Long, long ago, there lived a Jat, or a farmer, in the town of Shamli in Muzaffarnagar district. His wife idled the day away, hardly ever taking food to her husband, who slaved away in the fields from dawn till dusk. The poor farmer would draw water, cook food, and look after his cattle, all Read more…

Many centuries ago, there lived a teenage boy called Sheikh Chilli in the small village of Auraiya. Sheikh was a slothful daydreamer who idled his days away sitting at home and doing nothing. Fed up of her son’s indolent attitude, Sheikh’s mother told him to find a job. Unable to put up with his mother’s Read more…

I always had a thing for academic books. Over time, I also began reading romance novels, making fiction a part of my reading routine. This was a paradigm shift in my viewpoint, for I used to believe that only theoretical books had the potential to shape our thoughts and personality. Reading romantic and inspirational books, Read more…

I got my reading genes from my mother. Whether it was putting me to sleep after dinner, or killing time on a long flight or train journey, she would invariably read me something. By the time I was a teenager, I was already familiar with some of the best works of celebrated authors like Sidney Read more…

Just like any other guy belonging to a typical Indian middle-class family, I was under a constant pressure to get good grades and outdo my siblings in academics. However, I felt like a fish out of water when it came to studies. My mum would often tell me off for never paying attention to my Read more…

Coming from the research field, I was always destined to be a bookworm. Reading those voluminous curriculum books was an undeniable part of my routine. I was completely focused on reading those books for the sake of getting good grades. I still remember that fateful day when, years ago, the CBSE policy was revised to Read more…

For a very long time, I saw books only as a means of jotting down notes from and passing examinations. This was the case up until one day, when things started to take a different turn. It all started when I was in the tenth grade. On fine day, I was discussing some clichéd stuff Read more…

I have been quite fond of reading stories since forever. Reading kind of sends me into a trance, and I quite enjoy being in that space. After all, what better escape could there possibly be for an introvert like me? I suppose it all started with kids’ magazines. During my childhood days, it wasn’t that Read more…

While books are an integral part of my life today, back when I was a kid, books (read Champak) meant nothing more and nothing less than jokes and puzzles, and that’s exactly how, or rather why I started reading. While I’m still not what people would call a bookworm, my bookshelf is full of interesting Read more…