It was a bright Sunday morning. We had almost finished our breakfast and as I sat sipping my favorite masala chai, the doorbell rang.
I saw the smiling faces of my young niece and my cousin as they entered excitedly. Summer vacations had just begun and my niece wanted to buy some books for herself. ‘We have come to kidnap you for the day’, she said beaming with excitement.
I was surprised that a teenager wants to physically enter a bookstore, go through the books, and pick from the shelf. In this day and age, when online reading and shopping are at the tip of our fingers, a Gen Z kid’s request of going to a bookstore threw me off-gourd.
‘Why don’t you buy Kindle or books online?’ I asked, genuinely confused. She didn’t respond then. She just asked me to get dressed to go out for the day and so I did.
To provide some context, my family has known about my obsession with books and reading since I was a kid. My collection of books at my little home library was always appreciated by everyone. When my niece and nephews were born, I used to subtly try and slide the topics of books and the importance of being a reader. They have always seen me with a book at every event, gathering, during festivals, hurled up in a corner. This was my way of disconnecting from the world when I was made to attend an occasion I didn’t want to attend. Being an introvert, books were my best friends and I never needed a company to make me happy.
Anyway, back to the current-day story. We discussed the genres of books she wanted and shortlisted a few books and bookstores.
The first bookstore was the one that I used to visit as a kid. I would buy multiple books for my academics as well as leisure reading. I hadn’t visited the store in a while. As I stepped inside, a gush of air filled my body. A weird feeling of belongingness overtook my emotions.
The same aisles, books arranged systematically as per authors, genres, etc., the smell of the surroundings, and a peaceful library at the back, brought back all the memories.
My niece was so excited that she ran inside and started browsing through the books hastily. She was unable to decide which ones to take. She wanted them all.
But not me. Contrary to my usual excitement in the bookstores, I felt numb. My heart started thumping and my eyes welled up. I was standing in a corner just observing the room. This place took me into a trance and I could see my young self, excitedly dancing around the bookshelves when I was nearly the same age as my niece.
Back in the day, I used to treat this place like a place of worship and visit almost every day. Sometimes to buy books, sometimes to quietly read in the library but most of the time when I would feel lonely and gloomy.
This bookstore was my place for solace. All those memories came back. I could sense my mom’s and best friend’s voice somewhere in the background telling me that it was closing time for the bookstore and we needed to leave. I would never leave willingly.
I felt someone holding my hands and frantically nudging me. ‘Why are you crying maasi?’, my niece was worried seeing the tears in my eyes.
I just smiled at her and explained to her in the best possible way that I could (for her to understand).
I realized that I was missing those days knowing that those times will never return. Nostalgia had hit me so hard that I had forgotten I was there with my niece.
She gently looked at me and said, ‘You had asked me why don’t I buy books online’. And I didn’t respond then. The reason is, I know how much you are attached to books and bookstores. You have inculcated this seed of reading in me even when I could barely read and write and I wanted to share my experience with you. I wanted to make my day special at the bookstore with one of the most passionate persons for books I know. Although online is a great medium, nothing can beat this timeless feeling of actually connecting with the books in a library or the bookstore.’
At that moment I felt that I had seen a mini-me in her. We went on to buy around 50 books together that day and sat there reading until it was closing time. When we reached home, during dinner we were bombarded with concerns about coming home that late knowing the fact that we had visited just 1 bookstore.
My niece and I laughed and exchanged glances. Nothing needed to be said. Her experience today and my nostalgia were more than enough for us to remember this day together for the rest of our lives.
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