If it hadn’t been for too much traffic or bad weather or the government closing down a few metro stations, I would have totally frequented my favourite bookstores, more often. Well, I believe I have many excuses and the day has not ended, so I must go to the nearest one. I sometimes also feel that I may be the privileged one who has a chance to go to a bookstore; my grandchildren might not ever get to visit one, owing to the popular Tablet culture. It is one of my impossible dreams to open up a bookstore but Tablets and Internet downloads give me a bad feeling.
**
The thing is when I go to a bookstore; I usually don’t know which book to buy. Sometimes I might know the topic (humour, politics, inspiration, love stories, history etc.) but I am so picky that I end up spending two hours in a store. And this is the best part. One of the storekeepers called me a killjoy because he thought that after spending two hours, I might end up buying 10 books but to his disappointment, I picked only one. My best pick till today has been a PG Wodehouse classic and Tim Harford’s, The Undercover Economist and the worst has been Twilight (A very emotionally abusive novel).
**
I have had some of the best and most nostalgic times in the bookstore. I used to visit this (when I was around 10 with mummy) place called the Knowledge Store- a two storied book shop. A paradise for any book lover but 12 years later, I see no Knowledge Store at Green Park (New Delhi). I do respect online stores like Flipkart and Amazon sometimes but seriously half your fun is killed, although you do get a book at discounted rates.
**
This is weird but have you ever smelled a book? I have and please don’t be judgmental here. I do smell books till now. Some people donate old books and sometimes in those books, you find a pressed flower or a deep note. In one of the books, I don’t remember which one- A grandparent wrote to his/her grandchild, “Honey this is my last gift to you, hope you enjoy reading the book.” Sometimes, I think with stores like Barnes and Nobles closing down in America, wouldn’t India be impacted in coming years?
**
I see every fifth or sixth face reading a novel on Kindle or virtually and it leaves me with such an uncomfortable feeling. I tried reading ona borrowed miniature screen too but I have got glasses and I do care about my eyes. Who would review the book as, “A Page Turner” in coming years? The popular gifting culture will also die….I believe not everyone can afford to gift his child or loved one- a Tablet. My sister was lucky enough to convince my father to buy her a bookshelf. No matter how distressed or dull you may feel, a bookstore transports you into another world.
**
So, looking at the Nargis petals (a very rare flower) pressed by mom in a book, I ponder over the good memories. I think of the second storied attic of Knowledge Store, the richly scented Readers Paradise bookstore, the book store with wooden furniture and the one with methodically placed stacks of books and so many more. Still on the optimistic side, we can still read , smell and touch a real book…as Agatha Christie said, “While the light lasts.”
**
Devika Tripathi is a B.Com graduate and has contributed stories to newspapers. She has previously also contributed stories to http://indianwildlifetreasures.blogspot.in/which aims to promote wildlife conservation.