A book still is the most reliable companion

Some time ago, my granddaughter Seerat had to change her school. The new school organised an admission test, where I was to escort her. When we reached there, quite a few children of different age groups, accompanied by their parents, too had come for the same purpose. The children were taken to another room for the test. The test duration was one and a half hours.

All parents and me, a grandmother, were asked to sit in a room near the reception of the school. As Seerat was taking the exam, I too had this test of using the time at my disposal. It’s not that it was any problem. I had my most reliable companion, a book, in my bag. And how a good book makes you stressfree; try it to believe it! So I grabbed the opportunity to catch up on my reading, for which sometimes I fall short of time at home. I read it for a while, thoroughly enjoying each word in the serene atmosphere.

I had earlier seen some school magazines on a stand in the reception area. I took two of them for reading and went through the articles, poems and stories. Oh, what fun it was reading all those write-ups and browsing through the sketches! I became a child once again besides being a part of children’s dreams and fancy. I learnt about so many new things. The whole exercise was akin to paying a visit to some wonderland. The one and a half hours came to have a sublime meaning for me and even turned into an unforgettable memory.

I must not forget to mention what the other occupants of the room were busy doing. You’ve guessed right. The younger people with no exception were busy on their smart phones, texting or just clicking selfies. I was the only odd one out.

A young woman noticing that I was busy reading all the while, said, “Auntie, how interested are you in reading; I’m so surprised. It must be your hobby.”

“It is and I thrive on it, beta; it’s a necessity for me,” I said. The response brought a smile on her face. She at once became serious for a while and said, “Basically, it is you who’s on the right track, auntie. So much is being said and written about the harms that the excessive use of mobile phone is causing. It blocks your mind and kills originality. At least I will take inspiration from you and develop reading as an interest.”

The declaration proved to be a bonus for me. She was probably unaware of the joy it gave me. I inspired at least one person to start reading for pleasure which, they say, has taken a back seat today. Yet there are many book lovers around and I’d say the future still belongs to physical books.

THE ONE AND A HALF HOURS CAME TO HAVE A SUBLIME MEANING AND EVEN TURNED INTO AN UNFORGETTABLE MEMORY