Readaholics' Paradise!

 

“We’ll take you to the bookstore, then!”-the argument at which I invariably melted, this was the ultimate no-fail bargain me and my parents always settled down to for a task I didn’t feel like taking up but which was good for me. And, the bargain’s still on! The only difference being, now the bargain is between me, and well, me. For now, I have taken charge of ensuring almost all my wellbeings (or so I believe).

There’s a certain serene, holy feeling that bookstores have. From a busy, justling market, enter a bookstore and a certain calm descends over you. Here and there, you find fellow bookworms all lost in a world of their own whether while rummaging for a book, just admiring some, or reading the brief on the back cover. Everyone has a dreamy look somehow. Physically present but engrossed in a memory- perhaps of a book they’ve enjoyed, some lines running over their mind, a conversation about a book, a well sparked style of an author they can’t stop admiring. It’s just beautiful!

Even random socializing gets just so easy! For an ambivert (lemme be with my books please!), there’s no other place where I can approach a complete stranger without feeling awkward. In a bookstore, conversations just flow! And when you discover a common favourite, the click is instant! ‘From my mind to yours, we can even go on for hours’ (Bad poetry, I know).

Then there’s the beautiful, rustic biblosmia, the earthy smell of old books. The crackle of the new page. The playing with the fonts. And, of course, the way the covers are designed, with their embossings and different textures. So with a book, you’re up for an experience that evokes all your senses! And we sure love it!

Even after so many years, the feeling I instantly have upon entering a bookstore (any kind, honestly!) is one of pure wonder and sheer ecstacy. So many books stacked on one another going on to high piles, books of all kinds, of all possible writers and genres, each holding a wonderful story within itself, with all their alluring covers and then, there’s the quintessential ladder. For, what’s a bookstore without a ladder! It all feels like a treasure island!

And then there’s the treasure too! Apart from bestsellers and popular books, with the right eye and patience, you can find the real, special treasures! Books long out of print, omnibuses that publishing houses have shelved, lost pieces and even vintage old copies! Ahhh!!

Now that you’ve seen me (rather read me) rant about my pehla pyaar, may you, dear reader, find yourself going to amazing places (bookstores), meet wonderful people (readaholics) and be very prosperous (have your own personal library)! Now, allow me to take your leave, as I leave you to you and your kitabein!!

Happy reading!