In all honesty, I’d like to put it out there that I was never fond of books. I started reading books without pictorial illustrations way after tenth grade. Before that, I used to laugh at my classmates for reading novels. I used to think of them as nerds. You know, it used to bother me that these people were flashing around books which did not even have pictures. How could they not be bored?
However, now I feel that books give one a better perspective on things. Books are one of the those few purchasable items that actually make you richer, both in terms of knowledge and otherwise. I did not know what it felt like after reading a good book. My day was all about being glued to the computer screen and playing video games.
One day, one of my friends challenged me to read this particular book that was very popular back in the day. It was titled Gone Girl. Now, being a judgmental person, I thought ‘Ha! Another romance novel.’ I started reading the book right as I stepped inside the bus on my way back home. And after nearly 8 hours of non-stop reading, I realized that I had finished a 400-page novel in an entire day! As I put down the book, it dawned on me that I did not know what to feel. I was stunned. The book was peppered with brilliantly written characters. I wanted to read it again, and then again, and then again. The story became much more exciting, dangerous and mind-boggling with every single reading. This changed my thoughts about reading.
Almost seven years and several hundreds of books later, I came up with this crazy idea of writing my own book. A book replete with twists and turns. To sum up my story, I’d like to add that I am highly grateful that I discovered books. It feels as if I have found a secret passage to a parallel universe.
Thank you, Vikas! That was a short but interesting read – especially how books brought about a 360° transformation in your outlook on books.
For all those young (or old, for books know no age barriers) Indian readers who have a story to tell about how books changed or improved their lives, feel free to reach out to us and have your weekly shot at the fame of getting published! We post a new reader’s story every Tuesday. What are you waiting for to share yours with millions of fellow bookworms?