railway station.Near the bus stand(Hyderabad central), there is a book stall which I don’t miss whenever I stand there waiting for bus/cab.

It is a nice feeling to be inside that book shop.Not so big room with lot many books..Both old and new..Whenever I go there the smell of those books engross me and I love to be inside that room..

Once I get inside that shop I will come out with some books and an inspiring energy.An energy which makes me read many books and makes me converse with lot of dead/living authors.Usually I don’t get much time to spend there because my friends will start telling me..

“c’mon..here is the cab..now we will go..we will buy it next time..”(Next time also they will tell the same.. )

But this time was little different..only Divya and I were there..and she is an understanding friend..:)

Coming back,yesterday as a shopping was not planned, we dint take much money.We had only 480 rupees with us and also 2 debit cards.We went to that shop and found among many other books,the book which I was searching for a looong time ..

Shantaram!!

..When I saw that book I felt like I reached the top of Mt.Everest..(I don’t know exactly what that feeling is as I have never been there.. Guess it will be great!!)But it is not a great feeling to fell down  from the top of it which happened to me when I saw the price at the back..Rs.495.. There are no atms near by and also we can’t swipe our card in that shop.I kept the book back in its position with a tear-jerking feeling.

But my eyes dint stop going through all the books in those shelves.Shop owner and his daughter were having food at this time and as we dint want to disturb them we started searching the books ourselves.I told divya to search Gone with the wind *.Without taking much time we found it..Rs.195 and also Midnight’s children Rs.300..

Total 495.. Ha! Again the same situation.

At that time a beggar came to the shop.Hearing his voice ,shop owner-an old muslim uncle came out.

Shop Uncle :Annam thinna letha??(You dint have food?)

Beggar uncle:Lethu..(No)

He took some money from the table drawer and gave it to him and was about to go in.

I :how much does this book cost?

He showed me the back side.(Uncle I saw that..)

This is the original prize.but we will reduce it..

I was on cloud nine.How much u will reduce ?

After calculating, he told 450 for both.

Again I am on the top of Everest..This time  I will not fall down.. Now those books are mine..

“Shantaram..I have not forgotten u.Don’t go anywhere.Next time when I come here I will surely take you with me.”

On the way to our home(1 hour journey..) I was thinking of my father.

In our childhood he used to bring a lot of books.But never compelled us(My Brothers and I) to read those books except one “Voice of English”.I can’t find any other reason, other than my father’s over love for it, to hate that book.He never stopped his habit of buying books even though he saw us making paper boats with dictionary pages during rainy season.But when I grew up I understood why he dint stop his habit of buying books.After 5th or 6th std I stopped going out with my brothers during our summer vacation to play cricket or some local games.Those time my only companion were those books.I dint take much pain to read those books which I cant digest.Most of the books were high standard and was out of reach of a small girl.So after reading 1 or 2 pages I will stop reading it.But before going to hostel, after my tenth I managed to read all the books in our house.I know that will make only .00001% of total books in the world..or even less than that.But I love my father for helping me to develop the habit of reading( without my knowledge) which makes me a lot happy now..

So friends, what I have to say is,choose reading as your companion and you will never have to walk alone.It will open doors to those world you have never seen even in your dreams..Then you will realize you have more to discover in life than you’d ever thought of!! 

* Once I was about to buy gone with the wind for 890 rs but my friend stopped me telling that I will get it for lower prize..

P.S 1: Why I asserted the shop owner is a Muslim??

Now a days I am hearing a lot of people blaming muslims only because of a handful of terrorists.But the muslims I have met till now are noble persons..So I just wanted to add this uncle also in that list..

P.S:The conversation between two uncles is in Telugu.

P.S 2: If you read 1 book a week, then it will take 50 years to complete 2600 books..2600 is a very very small number when we consider the countless number of books..So start now itself !!