For The Love of Reading

Let us agree, some of us as kids have been punished either by our parents or by our teachers for reading books.

Okay, let me make this clear here. Reading a book on the dinner table was not allowed, but if caught doing it, parents warning would be promptly delivered. 'Not buying you any more books.' And there were times when this warning would be carried out too.

Being punished in school was very different. I am not too fond of math. And school kids are not allowed to skip class. I devised a method. I would start reading some story book or children's monthly magazines like Chandamama, Champak or Tinkle, etc. Of course on the sly, hidden neatly inside a huge math text book. Usually, after the first 20 minutes of explaining, most math teachers ask the students to practice or work on the exercise. And that I made it into 'my reading' time. I was in fifth grade at that time. Well, this little pleasure of mine did not last for long. And I got punished and had to work extra hard. not just that, from being a back bencher, I was ordered to sit in the front bench. Thankfully for math period only. 

Why am I sharing this little secret of mine with you all? My love for reading started early, very early in life. Second hand book shops were my secret hiding place. I would go to different shops in our area just to make sure I had enough to read for few days or a week. 

As I grew up, my love for reading grew in leaps and bounds. I remember as a teenager, Lakme cosmetics had a promotion. For every 12 shades of nail paints purchased, customers were giving two Mills & Boons novel free. I was not very fond of nail paints, but for the sake of those books, I would buy them and give the cosmetics away to my friends. 

And then when I got a job, I got myself a membership at the British Council Library and started reading classics and good literature. Somewhere, while getting lost in these books, the seeds to become a writer were sown I guess.

But the transition from being a reader to a writer for others to read is a big jump and not an easy one at all. I tried, I failed, I tried again and failed and then read few more authors, many books and decided writing was not my cup of tea and gave up on it but continued reading...

Until one day...

A tale entered my mind and then it became a part of my life. That tale would not leave me alone. It bothered me and forced me to out a pen to the paper. I hated the few pages I wrote. I challenged myself to write, think and write some more. After a year or so, I saw a shape emerging to my story. 

Few years later I had a story, a book. 

All I needed was a publisher...

I will keep that part of how I got a publisher for my book for the next post.

I had published my first book in an e-format with Cresco Books, Bangalore. It is called Flights of Freedom.

Ranga