The Fragrance of Reading

“Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another’s skin, another’s voice, another’s soul.”

                                                                                                     -Joyce Carol Oates

Last year, while preparing for certain dreaded management entrance tests like CAT, CMAT etc., we were asked these clichéd questions by our Verbal Ability faculty: “How many of you love to read? Which kind of books do you read?” The answers given by the students used to vary from good to worst. The students who did not take a keen interest in reading were given a few tips to improve their reading habits, which is a requisite for Reading Comprehension. It is the race against time during these exams, so higher the speed, greater the number of questions attempted and ‘probably’ high marks, thanks to the negative marking system. Reading Comprehension is indeed a hard nut to crack, because the passages deal with any random theme under the sun. Certain themes are so abstruse that they drift a voracious reader like me off to sleep. What an irony!

As a child, I never took any interest in reading, quite contrary to my sister. She used to be an ardent reader of Champak, Newshouse, Tinkle Digest, and many knowledge based books and of course, textbooks. My Mother laughs today when she recollects how worried she used to be about my lack of interest in reading. The seeds of reading were planted into my mind by my sister. And I can proudly say today that the seeds bore excellent fruits.

I entered into this fascinating world of books after my SSC exams. My sister was reading ‘Wise and Otherwise’ by Sudha Murty around that time. When she finished reading it, she suggested me to read it, promising that the language in it was not esoteric and I would love it. Since I had a lot of time, I thought I might as well spend it constructively. I began reading the book and was spellbound by each vignette in it. Sudha Murty conveys a lot through simple language. Later I read Sudha Murty’s other novels as well. Her novels emphasize on the social problems prevalent in India. They brought in front of me the deplorable side of Indian society as well as human foibles. In this way, she became my first favourite author.

Gradually I explored other eminent authors like Sidney Sheldon, Khaled Hosseini, Ashwin Sanghi, Ravi Subramanian, Gregory David Roberts, Amish Tripathi, Jean Sasson and many more. Each book taught me something. They gave me an insight into different countries, their cultures, the societies and so on. I had a virtual tour to many countries. Sidney Sheldon’s books, in which, the central characters are always women, taught me to be intrepid and fight boldly against injustice. I ventured into the dark life of Mumbai through Gregory David Robert’s ‘Shantaram’. Every page was a frisson! Jean Sasson’s books describe the lives of women in Middle East countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and Kuwait. I realized how beautiful these countries are, in their own way. Khaled Hosseini’s books on Afghanistani background do not cease to enthrall me and move me to tears. Ravi Subramanian’s books on corporate life throw light on how honesty and modesty is compromised to reach high to the ladder of success. Ashwin Sanghi’s and Amish Tripathi’s works on mythological and historical characters, moulding them in their own style to keep the readers tied to the book, is simply amazing. Like any other youngster, I too enjoy romantic comedies by Chetan Bhagat, Tushar Raheja, Ravinder Singh, Ruchita Mishra and Sudeep Nagarkar, as stress-busters.

Novels have contributed a lot to improve my personality. They give me a better view of the world. It is as though every author is communicating with me through his or her book, with their peculiar style of writing.  Sometimes I get deeply involved with the characters and empathize with some of them. I spend a lot of time at book stores to make sure that I choose the book which perfectly suits my taste, like a true connoisseur. I am drawn to a different world when I read novels. Solitude never conquers me when I am with them. I have read a lot till now, but still have a lot to read and explore. It is an insatiable thirst to absorb more of the world. They are indeed my best friends for life.